Burnley

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Premier League game between Everton and Burnley.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans:

Ian: Nice to see us transfer that away form back to our new home. Burnley didn't put up much of a fight but let that take nothing away from our performance. Great work rate all round, desire to win the ball and much better movement of the ball. Extra mention for Dwight Mcneil who has been excellent in the last two games after that disappointment of the move that never was. It shows character so I'm happy for him. Beto has been better too. We're still a work in progress but we are starting to show progress.

Anton: I don't know what the problem is, we've a 100% home record in March! We've got to thank Burnley, though, for graciously not bothering to turn up - they were so, so poor. But we can only beat what's in front of us and we finally did that at home. Shout-out to McNeil who was excellent - a "Grealish who?" kind of display, made up for him. Let's keep pushing for that improbable European place!

Mike: A solid performance and a welcomed home win. To have 43 points at this stage is a great haul and but for a few wobbles could have been even better. Some very tough fixtures ahead but let's hope we can relax a bit and who knows where we can finish.

Harry: Credit where it's due, two wins on the bounce is no time to criticise but definitely time to say it feels good to be looking up and knowing we will have a good summer regardless of the rest of the season. If we do qualify for Europe better players will want to join us.

Burnley fans:

Steve: This team is frightened of its own shadow, the team lack ideas, momentum and direction.

Billy: It was so lack lustre again. It was like they didn't know how to play any sort of football. All players on top of each other, no sort of system or idea. They missed Zian Flemming too, he seems to be the only one in recent games that gives it absolutely everything. Think they lack confidence and not having a focus of how to play knocks their confidence even more. Bring on the championship and use the experience they've gained to be stronger when they come back, hopefully.

Bob: I'm sure I'm not the only one who is so fed up with Scott Parker trotting out the same tired excuses after almost every game. Despite the heroics against Brentford ( and we still lost) It's painfully obvious that he's not the only one to blame. A complete reset is needed starting with Alan Pace & co.

Mark: Terrible, been poor all season. Manager is just a good lower league one at best, Burnley should had said thanks after promotion and got in a premier quality manager. They look like a mediocre championship side still.

Scott Read
BBC Radio Lancashire

Image source, Getty Images

It's not how you start; it's how you finish.

Burnley are in danger of a grim finish. It's untrue to say Burnley haven't competed this season.

A win in just their second game of the season, a 97th-minute defeat in their third match at Old Trafford, a 95th-minute defeat in their fourth game at home to Liverpool. There was early-season hope, even if it feels like a lifetime ago.

Following Burnley's win at Wolves on 26 October the Clarets were five points clear of the relegation zone, above Fulham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.

Two weeks later, leading West Ham 1-0 in the 45th minute Burnley were set to move six points clear of the bottom three going into the international break, they lost 3-2 at London Stadium.

It's just one win in 20 Premier League games since that victory at Wolves. Wolves seem to be ending well; they could yet finish above Burnley.

This run has included seven successive defeats, a grim display at Brighton, a dreadful showing at Sunderland and a dire performance at Everton.

But also, a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United, followed by a point at Liverpool and then a draw at home to Tottenham, who scored a 90th-minute equaliser.

They've come from behind to win at Crystal Palace and take a point at Chelsea but the scars of home performances against Fulham, Crystal Palace and for half an hour against Brentford appear to cut deep.

So, what next? The messaging I had through the winless run was there is no desire to change manager, and moments have been presented to them. Booed off after the Fulham defeat before Christmas, defeat by League One Mansfield Town in the FA Cup and now a two-week gap with no game.

If relegation is coming, and supporters want a team to compete next season and the board want an instant return, then maybe tread carefully.

The Championship is littered with examples of mismanagement and poor appointments. Look how quickly things have unravelled for Leicester City and West Brom. How long is it since Blackburn Rovers, Middlesborough and Stoke City played in the top-flight? The list goes on.

If you don't bounce back straight away it becomes increasingly difficult to bounce back at all.

Burnley have made an instant return to the Premier League following their last three relegations, under Sean Dyche (champions), Vincent Kompany (champions) and Parker (runners-up).

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After Burnley fought back from 3-0 down against Brentford on Saturday, only to lose 4-3, it felt as though the wind had finally been taken out of their fight for survival.

