Tottenham Hotspur V Burnley – Saturday 26th September

Tottenham Hotspur V Burnley

Kick-off: Saturday 26^th September – 15:00 GMT

Venue: White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur

League Position: 6th

Recent Form: WWWLL

Before Tottenham took on Manchester United and Chelsea, Spurs were outrageously being touted as possible title candidates after a surprisingly good start for a team that generally starts rather sluggishly. However, although they may have gotten the better of Liverpool on the opening day of the season, Spurs have come completely undone against the next pair of quality sides to contest a fixture with Harry Redknapp’s team. Man Utd somewhat strolled to a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane a fortnight ago while Chelsea gave Spurs fans a firm reality check at Stamford Bridge last weekend, with the Blues dishing out a 3-0 beating. That’s now two defeats on the spin and, after a sensational start, will Tottenham’s early momentum have come to a firm halt?

The defeats against both United & Chelsea were hardly surprising but the manner in which they lost was a big shock after Spurs had shown signs of significant improvements in their early encounters. Although Harry’s side did have their moment in both games, Tottenham rarely troubled either of the big guns, with those two defeats reiterating how far Tottenham are from mounting a serious challenge on the top four.

It’s vital that Harry Redknapp rebuilds the confidence lost from those two successive defeats because Spurs have looked a dangerous side in their opening few games and, providing the players recover quickly from their recent setbacks and below par displays, they shouldn’t have too many problems dispatching Burnley at White Hart Lane. However, Redknapp will have to do without Ledley King and possibly Sebastien Bassong after both suffered injuries in their defeat to Chelsea that could keep them sidelined for weeks to come, although, early indications are that Bassong could be back in action sooner then most had expected. With Michael Dawson & Johnathan Woodgate still out of contention, Tottenham now look extremely lightweight at the back and that has to be a major concern and a huge negative for any Spurs backer.

Burnley

League Position:

Recent Form: WWLLW

Burnley worked their socks of at the weekend and they duly got their reward in a rather convincing 3-1 win at home to Sunderland. They were by far the better side on the day but, despite the superb result and display from the team, we mustn’t forget that it was at Turf Moor, the venue where all three of Burnley’s wins have come thus far, and Owen Coyle’s side will have to travel for their upcoming fixture, with Tottenham Hotspur aiming to capitalise on Burnley’s recent away woes this season at White Hart Lane.

That win over Sunderland was enough to send Burnley into the upper half of the table and a unsurprising win away at Tottenham, or even possibly a draw, would ensure that Burnley remain in the upper reaches of the table and well above the drop zone. However, Burnley and travelling just don’t go together, with Owen Coyle’s team losing all three of their away encounters in the league thus far. Defeats away at Stoke City (2-0), Chelsea (3-0) and Liverpool (4-0), ensured Burnley remain pointless on their travels this season. However, as you can clearly see, Burnley have had some torrid away fixtures against two of the top four so they can easily be forgiven for their recent away woes.

We will let Burnley off for their recent away defeats but they won’t appreciate having to contest another very tricky game away at White Hart Lane, the home of Tottenham Hotspur. Owen Coyle will be desperate to end Burnley’s run of three away defeats but this game with an slightly off-form Spurs doesn’t represent the best opportunity for Burnley to end their away drought.

Burnley’s euphoric home support has been the key to them adding vital points to their league tally as they bid to stay well clear of the drop zone but, without the fabulous support of their home fans, Burnley have struggled on the road, severely. They’ve conceded nine goals in three away games, scoring a whopping zero! So not only are Burnley without a point on their travels but they’re also without a single goal. It doesn’t look nor bode well for Owen Coyle’s men and another disappointing away result appears to be on the cards.

Match Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur to WIN – 2/5 Boylesports

As this will be the very first meeting between the two in the Premiership, Burnley could be seen as the dark horse as Spurs could miss a trick with Burnley. However, Harry Redknapp is a wise old codger and with the wide array of talent on show at Tottenham, we expect Spurs to away from White Hart Lane with their fifth win of the season and their third on home soil. The absence of Ledley King will be huge, especially as Spurs don’t have adequate cover right now, but even though Spurs will be a lot lighter at the back, we can still envisage Tottenham comfortably outscoring Burnley.

Match Odds:

Tottenham Hotspur – 2/5 Boylesports

Burnley – 8/1 Bet365

DRAW – 15/4 Bet365

SoccerBetting Tip: Tottenham Hotspur (Half-Time / Full-Time) – EVENS PaddyPower