Monday Fulham Stuff - 10/05/21...

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This is how Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes can help Albion secure safety

Albion will be keeping a very close eye on tonight's match between Fulham and Burnley at Craven Cottage (8pm) and they will be hoping their former strikers will help to secure them a fifth successive season in the Premier League.

The Seagulls know that a win for Sean Dyche's side will secure both themselves and Burnley's place in the top-flight next season and see Fulham relegated.

But Albion will be hoping that their former strikers can help fire them to safety.

One of those is Chris Wood, who has been one of the in-form strikers in the Prem in recent weeks.

The 29-year-old, who spent a season on loan with the Seagulls in 2010/11, has scored seven goals in his last seven matches, with four of those coming in his last two games.

That has seen him take his tally to 11.

In the reverse fixture in February at Turf Moor, the sides drew 1-1 with ex-Albion striker Ashley Barnes scoring the equaliser.

The 31-year-old has seen his season hampered by injury but his three goals have helped them seven points this season.

In his previous three seasons in the Prem, the striker has scored double figures in two of those and formed a formidable partnership up top with Wood.

But Dyche has backed Barnes to get back to his best after injury.

He told the Burnley Express: "Yeah, he had a knee problem earlier in his career, and more recently he's had this issue with his groin injury.

" But he's a good player, we know that a very effective player and he will be effective for us again.

" He is just getting back to sharpness."

Another draw between the two sides tonight will mean that Fulham would still have an uphill mountain to climb and need to win all three of their remaining games.

They are not the only former Seagulls at Burnley, with Dale Stephens also there.

The midfielder has found game time hard to come since heading to Turf Moor and is a doubt for tonight's match after picking a knock in training.



https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/19290804.chris-wood-ashley-barnes-can-help-albion-secure-safety/

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Cyrus Christie's situation at Nottingham Forest becomes clearer as Ryan Yates sends message

Cyrus Christie has bid farewell to Nottingham Forest fans with a passionate message on Instagram.

Christie has spent this season on loan at the City Ground, after penning a season-long loan move from Fulham in the summer.

The 28-year-old has made 44 consecutive starts in the Championship this term, playing every minute of league football since making his debut in the Reds' third game of the season against Huddersfield Town.

The right-back struggled for form at the start of the season, but has since come up leaps and bounds and made huge strides of improvement.

But Christie's loan spell at the City Ground has come to an end, and there is uncertainty regarding his future at Fulham.

He is out of contract at Craven Cottage in the summer, but the Cottagers do have the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.

It remains to be seen whether Forest make a permanent move for the right-back, but his post on Instagram suggests that a return to the City Ground is unlikely.

Christie wrote: "It was an honour to play for a big club like Forest. I've met some incredible people at this football club from players to the club staff and wish everyone nothing but the best for the future".

Ryan Yates was among those to comment, saying: "Been a pleasure".

The Verdict

I would like to see Christie return to the City Ground from a Forest perspective.

His performances have improved a lot, and he has been one of their most consistent players this season at right-back.

He has played a lot of football, and if a price can be agreed this summer, then it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Reds make a permanent move.

With Jordan Gabriel set to return from a loan spell at Blackpool, having them two battle it out for a place at right-back could be beneficial.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/cyrus-christies-situation-at-nottingham-forest-becomes-clearer-as-ryan-yates-sends-message/

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'An honour' - Player's emotional Nottingham Forest farewell message amid uncertain future

Right-back Cyrus Christie has spent the season on loan with the Reds from Fulham

Defender Cyrus Christie has reflected on his "pride" at playing for Nottingham Forest as his loan deal comes to an end.

The 28-year-old spent the season on loan at the City Ground from Fulham and was almost an ever-present in the starting XI.

He notched up 44 Championship appearances in total, all of which came in the first-team as he made the right-back position his own.

After a tough start, Christie impressed in the second half of the campaign, helping Chris Hughton's side steer clear of relegation danger.

Saturday's final game of the season, against Preston North End, was the last of his loan spell.

And he has posted a message on Instagram speaking of his disappointment at not getting the opportunity to play in front of Reds fans - with his post also giving the impression he may not be making a return to the banks of the Trent.

He wrote: "Another season finished. A season with ups and downs, not reaching the levels as a team on a consistent basis that we were capable of to achieve the ultimate goal.

"It was an honour to play for a big club like Forest but disappointing not to experience playing in front of the fans who I personally believe we missed massively this season to provide us with that extra spark and help us push in certain moments.

"It was always going to be a tough and different situation joining this club for various reasons but a challenge I fully embraced wearing the Garibaldi shirt with pride while changing a lot of peoples perspectives along the way.

"I've met some incredible people at this football club from players to the club staff and wish everyone nothing but the best for the future."

It remains to be seen whether Forest will look to bring Christie back on a permanent basis, although that may depend on Fulham's situation.

The right-back is out of contract at Craven Cottage, and while the Reds have an option on him, it is believed his parent side also have an option to tie him down for a further year.



https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/transfer-news/nottingham-forest-cyrus-christie-fulham-5395780

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Match Preview: Fulham vs Burnley

Tonight's meeting with Burnley could spell the end. If Fulham lose, Scott Parker will have to let go of the crumbs of hope he has clung to as the Whites' results have slowly dropped off at the most pivotal point of the season. Relegation will be confirmed. How can the Cottagers prolong their fight to remain the top flight?

Burnley are a side well known for their 4-4-2 formation, with Dyche employing a very classical British style of football which has brought the Lancashire some of their most successful years in modern times. However, despite reaching the Europa League just a few short seasons ago, the Clarets have found themselves pulled into this year's relegation battle as they currently sit in 17th place, one spot ahead of ourselves. However, tonight they have been afforded the opportunity to end this battle and send London's original football team into the second division.

This game will likely be a tightly contested affair, with both sides having conceded relatively few goals so far this season. In fact, on this front, Fulham has the advantage, having conceded just 45 goals in 34 Premier League games, whereas the Clarets have conceded 47. However, Dyche's side has also scored 6 more goals than Parker's, with 31 goals for this season, boasting Chris Wood with 11 goals as one half of their strike partnership. On the other hand, Fulham have failed to score in five of their last seven home games, as it feels that the team has given up the ghost.

Dyche heads to the Cottage with a relatively free treatment table, with only Brady and Long unavailable through injury. Unfortunately for Fulham, the Clarets will be able to welcome back star striker Wood after an injury scare. Parker also has two players, Cairney and Kongolo, who will miss the match, whilst Reed is doubtful due to an ankle injury. Ruben Loftus-Cheek returns to the fold after being indelible for last weekend's fixture against his parent club, Chelsea.

For Fulham, this is a must-win match with a loss confirming their relegation. Only if the Whites win all of their last four games do they have a chance at survival. Therefore, expect to see Parker's men playing cautious football, almost to avoid a loss, but with the continuation in the use of the 4-2-3-1 formation, here is my predicted line-up:

My proposed line-up against Burnley

We can expect to see Mitrovic pressuring Burnley's back line, attempting to distract and out-muscle them, creating chances for the faster wingers either side of him. However, the utilisation of the Serbian's heading ability and goalscoring nouse from within the box will also prove key to any successful game plan.

The midfield will be an incredibly important battleground for both teams as Burnley will attempt to stop any ball progression through it. Therefore, it is vital that the ball is brought through the middle of the pitch quickly then distributed to a quick winger or into Mitrovic, who is able to hold-up play – something very similar to how the Clarets themselves like to attack.




https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/05/match-preview-fulham-vs-burnley/

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"Would go crazy": PL manager linked with Tottenham Hotspur addresses speculations
Fulham boss Scott Parker addresses Tottenham Hotspur speculations

Speaking in an interview with West London Sport, Fulham manager Scott Parker has responded to the rumours linking him with the Tottenham Hotspur job ahead of the next season.

