Burnley vs Bournemouth – News and Probable Lineups

As the Premier League season draws to a close, relegation-threatened Burnley will host European contenders Bournemouth at Turf Moor this Saturday afternoon.

The earlier fixture at the Vitality Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw back in December, with both teams sharing the points.

Match overview

Burnley finds themselves at risk of a third relegation from the Premier League in just five seasons after a disappointing stretch of only one victory in their last 20 matches (D6 L13) since early November, gathering the fewest points (nine) of all teams in the league.

One of the highlights for Scott Parker’s squad this year was coming back from two goals down to triumph 3-2 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. They also found some positives in draws against Liverpool, Tottenham, and Chelsea, but the threat of relegation looms large for the Clarets.

Parker considers this season as one that “might be seen as a failure,” and with nine matches left, Burnley, currently sitting 19th, is under tremendous pressure to secure points, ideally wins, to maintain their Premier League status. They are nine points behind both 18th-placed West Ham United and 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, whom they will face in mid-April.

Burnley has not won in their last 10 home matches in the Premier League (D3 L7), with their last success coming against Leeds United in October. Historically, they have never had an 11-match winless streak at home within a single season.

Heading into the match against Bournemouth, they have not won in their last three league encounters with the Cherries (D1 L2), despite previously having six wins in their first eight meetings (L2). The last league victory against Bournemouth was 3-0 at home in February 2020.

In their last 10 Premier League matches, only Manchester United (21), Arsenal (19), Manchester City (19), and Chelsea (18) have earned more points than Bournemouth (17), who have claimed four victories, five draws, and just one defeat in that time.

After defeating Everton 2-1 away on February 10, the Cherries have drawn their last three league games against West Ham United, Sunderland, and Brentford, including a goalless draw against the latter at home not long ago.

No side has drawn more fixtures in the Premier League this season than Andoni Iraola’s team (13). Among these, three have been against promoted clubs, highlighting their struggle against such teams alongside Leeds (D1 L2) and Wolves (L3) who also have not beaten them yet.

Bournemouth, who last enjoyed four consecutive league draws between April and August 2000 (five total), currently ranks ninth in the Premier League and is just four points behind seventh-placed Brentford as they push for European qualification with nine matches remaining.

Despite their struggles historically at Turf Moor, where they have only secured two victories out of 15 league encounters (D6 L7), their recent visits have seen improvement, including a win earlier this year in March 2024.

Team News

Burnley will miss Josh Cullen, Zeki Amdouni (both knee), Connor Roberts, Axel Tuanzebe (both Achilles), and Jordânia Beyer (hamstring) due to injuries. Additionally, it will be too early for Mike Tresor (ankle) and Armando Broja (unspecified), who have just started light training.

Zian Flemming (calf) and Marcus Edwards (knock) are also in the training setup and will be evaluated prior to kickoff. Flemming is among Burnley’s joint-top scorers this season with seven goals, alongside former Bournemouth winger Jaidon Anthony, and he has registered on his last two Premier League outings.

Parker seems set to maintain a consistent lineup, likely retaining the central defensive trio of Maxime Esteve, Joe Worrall, and Bashir Humphreys, as well as midfielders Florentino Luis, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Hannibal Mejbri.

Bournemouth will continue to be without Justin Kluivert (knee), Ben Gannon-Doak (thigh), Lewis Cook (hamstring), and Julio Soler (unspecified) as they recover from their respective injuries.

Eli Junior Kroupi, Amine Adli, and David Brooks are all vying for spots in the attack. Kroupi is a strong candidate to take the place of Ryan Christie, whereas Brooks may struggle to replace either January addition Rayan or Marcus Tavernier wide.

The Cherries have recorded three clean sheets in their last six league fixtures, conceding just three goals, so it’s expected to see Alex Jimenez, James Hill, Marcos Senesi, and Adrien Truffert form the back four again.

Burnley probable starting XI:

Dubravka; Humphreys, Worrall, Esteve; Walker, Ugochukwu, Florentino, Hannibal, Pires; Anthony, Foster

Bournemouth probable starting XI:

Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Ryan, Croupee, Tavernier; Evanilson

Burnley needs to take the initiative against Bournemouth and create an increased attacking threat if they aim to secure the vital points needed to enhance their slim chances of survival.

However, the Cherries have shown a stronger form in recent fixtures and should possess sufficient quality in the final third, with players like Evanilson, Rayan, Tavernier, and potentially Kroupi, to outscore their rivals at Turf Moor.