Tottenham vs Burnley – Match Preview
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Tottenham have done the almost unthinkable, that of course being the fact that they have now qualified for the Round of 16 in this season’s Champions League. After picking up just a point from their opening three matches it is fair to say that no-one gave them much hope of progression.
But a dramatic turnaround in form has seen them secure second place in a very competitive group and not only that, it gives them the prospect of playing top level European football in their new home come the turn of the year.
This weekend though their focus will go back to domestic matters and making sure that they also qualify for next season’s edition of the Champions League, by virtue of finishing in the top four of the Premier League.
Saturday sees them play host to Burnley and it is fair to say that their tails will be up after such an excellent performance in Catalonia. However, with that in mind Sean Dyche’s men will certainly be looking to spoil any party atmosphere that could be found at Wembley.
The Clarets have had a tough run of results as of late, but they do make the long trip to North London having picked up a win in their last league outing. That victory came against Brighton at Turf Moor and it is one that sees them move out of the bottom three.
The task now for Burnley is to make sure that they keep their heads above water, especially when you consider just how tight it is between the bottom six or seven teams in the Premier League right now.
The difference for Burnley this year seems to be the fact that they have lost the defensive platform that was so solid last season, clean sheets have been a much rarer commodity this time around with the East Lancashire outfit currently conceding an average of two goals per game.
That statistic will be music to Tottenham’s ears as they look to make it three wins out of three and continue their impressive form since their abject display in the North London derby earlier in the month.
Since that defeat they have answered their critics in the best possible way with wins over both Southampton and Leicester, not only that but they find themselves now just six points off the top of table.
And with what would be considered a very winnable run of fixtures coming up, the belief will be that Mauricio Pochettino’s men can erode into that gap and in turn make themselves genuine title contenders in the second half of the season.
Add the fact that the move home looks like it could be a step closer and that could end up being a real shot in the arm for Spurs, that said they cannot afford to overlook the challenge of Burnley this weekend.
Whether they’ve used up too much energy in earning a draw with Barcelona on Tuesday remains to be seen, but at the same time they have more than enough to pick up all three points this weekend in front of their own fans.
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