Burnley vs Fulham: 17/02/2021 – match preview and predicted starting XIs

Burnley vs Fulham

Date: 17/02/2021

K/O: 18:00

Venue: Turf Moor

Referee: Jonathan Moss

TV: Sky Sports

Fulham travel to Turf Moor this Wednesday off the back of an impressive victory over Everton. They never looked like they would lose the game against the high flying Merseyside team, with Josh Maja scoring twice on his first Premier League start. His goals could be vital for the South Londoner’s survival, though it will be a big ask from the inexperienced and young striker.

Fulham are currently as close to the bottom of the league as they are to survival this season. They currently find themselves eight points behind Wednesday’s hosts, with this fixture likely to be the most important match of the club’s season thus far. A win sees them go within four points of safety, with bottom side Sheffield United next on the club’s fixture list. There could be hope for Fulham yet. 

As for Burnley, they themselves enter this fixture off the back of an impressive 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Just like Fulham, this is a very important game for the Clarets who can climb  into 14th in the league and eleven points away from the relegation zone.

Burnley surprised me in the previous fixture as they exposed a fragile Palace defence. They were ruthless in the first half, with the game seemingly won within ten minutes. However, they won’t find Fulham so willing to make life easy. Scott Parker has turned his side into a well organised defensive unit, who have become very difficult to beat. Only a handful of teams have conceded less than Fulham in the last ten games, at which time they’ve only lost three. On paper, this game should scream 0-0, two sides who may be cautious in throwing too many bodies forward. But with Fulham needing the points, you can expect them to come with a real attacking intent, something the host may be able to exploit, just as they did on the weekend. 

Team News

Burnley

Club captain Ben Mee has been ruled out for the visit of Fulham due to a concussion suffered in the win over Palace. Sean Dyche has reported that the defender is fine, but will miss the game due to the Premier League’s concussion protocols. Erik Pieters was another player who left the field of play injured against Palace on the weekend, who is a doubt for this fixture.

Matej Vydra, who missed the last fixture, will be back in contention, but it’s still too soon for Charlie Taylor and Chris Wood. Though it’s an important fixture for the Clarets, Sean Dyche has stated he will not risk rushing players back into contention. Phil Bardsley and Kevin Long will be the obvious replacements for Pieters and Mee, who were their replacements against Palace. I predict no other changes made by the Clarets.  

Fulham

Aleksander Mitrovic is still unavailable due to a positive COVID test and is the only noticeable absentee for Fulham. This will more than likely see Josh Maja keep his place in the starting XI. Scott Parker may have some concerns about putting too much pressure on the young striker’s shoulders. But he certainly impressed in the win against Everton, replicating his scoring prowess shown in the Sunderland Till I Die documentary.

Parker has been shuffling the pack in recent weeks, changing formation in the previous three fixtures. They were brilliant against Everton on the weekend, well balanced in both attack and defence. So on this occasion, the manager may opt for an, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach. However, past experiences would suggest otherwise. 

Predicted Starting XIs 

Burnley (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Long, Bardsley; Gudmundsson, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Barnes, Vydra 

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Areola; Tete, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Robinson; Anguissa, Reed; Reid, Loftus-Cheek, Lookman; Maja

Score Prediction: Burnley 0-1 Fulham

For all the praise I’ve expressed for Fulham after their recent victory, this was their only win from the previous thirteen league matches. They’ve lacked a cutting edge in attack this season, something Mitrovic has been unable to replicate from recent years. Lookman will have excited the fans during his time at the club, but he’s another player who lacks a cutting edge on a consistent basis to keep Fulham in the league. Step in Josh Maja. It may be too soon to dub the young striker the club’s saviour, but he’s an out and out striker which they’ve lacked at times this season. They now have a focal point in attack, someone who has the awareness to be in the right place at the right time, just as his goals showed on the weekend. Because of this, I can see the visitors snatching the win against Burnley. I envisage this to be a close match, with few clear cut chances given to either side. It’s who can take these chances, with my money going on the young Josh Maja.