Tottenham are on the lookout for a new permanent manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho from the club last month. Former midfielder Ryan Mason has been placed in charge on an interim basis till the end of the season as the hunt for a new full-time boss continues.

A number of names have been linked with the job so far, with Parker being one among them. The former Tottenham midfielder spent a year within the club as an academy coach before moving to Fulham. Having initially been assistant to Claudio Ranieri, the Englishman took over the reins towards the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Parker could not stop the Cottagers from going down to the Championship that time but did very well to earn promotion in his first full season in-charge. Back in the Premier League though, Fulham seem primed for relegation yet again, but the 40-year-old has earned a lot of plaudits for the work he has done at the club.

Now, the man himself has addressed the rumours of him being linked with a return to Tottenham, this time as a first-team manager, claiming that he does not pay attention to all those speculations.

    "You know what, I don't take a lot of notice of what is said and written. If I listened to half of it, I would go crazy, and not just this speculation – but everything. Every week there will be a different story in the way we play, the way we don't play, who's going there, who's leaving, who's staying, who's not happy."

Parker insisted that he is only focusing on the job at hand currently and will only think about what's next once the season is over.

While the 40-year-old has managed to impress at Fulham over the past couple of years, he is still very much in his first managerial job and needs more experience before taking the job at a big club like Tottenham. There ought to be better options for Daniel Levy to consider at the moment.



https://tothelaneandback.com/2021/05/10/fulham-boss-scott-parker-addresses-tottenham-hotspur-speculations/

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Fulham vs Burnley: 10/05/2021 – match preview and predicted starting XIs

Fulham vs Burnley

Date: 10/05/2021

K/O: 20:00

Venue: Craven Cottage

Referee: David Coote

TV: Sky Sports

With four games remaining in the Premier League for both Fulham and Burnley, it's make or break for the hosts on Monday evening. A loss against Burnley and the London side will be relegated from the Premier League for the 2nd time in three years. Currently, nine points behind Burnley and Premier League safety, a win might just give Scott Parker's team a glimmer of hope – even with the impossible task they face.

Historically, this is a fixture Burnley tend to dominate, winning seven of the previous 12 meetings. But both sides enter this match on the back of some poor form: Burnley have lost four of their last five games, while Fulham are winless in six.

It's a fixture that doesn't scream excitement, with their combined goals scored this season lower than at least five Premier League teams. Burnley will likely make the trip to London with a not-to-lose mindset, which would see them try and limit the host's momentum. Time-wasting tactics and flat banks of four will force a side lacking a physical presence into wider areas of the pitch.

However, with so much at stake for Fulham, they cannot afford to hold back and will likely look to smother the Burnley defence and midfield with a high press. They'll be looking to force a mistake and exploit the Clarets with their pace in attack. This will undoubtedly open themselves up for a counter-attack, which may encourage Burnley to increase their attacking output as the game goes on.

Team News

Fulham

Harrison Reed is back in light training after missing the previous fixture against London rivals Chelsea, though he is still a doubt for the visit of Burnley. Tom Cairney is another player who may be ready to make a return but, with the midfielder not featuring at all in 2021, it's unlikely he'll see any minutes in this crucial fixture.

Scott Parker has not been afraid to tinker with his team's formation this season. Parker has opted for a more attacking style in recent weeks, implementing a 4-2-3-1 against Chelsea last time out with Josh Maja playing as the lone frontman. Maja and Mitrovic are yet to start a game together in attack, so this may be the first time we see the pair. Fulham will need to match the physical presence of the Burnley defence, and the controversial Mitrovic is a perfect candidate to do so. A combination of the Serbian's strength and Maja's pace should make them a handful for the visitors.

