Brentford vs. Burnley
Venue: Brentford Community Stadium
Kick Off: 4PM
After securing a much-needed victory away at Norwich City last weekend, Brentford will be looking to claim another three points from today’s relegation battle at home against Burnley.
Six points currently separate the two teams in the Premier League standings, though the Clarets in 18th have two games in hand on the Bees in 15th place.
Brentford finally ended their torrid Premier League run of seven defeats and one draw when they secured a 3-1 victory against fellow strugglers Norwich, with Ivan Toney the man of the hour at Carrow Road.
The 25-year-old netted the first top-flight hat-trick of his career, which included two second-half penalties, to put the visitors three goals to the good, and although Teemu Pukki pulled one back in stoppage time, the Bees managed to put a sting in the tail of the Canaries and claim three precious points for just the third time since the beginning of December.
Since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Toney has netted 93 goals in all competitions – in games for Peterborough United and Brentford – with only Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane scoring more for sides in England’s top four divisions during that period. In addition, Toney has also scored five hat-tricks in that time, more than any other player across all domestic competitions.
With all five teams below Brentford in the table losing last weekend, Thomas Frank saw his side move six points clear of the relegation zone; however, all five have at least one game in hand, including Saturday’s opponents Burnley who, as mentioned earlier, have two in hand.
With challenging fixtures against Chelsea, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to come later this season, the Bees will be desperate to secure maximum points today from one of their more favourable fixtures on paper.
However, Brentford cannot take the Clarets lightly as they have lost each of their last five meetings against them, conceding three goals on four of these occasions.
Sean Dyche’s Burnley side boosted their survival hopes at the end of February by claiming seven points from three games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Spurs and Crystal Palace; however, back-to-back defeats to begin the month of March against Leicester City and Chelsea has brought the Clarets back down to earth.
Last weekend’s heavy 4-0 loss at home to the current European and world champions was Burnley’s heaviest defeat of the season and that result leaves them still in the relegation zone, just one point behind 17th-placed Everton having played a game more.
Dyche’s men have won only three times in 26 Premier League games this season, the fewest in the division, though their first of the campaign came against Brentford in October last year, with goals from Chris Wood, Matthew Lowton and Maxwel Cornet helping the Clarets win 3-1 at Turf Moor.
Burnley are unbeaten in their last six league meetings with the Bees, winning each of the last four in a row, so they will be full of confidence heading to the capital this weekend.
Victory for the Clarets would see them do the double over Brentford for just the second time in their history – their first coming in the 2015-16 Championship season – as well as extend their unbeaten Premier League away run against London-based opposition to five matches.
Brentford possible XI: Raya, Jorgensen, Jansson, Pinnock, Canos, Eriksen, Onyeka, Janelt, Henry, Mbeumo, Toney.
Burnley possible XI: Pope, Roberts, Collins, Tarkowski, Taylor, Lennon, Westwood, Brownhill, McNeil, Cornet, Weghorst.
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