Clarets Mad - Clarets v Gunners, English Premier League Match Preview.
Venue: Turf Moor, Harry Potts Way, Burnley, BB10 4BX.
Kick-off – 15-00 - 17th February 2023.
Saturday brings together a genuine EPL title contender and a team desperate to avoid relegation back to the Championship from where they came only nine short months ago.
Arsenal will arrive at Turf Moor on the back of a 6-0 away day thumping of David Moyes’ bewitched Hammers at the London Stadium and it appears obvious Burnley have much to do to get anything out of this fixture.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany still believes his team can survive the dreaded drop, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta is involved in a three-way title shoot-out with Manchester City and Liverpool.
Both teams need the points for vastly different reasons, but the Gunners’ points total of 52 points from 24 games against Burnley’s 13 points from the same number of games played suggests the Clarets are in for a very difficult Saturday afternoon at Turf Moor.
One’s to watch: Lyle Foster missed last weekend’s defeat at Liverpool and remains an injury doubt. Wilson Odobert and Chelsea loanee David Fofana are likely to form the Clarets’ offensive threat with Zeki Amdouni fitting into a three-man attacking unit. Not scoring enough and conceding too many goals are the reason Burnley are in deep relegation trouble.
For the Gunners it really is a case of take your pick, household names like Saka, Rice, Saliba, Gabriel, Jesus and Odegaard are all in cracking form and provided the backbone of the team that slaughtered the Irons last weekend. It really is hard to see how Burnley can prevent them from scoring a bagful of goals.
Verdict: Hard to disagree with the bookmakers on this one. I’m going for a 4-1 away win, it hurts for me as a life-long Burnley fan to say it, but the Clarets really are swimming in a different talent pool to Arsenal at present.
Footnote: Vincent Kompany might find a glimmer of hope if the Gunners are distracted by having one eye on their Champions League round of 16 Champions League fixture in Porto on Wednesday 21.02.24 and take their eye off the ball at Turf Moor. It seems unlikely but we desperate Burnley fans look for help from wherever we can get it.
Whatever the outcome, enjoy the game. (TEC).
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