Burnley

Robbie Brady and Kevin Long are again absent for Sean Dyche, but the conveyor belt of injuries for Burnley this season seems to be over. Last week, the loss to West Ham saw a bench full of experience and a variety of options. Too many times this season, Burnley have failed to fill the nine subs quota or called upon younger players with little or no previous appearances. Although Burnley should be safe come the end of the season, it's the perfect time for Sean Dyche to have a near to complete squad.

Predicted Starting XIs

Fulham (4-4-2): Areola; Aina, Andersen, Tosin, Robinson; Cavaleiro, Lemina, Anguissa, Lookman; Maja, Mitrovic

Burnley (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Brownhill, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Wood, Vydra

Prediction: Fulham 2-1 Burnley

I believe Fulham will not hold back in this fixture, with the emphasis being to attack from the first whilst. Burnley have been far from their astute defensive selves in recent months, and I can see them conceding fairly early on in this fixture. This may see Fulham ease off the throttle and invite Burnley back into the game. However, Fulham's pace in attack will punish the Clarets as time goes on – especially if they become more adventurous in attack.



https://90maat.com/fulham-vs-burnley-10-05-2021-match-preview-and-predicted-starting-xis/

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Fulham vs Burnley relegation scenarios and the Newcastle United, Southampton and Brighton impact

Burnley can secure their Premier League status with a win, Fulham relegated with defeat

Burnley visit Fulham tonight in a crunch Premier League clash at the bottom the table.

The Clarets head into the contest knowing victory secures them another season of top flight football and Sean Dyche's side will be eager to complete the job given a testing couple of fixtures follow against Leeds United and Liverpool.

Burnley begin the contest nine points clear of the Cottagers, the only side who can catch them, following West Brom's defeat to Arsenal on Sunday which consigned the Baggies to the Championship, along with Sheffield United.

Here's the scenarios of what could happen tonight and the impact on Newcastle United, Southampton and Brighton.

Burnley win

The Clarets will be safe, indeed they will jump to 14th, and Fulham will be relegated.

As a result Newcastle United, Southampton and Brighton will all stay up.

Burnley lose

Fulham will cut the gap to the Clarets to six points with three to play and Sean Dyche's side would need four points from their final three games to be sure of survival although a positive result against Leeds could be enough depending on what the Cottagers do at Southampton.

Victory for Scott Parker's side would also mean the Saints, Newcastle and Brighton would still require more points to be sure of survival.

A draw

Burnley would be on the brink of staying up, nine clear with nine to play for, but would still require another point or Fulham to drop points in any of their final three.

Newcastle would be safe while Brighton and Southampton would be in the same boat as the Clarets.



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/fulham-vs-burnley-newcastle-united-20565041

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Coote back with the Clarets at Craven Cottage

On the last occasion we played at Fulham in a Premier League game it was refereed by David Coote and that's the case again for tonight's game.

That game early in the 2018/19 season was Coote's sixth Burnley game but his first in the Premier League and he's since gone on to referee us on another five occasions since, all in the Premier League.

Those five games include two this season at Newcastle and then at home against Chelsea. They were much earlier in the season but his two Fulham games, both at Craven Cottage when they played Spurs and Leeds, came as recently as March.

Now very much a Premier League referee, 18 of his 25 games this season have been in the top flight with four in the Championship and three FA Cup ties. In those games he's shown a total of 85 yellow and three red cards. Of those yellows, 44 have gone to home team players and 41 to away team players.

He sent off Christian Benteke in Crystal Palace's 1-1 draw at West Ham in December and kicked off 2021 by red carding Tottenham's Matt Doherty at the end of their 3-0 win against Leeds. More recently he dismissed Chelsea's Thiago Silva against West Brom. They led 1-0 at the time but went on to lose the game 5-2.

Coote's most recent game was Palace's 2-0 home defeat  against Manchester City. The two players yellow carded in that game, a week last Saturday, were Palace pair Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate.

Robert Jones, who we all remember well from our game this season at Leeds, is fourth official while Peter Bankes is on VAR duty and his last Burnley game was our 1-1 home draw against Sheffield United in July last year.