Draws with Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea, along with a win against Crystal Palace, had suggest Scott Parker's side were still in the battle to retain their Premier League status.

But four days after ending up on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller, the Clarets looked physically and mentally drained from the first whistle at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton - who had not won at home since 6 December - secured the points without ever needing to move out of second gear.

Burnley's lack of attacking threat without Flemming was particularly concerning and does not bode well if the Dutchman remains sidelined for any significant period of time.

That it took until the 79th minute to register a shot on target - a tame effort from Jaidon Anthony - told the story of a side running on empty.

Burnley boss Scott Parker, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 2-0 defeat by Everton: "We fell short tonight. We fell short in many ways really and there's many things going through my mind. We lacked quality with the ball. We couldn't impose ourselves. We weren't a threat playing against a very good side. We fell short in many, many factors. There's not one thing I could say, there weren't any fine margins. There was a clear winner and it was Everton.

"At the weekend, what happened to us, I tried to freshen things up and it didn't have the effect that I'd have liked. We'll have to look at that and work that out.

"What we've not managed to do this year is get some good momentum after good results or good performances. For some reason we've not been able to back it up and the consistency has been way short now. The level at times and the quality we've faced has been testing for us and it's been clear there's been a gulf in that."

Did you know?

• Burnley have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League this season (58).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Everton's performance

What did you make of Burnley's display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies

Everton manager David Moyes has named an unchanged side from Saturday's 3-2 win at Newcastle United, with forward Beto starting ahead of Thierno Barry for the second time in four days.

Everton: Pickford, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Beto

Subs: Travers, Patterson, Keane, Barry, George, Dibling, Rohl, Iroegbunam, Armstrong

Scott Parker, meanwhile, has made one change from Saturday's last-gasp 4-3 defeat to Brentford, with Hannibal Mejbri replacing Zian Flemming.

Forward Flemming, who scored against the Bees on Saturday, is not in the match-day squad.

Burnley: Dubravka, Humphreys, Worrall, Esteve, Walker, Pires; Ugochukwu, Florentino, Mejbri; Foster, Anthony

Subs: Weiss, Hartman, Bruun Larsen, Tchaouna, Ekdal, Ward-Prowse, Laurent, Barnes, McMahon-Brown

Natalie Bromley
Fan writer

The current handball rule is not fit for purpose. The current offside rule is not fit for purpose. The use of VAR in the Premier League is not fit for purpose.

How do we, as fans, sit here each week and justify paying our season ticket prices to watch what the Premier League has become.

How do we justify paying over £70 per month in expensive subscriptions to watch live Premier League games?

The heart and soul of the game have been ripped out, and I just don't know what we are doing any more.

Burnley so very nearly pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history. Except they didn't.

Because Jaidon Anthony's shirt sleeve was deemed to be offside by the width of his shoulder. Which absolutely no fan wants. Ever.

And it becomes even more laughable when you realise that if Anthony scores that same goal from that part of his body in an onside position, VAR will find a way to rule it out for handball.

Because that's what VAR does; finds the most minute way to rule out goals and ruin the game. After they have taken five minutes to deliberate, of course. Does anyone actually bother claiming "clear and obvious error" anymore?

Disallowing Ashley Barnes' last-gasp equaliser was even more galling, because an "accidental handball" happened in the build-up to the goal.

On top of that, the referee didn't even look at the monitor. He declared his "final assessment" after "review", but he didn't actually review it. He was told by Stockley Park what to do, making an absolute mockery of the on-field referee's role.

I can't keep doing this every week. I am falling out of love with the game. And if the Premier League is not careful, many more fans may just follow.

In the meantime, well done Burnley on that second-half display. Play like that for the rest of the season, and we may just go into our Championship campaign with a bit of feel-good back.

Find more from Natalie Bromley at No Nay Never podcast, external

Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

Everton will be looking to arrest a sharp decline in their home form when Burnley make the relatively short trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday (19:30 GMT).

Toffees can't sugar-coat home struggles

The Toffees, who sit eighth, won five of the first nine league games at their new ground on the banks of the River Mersey, but they are winless in their past seven, their worst run at home since going nine without a victory at Goodison Park between April and October 1998.

