Burnley complete a hat trick of home games to start the 2023/24 campaign with the hosting of a rejuvenated Tottenham Hotspur.

Burnley will lock horns with Tottenham for their third game of the Premier League season which promises an exciting affair between two clubs in different spectrums of a new era. The Clarets would have now played the clubs who finished first, seventh and eighth last season which they must have been dreaming about when they were relegated in 2022 after six consecutive seasons in the top flight.

Burnley were champions in a dominant campaign as they registered 101 points in the EFL Championship last season. Their automatic promotion was brought about by a dramatic change in their playing style from the famous route-one approach applied under Sean Dyche to a more patient, possession-based approach under Vincent Kompany.

The ex-Belgium international is leading his team into his first season as a Premier League manager and he will have learnt valuable lessons from their opening 3-0 defeat to former club Manchester City. The unexpectedly long break following the postponement of their scheduled second game against Luton Town would have also provided enough time to work on things on the training ground. 

Burnley know they have their work cut out given the relative inexperience in their squad compared to others, but the objective this season is undoubtedly to stay in the league and securing vital early points is key to laying down a marker.

The scale of the challenge awaiting them against Tottenham is shown in only two wins and a draw from their last ten games together. Indeed, they failed to score in any of the last four meetings.

A new-look Tottenham arrives in Lancashire which is conspicuously without their record goalscorer Harry Kane who finally traded North London for Bayern Munich before the start of the season. 

The Lilywhites are a more exciting side this season compared to the frustrating pragmatism under Antonio Conte, they are occupying more attacking territories and spending more time on the ball. Ange Postecoglou’s side began the season with an entertaining 2-2 draw at Brentford before putting Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United to the sword in their first home game.

That 2-0 victory showed a lot of positives to come for Spurs and they will be keen to keep the momentum going at Burnley. Having suppressed a Brentford fightback in their first away game, they will be confident of coming through a stubborn Burnley side with a result. 

Match tickets

This match is scheduled for Saturday, 2 September and kicks off at 3 pm UK Time at the 21,944-capacity Turf Moor Stadium. Burnley vs Tottenham Tickets have been on sale via each club’s website and you can expect a full house as the Clarets are excited for their immediate return to the Premier League.

Away fans will also not be left out of the action as a reasonable contingent are expected to make the trip, everyone understandably expects to see a spectacle due to the innovative tactics and attacking play possessed by both teams. This has all the markings of a memorable matchday experience for anyone who attends the game. 

Burnley tickets would be difficult to get given their fans are used to winning there after they lost only one of their 23 home games last season. Supporters may then be lucky enough to find seats on a ticket reselling site.

Team news

Burnley have undergone an extensive turnover of players as they try to balance out influential players from last season’s promotion with those who can improve them in the top flight. Hence, the likes of Jordan Beyer, Dara O’Shea, Michael Obafemi, Aaron Ramsey, Lawrence Vigouroux, Sander Berge, Zeki Amdouni, James Trafford, Nathan Redmond, Wilson Odobert, Hannes Delcroix, Luca Koleosho and Jacob Bruun Larsen have joined Burnley over the summer.

Against Spurs, they will be without the suspended Anass Zaroury following his red card against Manchester City while Michael Obafemi and Darko Churlinov are still absent.

Postecoglou’s side have bolstered their squad with the signings of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, Ashley Phillips, Alejo Veliz and Manor Solomon as Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski were signed permanently. 

Spurs will have an almost full-strength side against Burnley as James Maddison should be available after an ankle injury as well as Fraser Forster after a back issue. However, Rodrigo Bentancur, Bryan Gil, Alfie Whiteman and Ryan Sessegnon remain long-term absentees.

Line-ups

Burnley’s defeat to City would have left Kompany with plenty of food for thought as he searches for his first win in the Premier League. Hence, he will be urging his team to embrace the basics of what made them such a dominant side in the Championship.  

Josh Brownhill was the chief creator from his position in the midfield pivot as he created deadly chances and contested the most tackles in the team. He finds able competition in the form of Sander Berge who joined from Sheffield United, and Kompany has a selection decision to make on that front.  

Burnley: Trafford; Roberts, O’Shea, Al-Dakhil, Vitinho; Berge, Cullen; Koleosho, Bruun Larsen, Foster; Amdouni

Tottenham look like they have recognised their strongest lineup under their Australian manager which bodes well for the attacking combinations they are working on this season. There has been intense high-pressing, high-possession, inverted full-backs and a high defensive line while the midfield pair of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr have fostered a strong combination. 

Nevertheless, the visitors will look to get more attacking names on the score sheet with only defensive players (Cristian Romero, Emerson Royal and Pape Matar Sarr) being among the scorers as of the time of writing

Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Richarlison

Prediction

Spurs have kept clean sheets in all of their last four games against Burnley and there could be another here especially as the hosts are yet to register a Premier League goal this season. 

A single goal was enough to win four of the last five meetings between these sides with the London side prevailing in three of those. Therefore, another single-margin victory for Spurs is very much on the cards. 

Burnley 1-2 Tottenham