Sean Dyche certainly knows how to churn out the required results with limited resources. His Burnley team has exceeded expectations this season, especially while on the road. Even last weekend, his side collected an away win against West Ham United thus making it 3 wins in a row. Dyche’s sides are well organized defensively and often rely on their forwards to convert the countable chances that the midfield creates during the course of the game.
Burnley have shown that they have the patience and persistence to ward off the teams from the upper half of the table. Hence, Watford should not be a huge test even though the Hornets are going to play at home. Without further ado, here we look at the players who are likely to take the field this weekend.
Team News:
Tom Heaton seems to have recovered from his shoulder injury but it would be difficult for him to replace Nick Pope anytime soon. Steven Defour and Robbie Brady won’t feature in the match and Johann Gudmundsson will be back in contention following a calf strain that he suffered in training.
Formation: 4-4-2
Defence:
Nick Pope has been extremely impressive ever since taking over the mantle from Heaton and has surely cemented the goalkeeper’s slot for himself. His athleticism, combined with the sheer command and assurance that he exudes inside the box is commendable and deserves praise.
Matthew Lowton and Stephen Ward will feature as the two fullbacks in the match. Both of them have provided regular attacking contributions whilst staying compact defensively. James Tarkowski and Ben Mee will hold on to their places as the two centre-backs. Tarkowski has been a revelation this season, as his consistent, sturdy displays have earned him recognition from all quarters. Mee, on the other hand, has stuck to his job equally well, and both of them remain integral to Burnley’s solidity at the back.
Midfield:
Aaron Lennon, who was brought in the January transfer window, will play on the right flank; as Johann Gudmundsson will lineup on the left wing. Lennon and Gudmundsson provide exceptional attacking width as they stretch the opposition backline and attack from the wide areas.
Jack Cork will try to shield his backline by staying deep and then starting off attacking moves with some slick, accurate passing. Jeff Hendrick will meanwhile float in the midfield role and will shift between his attacking and defensive duties to provide more stability and balance to the midfield.
Attack:
Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes have been in exceptional goal-scoring form and both these forwards have converted their chances and have been clinical enough to give Burnley the edge in close encounters. They will have to be at their prolific best to prevail over Watford too.