Back-to-back losses at home to Bournemouth and Manchester United were followed up by an impressive 3-2 win over Newcastle United in a lively game at St James' Park on Saturday. Everton haven't lost three home league matches in a row since September 2023 (a run of four).

The conversation in the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat by Manchester United focused on Everton's bombardment of Senne Lammens' goal via 10 corner kicks, to no avail. Such tactics perhaps speak to a wider creativity problem for the Toffees, given only four teams have scored fewer goals at home this season.

Just seven of Everton's 16 home goals (43.75%) in the Premier League have come from open play, the joint-fewest of any club (along with Crystal Palace).

Thierno Barry's uptick in form continued against the Magpies; his late winner made him the Blues' outright top scorer in the league with six. All of the Frenchman's goals have come in his past 14 appearances, after none in his first 14.

So near yet so VAR for Clarets

Burnley head coach Scott Parker accepted that "the fine margins of technology" had denied his side a stoppage-time equaliser in the remarkable 4-3 defeat by Brentford at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The Clarets, 19th and eight points from safety, were 3-0 down at half-time, but battled back admirably and thought they had rescued a point through Ashley Barnes before VAR intervened and his effort was ruled out for handball.

One man who did get on the scoresheet was Zian Flemming. The Dutchman is level with Jaidon Anthony as Burnley's top scorer in the league this season with seven.

Six of those goals have come away from home; only Chris Wood, who got seven in 2020-21, has scored more on the road in a campaign for the Clarets in this competition.

One telling problem for Burnley is how many of their goals come when they are already behind, as was the case with all three against Brentford. They have scored more league goals when losing than any other side in the division this season, with 21, showing that while their resilience is admirable, their inability to go ahead in games is costly.

For all that Tuesday's hosts may have struggled at home recently, Burnley have a dreadful record when visiting the blue half of Merseyside. They have won just three of their past 21 away games against Everton, drawing three and losing 15.

The previous two Premier League meetings between sides managed by David Moyes and Parker have ended 0-0, including a drab affair at Turf Moor in December.

Only two managerial match-ups have had three consecutive goalless draws in the competition: George Graham vs Gerry Francis (Arsenal v QPR, 1992-1994) and Brian Little vs Alex Ferguson (Aston Villa v Manchester United, 1996-1997).

You have to feel for Burnley after their brave comeback against Brentford ended in a dramatic late defeat. They have shown plenty of fight recently but that might have knocked the stuffing out of them a bit.

Everton could really do with a positive result at home after picking up two points from their past six games at their new stadium.

The Toffees got such a brilliant win at Newcastle on Saturday, when every time Newcastle got back in it, Everton scored again.

If they play like that again, they will win.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Burnley boss Scott Parker has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League game against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium (19:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Parker provided an update on injury news: "We are all good fitness-wise and we will check more on Marcus Edwards heading into this game but everyone has come out of this weekend fine. Mentally we are in a good place."

• Hannibal Mejbri was substituted in Saturday's dramatic 4-3 defeat by Brentford because "he was tired". "He was the last player we wanted to take off but I could see we needed fresh legs."

• Mike Tresor is back in training with us and looks "more ahead" than Axel Tuanzebe: "We need more time to get the boys up to speed."

• How are his side after Saturday?: "The weekend's game was a mix between a real poor part in the start and a second half which was a really impressive, incredible performance. We fell short on a couple of decisions. Generally it is mixed. The way the game ended we can take great positives from. The lads are in a good place."

• Reflecting on the controversial VAR decisions in the loss to the Bees, Parker said: "I think football is better without VAR and that is just my view. It removed the raw emotions of the game and the celebrations. I think the facts are the facts, however long it takes you just have to get the facts right with VAR. It suggests to me that we are not sure and we are just passing it on to another guy who makes the decision."

• Can the Clarets still stay up?: "There has always been belief and there always is. This is a young group and at times they are learning at certain moments and you are seeing that shine through. Whether that is enough to bring success this year and that isn't me being negative, you are seeing things being engraved in this team that is paramount to being successful."

• On the challenge posed by the Toffees: "I like Everton, good side, brilliant coaching. They made some huge signings in the summer with some good players. They're off the back of a good result. It's a new stadium, a different experience. It is a huge challenge we look to take on head on."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Image source, Getty Images

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards discusses Burnley's controversial loss to Brentford on BBC Radio 5 Live's latest Football Daily podcast: "It's been a really hard, testing, difficult season for them.

