Saturday, July 25, 2020

Burnley v Brighton: Match Preview

It's the final matchday of our first season under Potter.










News

The Albion have no new injuries to report. Only Jose Izquierdo and Steven Alzate are the ones expected to miss out.

Ali Jahanbakhsh is expected to return from a hamstring injury. Reports continue to swirl that he could sign for Ajax or another big Eredivisie club.

For Burnley, Ashley Barnes, Ben Mee, Matt Lowton, Jack Cork and Charlie Taylor all are unavailable.

Brighton have nothing to play for, as they secured safety after the point v Newcastle. A win would put them at 41 points on the season, a club record high.

Many fans will be on the lookout for two big announcements- the signing of Adam Lallana, and the unveiling of the 2021 home/away kits. Both are expected to take place around Sunday.

What to Look For

Since its the final matchday, I expect some players to be given a chance that haven't featured regularly this season.

Shane Duffy, Bernardo, Solly March, Jahanbakhsh, and Glenn Murray have all struggled for consistent first-team football. Some of those players will likely be given the chance to impress as the season comes to a close.

Burnley are defensive side, similar to Newcastle. I believe they will let Albion have possession and look to break on the counter-attack.

Despite many fans calling it boring and lackluster, Brighton will appreciate having the ball, as we know its a big part of Potterball. The creativity with it has been lacking on occasions, though.

The Clarets main threat is from set-pieces, including free kicks and corners. That can't be good news for Brighton, as we have conceded time after time the simplest of goals from set-pieces. 

Things like marking the near post, playing offside correctly, deflections, and defenders losing headers have all been rough spots.

They also are known for scraping points from last-minute goals.

Just last week, a controversial injury-time penalty against Wolves secured them a point in a 1-1 draw.

In the reverse fixture in November, they also secured a stoppage time equalizer against the Albion.

Key Players

I usually name one player I think will have a standout role in the match. Since this week should feature many players eager for more game-time, I think one (or more) of those players will be key. 

Their effort, determination, and hunt for a bigger role next season could lead them to score goals or otherwise positively impact the match. 

Against Newcastle, the Albion sat back with the ball, and didn't do much with it. The occasional chance would come by, but few great ones. This week, the impact player should be looking to take risks, do more with the ball, pick a clever pass, do anything that could impress the gaffer. 

For me, this could be Jahanbakhsh or March from the wings. It could also be Duffy stepping out of defense, or Murray in front of goal. 

The key player for Burnley has to be their standout keeper Nick Pope. He has 15 clean sheets this season, third-highest in the top-flight.

He has consistently made the saves you would expect from a Premier League goalkeeper, and done his other duties well. Chelsea are reportedly seeking to sign Pope and replace the struggling Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Jay Rodriguez and Chris Wood have also been in goalscoring form recently for the Clarets, and will look to continue contributing to the score-sheet.

Prediction

Burnley have played well this season, but our lockdown form has also been impressive. I think both sides can get a result.

1-1. 

Previous Post
Next Post

0 comments: