Stoke City will be keen to maintain their enthusiasm when they make the trip to Turf Moor for a clash with relegated Burnley on Saturday.
The Potters are ninth in the table and will most likely finish the season in that mid-table position because Swansea City are six points ahead of Mark Hughes’ men while 10th-placed West Ham are struggling for form.
Still, the Potters have been impressive with the way they keep pushing for a strong finish to the season. Last week they bounced back from the defeat at Swansea to record one of their best results of the season by thumping Tottenham 3-0 at the Britannia Stadium.
Captain Ryan Shawcross has had an impressive season and the powerful central defender will be targeting another good afternoon as he attempts to increase his England chances. Shawcross has made just one international appearance to date, against Sweden in 2012, a game which saw six players make their England debuts.
The Clarets approach this clash with no pressure as they are already preparing for life in the Championship. Burnley are expected to lose Danny Ings, who is out of contract in the summer, but the club’s chief executive Lee Hoos has insisted that relegation from the Premier League will not force the club to sell its key players.
Sean Dyche has spent only £8m on players over the last 12 months so the club will have plenty in the bank as they aim to mount a quick comeback to the Premier League.
Burnley team news
- Kevin Long and Dean Marney remain long-term injury absentees because of ACL knee problems.
Stoke City team news
- Marc Wilson will return from suspension.
- Asmir Begovic had minor surgery and is expected to miss out.
- Bojan Krkic (ACL knee) and Victor Moses (hamstring) remain out.
Burnley vs Stoke City prediction
Dyche could continue with Ings and Ashley Barnes as the strikers in a 4-4-2 formation. That would allow Matthew Taylor to continue as left midfielder. George Boyd is expected to keep his place on the right side of midfield while David Jones and Scott Arfield double-pivot in front of the central defenders.
Begovic’s absence should mean another start between the sticks for Jack Butland. Marc Muniesa is expected to keep his place alongside Shawcross at the heart of Stoke’s defence despite Wilson’s return.
There should be no changes in the Potters’ shape so Steven N’Zonzi and Glenn Whelan should be the central midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Charlie Adam will probably be the central attacking midfielder while Marko Arnautovic and Jonathan Walters flank the Scottish midfielder as wide attacking midfielders behind Mame Biram Diouf.
Burnley deserve credit for the way they defend with energy and limit space between the midfield and the defensive line. They will make it difficult for Hughes’ men to impose their offensive plan as they have done in the last 11 games.
On the flipside, Dyche’s men could struggle to score though considering they have just one goal in their last six league outings. That makes this potentially a low-scoring encounter, maybe even a goalless draw.
Score prediction
Burnley 0-0 Stoke City