"Poor Scott Parker came out really emotional a few weeks ago. I felt dreadfully sorry for him. That was a chance, that whatever happened this season, they should have won that game, a beautiful game, a beautiful win, a comeback.

"They were denied it by borderline, overzealous interventions by VAR. They have had that ruined.

"It must be so hard for them to take. They just deserve something good and it was ruined by what modern football has become."

Listen to Football Daily below or on BBC Sounds here

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Burnley and Brentford.

Here are some of your comments:

Burnley fans

Ian: Although we will probably be in the Championship next season, at least we came back and showed some fight. One good thing next season is we won't have to suffer VAR decisions.

Chris: First half was awful. Second half was superb. VAR taking five minutes to decide it was an accidental handball - absolutely ridiculous! So much fight and spirit in that second half, and all everyone is talking about after the game is VAR. Roll on the Championship, where a goal is a goal and no forensic VAR to try to rule out every 'goal' that they can! UTC

Jamie: So frustrating again from Burnley. Our home crowd really don't get behind us until it's too late - too quiet again, and we got what we deserved again. Not good enough for the top flight.

Tad: Great team spirit and attractive football going forward - just can't defend. Still, so unlucky to lose. More importantly, hate VAR with a passion - not just because of this result but because it's killing the game.

Brentford fans

Harzy: Brentford deserved the three points. Putting aside the VAR issues that most clubs encounter, Brentford did score six of the seven goals in the match after all…

Kev: Strikers did wonderfully well. The team made the mistake of believing the game was won too early and lost concentration. The Burnley disallowed goal was a deliberate and definite handball.

Mick: Shouldn't let a three-goal advantage slip, even away from home. Fair play to Burnley for coming back. I think we got away with one.

Joe: Absolute rollercoaster of a match. Pure class for the first 35 minutes, then pretty timid for the rest. Very fortunate to scrape the win. There’s a lot to reflect on and improve, but we take the points!

Laura Kenyon
Final Score reporter at Turf Moor

Image source, Getty Images

The trains home from Burnley were buzzing with chatter. Only one subject was the topic of conversation, once again; VAR.

A common talking point, absolutely, but on this occasion it was not divisive. Both Burnley and Brentford fans were united in the assessment of just how cruel an ending it was for Scott Parker's side.

Take away the complex arguments surrounding the use of technology in the modern game, Burnley are in a fight for Premier League survival. The visceral emotion which followed not one but two disallowed goals was felt from both sides.

Burnley fans gutted. Brentford fans empathised. The image of Parker with his head in his hands spoke more than any words in a post match interview. A manager whose half time team talk had almost galvanised his side to an emphatic comeback.

We will never know if it could have been a win to inspire an escape from relegation. Instead an escape looks more and more unlikely.

Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley's first heartbreak came in the 78th minute when Zian Flemming thought he had bundled them into a 4-3 lead, but the offside flag quickly followed.

Jaidon Anthony, scorer of Burnley's second goal, was offside by the width of his shoulder, something he described as "disappointing".

"I've seen the one where I'm offside. It's my shoulder, I think," Anthony said.

"I'm sure if I scored with that part of my body, it wouldn't have been a goal. It's disappointing."

Scott Parker was philosophical when talking about the "fine margins of technology".

He said: "It was heartbreaking for us, really, because we deserved that.

"VAR and the fine margins of technology to the inch of a sleeve, calling something offside is the game of football we live in now. So we accept that. That's the way it is."

But could this rule soon change?

The Canadian Premier League has put itself forward to trial a proposal by Arsene Wenger, Fifa's head of global football development since 2019, that there should be a complete gap between the attacker and the second-to-last opposition player - effectively the last defender, given the goalkeeper's usual positioning.

Fast forward to the 99th minute and with Burnley now trailing 4-3, Turf Moor was sent into raptures as Ashley Barnes thought he had equalised with the final kick of the game.

Fans were left waiting for five minutes as VAR attempted to determine whether the ball struck the arm of Barnes in the build-up to his goal.

The VAR decision of 'accidental handball' led to Alan Shearer describing the rule as "messed up in every single way" on Match of the Day.

