It’s going to be the late show, or perhaps even the late late show when Tottenham Hotspur visit Burnley FC on Monday night. It’s final match of the weekend, with a late start time, and it matches up the league’s highest scoring team (Tottenham, 15 goals for, +7 goal differential) against the lowest (Burnley, 3 goals for, -5 goal differential).
Yes, Spurs have scored 5x as many as the Clarets thus far on the young season, and that’s a big reason when Burnley enters this match sitting in the drop zone. As for Spurs, they are only mid table, despite all the scoring sprees, so they have plenty of work to do as well.
Tottenham Hotspur at Burnley FC FYIs
Kickoff: 9pm BST, Monday Oct 26, Turf Moor
Tottenham Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Odds: Burnley Win (+440), Tottenham Win (-165), Draw (+300)
TV in USA: N/A
As for the team news, the major issue could be dire. Yes, Spurs are worried about the fitness of Eric Dier (thigh) who remains a doubt. Likewise for defender Japhet Tanganga, he is also doubtful with a thigh problem. There is good news though as two players returned on Thursday, Erik Lamela and Giovani Lo Celso, and they are now both in contention to start.
Turning to the other side, one reason they have gotten off to such a rough start is because injuries have left them short-handed. Ben Mee (thigh) and Jack Cork (ankle) are definitely ruled out. Meanwhile Phil Bardsley (COVID-19 positive test) Matthew Lowton (knee) and Kevin Long (eye), are all a doubt for this one.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 3, Burnley FC 1
Spurs’ start to the season has certainly been up and down, but don’t sleep on them as a leading title contender. In a very wide open race, it’s anybody’s ballgame right now and Jose Mourinho seems to be building something in north London.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.