Match Preview: Burnley v Brighton

It always looked like it would be a challenge for Burnley to repeat their heroics of last season, but there can’t have been many people out there who would have predicted that they would struggle quite as badly as they have done.

Sean Dyche’s side are currently second from bottom with just two wins and nine points to their name. That leaves them some 12 points worse off than the Albion.

In the unlikely event that Chris Hughton can muster a win at one of the toughest places to visit in the Premier League, we’d be pulling out of sight of a side that finished seventh last year.

Ahead of a ridiculously tough run of games to come against Chelsea, Plucky Little Bournemouth, Arsenal and Everton, that would put Brighton in a very strong position going into the Christmas period.

Who are Burnley?
Burnley were one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888 and have twice been crowned champions of England in 1921 and 1960. They won the FA Cup in 1914 and also reached the quarter finals of the European Cup in 1961. A remarkable decline set in at the start of the 1980’s which eventually saw them tumble into the bottom division and only a last day win over Leyton Orient prevented them from falling out of the Football League in 1987. Since then they’ve been on a steady rise through the leagues which culminated last year in a shock seventh placed finish as Dyche delivered European football to a town that ironically wants nothing to do with Europe. Brexit means Brexit.

What are they like now?
It’s been a case of back down to Earth with a bump for Burnley this season. Playing on six consecutive Thursday’s at the start of the season as they attempted to qualify for the group stage of the Europa League combined with not really strengthening their squad has left them struggling towards the foot of the table. In a division in which Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town and Southampton all look abject and Newcastle United are only a Rafa Benitez resignation away from sinking quicker than the Titanic, they should have enough to stay up. Burnley fans certainly think so with Tony Scholes from Up the Clarets telling us that their midweek performance against Liverpool was much improved and given that Turf Moor is still one of the toughest places to go in the top flight, the Albion will have their work cut out continuing their excellent run of form in Lancashire.

Which players should we be worried about?
Brighton have the uncanny ability to make former players look like absolute world beaters whenever we come across them and given that Burnley have three former Brighton strikers in their ranks, chances are one of them will score. Ashley Barnes was an absolute menace in the 0-0 draw at Turf Moor last season, Sam Vokes remains a severely underrated player and Chris Wood is probably the most talented of the lot even if Burnley fans haven’t taken him to heart yet in quite the same way they have the other two. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of them scoring.

What’s the Albion’s record against Burnley like?
There have been 31 previous meetings between Brighton and Burnley with the draw being the most common result. 12 times things have ended level including in the last five games in a row. The Albion have won 10 to the Claret’s nine while our hosts last tasted victory in the fixture way back on Good Friday 2012, meaning Brighton are undefeated in the past nine encounters.

What’s the best WeAreBrighton.com memory of Burnley away?
The only good memory of Martin Hinshelwood’s brief reign of terror came away at Turf Moor on the opening day of the 2002-03 season. Despite the fact that the Albion were debuting a kit that can only be described as having a bloody great bat tippexed onto the front, goals from Steve Melton, Paul Brooker and Bobby Zamora secured a 3-1 win on the club’s first game in the second tier for 11 years. After back-to-back promotions, that had some people dreaming that it could be three in a row and a spot in the Premier League would follow in 2003. Needless to say, we didn’t win again for nearly three months and 14 games and ended the campaign being relegated despite the best efforts of Steve Coppell to rescue the situation.

What’s the worst WeAreBrighton.com memory of Burnley away?
Last year’s trip to Burnley was almost as though we’d got in a TARDIS at Euston rather than a train and been transported back to the 19th century. There was some delightful homophobic abuse from the locals and if that wasn’t enough, they relentlessly booed Gaetan Bong throughout for having the nerve to report Jay Rodriguez for suspected racial abuse a few months earlier. Classy.

Whose played for both sides?
We’ve touched upon Burnley’s three ex-Albion strikers and there could have been a fourth former Seagull on show but Stephen Ward remains sidelined with a knee problem. Kurt No No, No No No No, No No No No, No No No No NOGAN scored goals for both sides in the mid 1990’s while Dale Stephens very nearly joined Burnley in the summer of 2017, before committing to the Albion after promotion to the Premier League. A wise move, Dale

Other than football, what is Burnley famous for?
Burnley won an award in 2013 for being the Most Enterprising Area in the UK and has a reputation as a regional centre of excellence for the manufacturing and aerospace industries. It’s actually quite nice as a place with plenty of decent pubs and some stunning scenery thanks to it’s location in the Moors. Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell is probably the Claret’s most famous fan while the town gained notoriety in 2003 for electing five BNP candidates to it’s council.

Where’s the betting value for Burnley v Brighton?
Given the high number of draws in the head-to-head, the fact that the Albion will undoubtedly set out not to lose and Burnley’s struggles of late, backing another stalemate at 11/5 looks good value. Our partners at FansBet meanwhile have boosted over 2 goals, over 3 cards and over 10 corners to 11/1, an offer which you can take by clicking here.

Prediction
Neither side managed a goal in two 0-0 draws last season but with the Albion seemingly improved in attack, we’re going for a 1-1.