"I just hate the handball rule. Whether it's today's decision at Burnley or any of the other controversial ones this season, they have messed it up.

"Now, they'll say that things are better in the Premier League than they are abroad, but that doesn't wash with me.

"It is so messed up in every single way, there is 'deliberate', 'proximity', 'natural', 'unnatural' - there are so many different ways they have to interpret things and it isn't fit for purpose.

"For fans to be sat in the stadium and waiting for three, four minutes, or for however long it took today at Turf Moor, it doesn't seem right and it isn't fair."

Despite tasting defeat, Parker was restrained in his response to the decision.

"Maybe a little bit of injustice. I've not watched it back. I saw it on the big screen and I was thinking it looks like his hand is beside his side," he said.

"I don't want to say too much because no doubt I'm going to get quoted and I might be wrong. It looks so, so harsh."

Former Premier League official Darren Cann said despite Barnes' handball being accidental, it was "correctly disallowed".

"The handball law states that if a player scores in the opponents' goal immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental, then it's a handball offence," he said.

"Barnes' handball was accidental, but was correctly disallowed under the current law.

You can read more analysis of Burnley v Brentford here

Pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

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• Newcastle 2-3 Everton

• Liverpool 5-2 West Ham

• Leeds 0-1 Manchester City

Burnley manager Scott Parker to BBC Match of the Day: "I don't think I can remotely even contemplate speaking about the negatives really. The positives in terms of our reaction, three goals down, the fight, the spirit to get back into the game, two goals disallowed by the finest of margins were defining for us.

"I'm probably more sad than disappointed. I'm sad for the group. It takes a certain type to be in that arena at half-time, at times your own supporters being hugely critical of you, and to come out and show the spirit and stand up to the challenge we faced today, not just from Brentford but from the whole atmosphere, I'm hugely proud of this team."

On the atmosphere at half-time: "There was a mixed tone really, there were some harsh words. In the first half we played soft. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. We changed things tactically and it worked very well in the second half. At that moment the balance of the atmosphere from a young squad that were probably hurting at that moment from the general reaction, which of course we understand. Our reaction was superb really.

"It was [hard to go through]. I think I've been around since VAR came in and I've had strong views about VAR. In the modern day we want perfection. Of course there's elements of it is what it is. I've not seen it back but offside is offside and if it's handball it's handball.

"It was heartbreaking for us really because we deserved that. Second half we were incredible. To score five goals in 60 minutes it's full credit to us really.

"VAR and the fine margins of technology to the inch of a sleeve calling something offside is the game of football we live in now. So we accept that. That's the way it is."

Did you know?

• Burnley lost a Premier League game having scored three or more goals for just the second time, also doing so in November 2009 with a 5-3 defeat by West Ham.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley were denied a memorable point after they were beaten 4-3 by Brentford in a memorable Premier League game at Turf Moor.

After coming back from 3-0 down, Burnley went behind again through Mikkel Damsgaard's 93rd-minute goal before the Clarets had an Ashley Barnes goal ruled out for handball following a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) check.

The Clarets had gone into this fixture with recent results offering them fresh hopes of survival.

The thrilling comeback win against Crystal Palace and the point salvaged against 10-man Chelsea last week would have injected some belief back into a dressing room that has suffered many setbacks this season.

Though they were ultimately denied a precious point in the relegation battle by the visitors on Saturday, the fighting performance gave manager Scott Parker and his players more evidence that there is still some hope to cling on to.

They could find themselves 11 points off safety if 17th-placed Nottingham Forest win at Brighton on Sunday, but there were signs that the Clarets can still have their say in the relegation scrap.

Jaidon Anthony was Burnley's most threatening player, twice going close from distance in the early stages before playing the starring role in an improbable comeback.

He struck his seventh goal of the season before Zian Flemming matched that mark, adding to his late heroics at Stamford Bridge last weekend, while Hannibal Mejbri's energy in midfield set the tone for their fightback.

For all the disappointment of the manner of the defeat, Parker's team showed the character, courage and intensity that could give them a chance as they approach the run‑in.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Burnley's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Burnley boss Scott Parker makes three changes following the 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

Lucas Pires, James Ward-Prowse and Jacob Bruun Larsen start as Lesley Ugochukwu and Kyle Walker drop to bench and Marcus Edwards misses out.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Esteve, Worrall, Laurent, Humphreys, Pires, Mejbri, Ward-Prowse, Anthony, Larsen, Flemming.

Subs: Weiss, Walker, Hartman, Ugochukwu, Foster, Florentino, Tchaouna, Ekdal, Barnes.

Brentford boss Keith Andrews makes five changes from the 2-0 defeat by Brighton.

Defender Michael Kayode returns from injury to take Aaron Hickey's place while Hakon Valdimarsson replaces Caoimhín Kelleher in goal. Mikkel Damsgaard, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Kevin Schade also return to the Bees starting line-up.

Brentford XI: Valdimarsson, Henry, Van den Berg, Schade, Jensen, Thiago, Yarmoliuk, Ouattara, Ajer, Damsgaard, Kayode.

Subs: Balcombe, Pinnock, Henderson, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Donovan, Furo, Bentt, Shield.

Image source, BBC Sport

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Bournemouth v Sunderland (12:30)

• Burnley v Brentford

• Liverpool v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Leeds v Manchester City (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v West Ham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Everton", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Burnley are still competitive, still scrapping and still picking up points. Their players are still playing for Scott Parker but, even so, it's still not going to be enough to keep them up.

The Clarets' draw at Chelsea last week was a good result and they could even have won that game, too, but they didn't. That lack of wins has been their problem all season, not their performances.

They have only won four of their 27 games so far and I think they are going to need to win five of their final 11 to stay up from here - and that's not going to happen.

I don't think anyone saw Brentford's home defeat by Brighton coming last week - I didn't anyway - but I am still going to back them at Turf Moor.

It's going to be another tight one but I can see Igor Thiago getting back on the scoresheet with the winner. That's as exact as predictions can get.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

After a slip against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, surprise European hopefuls Brentford will be looking to get back on track when they visit relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday (15:00 GMT) in the Premier League.

Despite the 2-0 defeat, Brentford are still in seventh spot in the table. There are seven teams within five points of Keith Andrews' side, though, meaning the congested mid-table could be mixed up significantly in the coming weeks.

As for Burnley, they need a huge upturn in form to pull themselves out of trouble. They are fighting, though, as evidenced by their last-gasp equaliser at Chelsea last weekend.

Clarets continue to fight

The draw at Stamford Bridge means Burnley are eight points away from safety and, while that does look to be a mountain to climb, there is some historical precedent for a team getting themselves out of a similar hole.

Portsmouth managed to survive in 2005–06 when they were eight points from safety with 11 games to play. West Bromwich Albion also did so in 2004–05, albeit they had two games in hand on their relegation rivals.

The Burnley players still seem to believe, too. That much was evident at Chelsea and in the previous Premier League fixture, when they bounced back from 2-0 down at Crystal Palace to win 3-2.

In fact, since their 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United, no team in the division has earned more points from losing positions than Scott Parker's side.

In their past 11 league games, Burnley have lost only four. Crucially, though, they have won just one. If they are to mirror the heroics of Portsmouth from 19 years ago, that is something they will need to remedy in the remaining weeks of the campaign.

Open encounter could suit the Bees

If Burnley are going to go on the front foot in search of wins and potentially leave space to be exploited on the counter-attack, that could suit Brentford and the way they play. Only Chelsea have scored more than Brentford's five goals this season from direct attacks.

Brentford have also put together the fewest build-ups - defined by Opta as an open-play sequence that contains 10 or more passes and either ends in a shot or has at least one touch in the box - in the league this season. The Bees have just 19, while Manchester City lead the way with 138.

Burnley are second-lowest in that category, and the numbers seem to suggest that this fixture could be one where the ball changes hands frequently.

Burnley (14.7%) and Brentford (14.5%) are the two teams with the highest long-pass percentage in the Premier League this season. Indeed, Burnley made 79 long passes in this season's reverse fixture between these two sides - the most by any team in a game in 2025–26.

The style has undoubtedly worked for Brentford and their star forward, Igor Thiago, who has plundered 17 goals already this season in the Premier League.

The Brazilian has hit his worst spell of the campaign heading into this fixture, though. Since scoring five goals in two games against Everton and then Sunderland earlier this year, Thiago's only strike in his last six games was a penalty in the away win at Newcastle United.