Match Officials

Referee: David Coote
Assistant Referees: Harry Lennard & Nick Hopton
Fourth Official: Robert Jones
VAR: Peter Bankes
Assistant VAR: Timothy Wood

Previous Burnley Games – David Coote

Season	Opponents	V	Res	Y	R	Burnley Players Carded
2012/13	Sheffield Wed	h	3-3	2	0	Y: Marney
2012/13	Watford	a	3-3	2	0	Y: Lafferty, Long, McCann
2013/14	Charlton	h	3-3	4	0	Y: Marney
2013/14	Huddersfield	h	3-2	3	0	Y: Marney
2015/16	Birmingham	h	2-2	4	0	Y: Vossen, Mee, Arfield
2018/19	Fulham	a	2-4	3	0	Y: Tarkowski
2018/19	West Ham	h	2-0	5	0	Y: Barnes
2019/20	Norwich	h	2-0	1	0
2019/20	Liverpool	a	1-1	3	0	Y: Bardsley, Pope
2020/21	Newcastle	a	1-3	5	0	Y: Tarkowski, Barnes, McNeil
2020/21	Chelsea	h	0-3	1	0	Y: Long

https://www.uptheclarets.com/coote-back-with-the-clarets-at-craven-cottage

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The players deserve massive credit

Burnley travel to Fulham tonight to take on Scott Parker's Fulham who are fighting for their Premier League lives with four games remaining.

Parker knows that they have to win tonight and then pick up a lot more points from the three following games to have a chance of staying up and he admitted: "The pressure is on. That pressure comes because of where we sit.

"The pressure will come on because we're playing a team that is nine points off us. Can we take that to six points with three games to play, if results go our way, that is the pressure that comes with being in our position."

He added: "They (the Fulham players) are going to need to be brave. We have needed them. Not just brave players but players in those moments who can be real clinical. I'm not just talking about a finish or an attacking phase, I'm also talking defensively as well.

"Players that can execute under those moments, players that can just live off that one moment and that moment is executed and it happens. That is this league and when you are Fulham and a Fulham player, that is the way this league is going to be.

"As ever, the next game rolls around, the experienced one has faced before can only be helpful and you hope that maybe that is what we are definitely going to need. Bravery and a cool head with a laser focus that can execute."

Although in 17th place, the Clarets do have this cushion going into the game and Sean Dyche said: "We've got four games to go. We have to stay focused on the next one, while also allowing ourselves the reality that there are four games to go. That's something we have to factor into our thinking, although the next one's the most important.

"We've had lesser runs of form and created a lot more points on the table. Our actual form has been good. I didn't think it was a bad performance, remotely, against West Ham. I thought they were very good. Our performance level was still high. Our physical level was brilliant that night so I think the players are in good shape to take on the next four games."

Dyche added: "The players deserve massive credit for getting the season back on line and then delivering a very consistent level of performance to get the points we've got. I've seen lately that performances don't guarantee you win a game, but they give you a much better chance and a much better chance over a consistent period.

"I think that's what we've looked for and the players have delivered that this season to get where we are and now it's about going strong for the last four games."



https://www.uptheclarets.com/the-players-deserve-massive-credit

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A Monday night by the Thames

It's our away game tonight against Fulham and while we still very much have a need to accrue more points it is undoubtedly more important for our hosts who will be relegated tonight should we beat them.

I think we all know the maths. We go into the game with a nine point lead. A win will condemn Fulham to the trip down to the Championship with already relegated West Brom and Sheffield United while a draw will mean they can't drop another point while needing us not to pick up any more. A home win would give them a glimmer of hope but we would still be very much in the driving seat.

Fulham and Craven Cottage. It's not that long ago we thought it was all over and done with. Unable to get the ground up to Premier League standards they moved out temporarily to QPR's Loftus Road until they were able to build a new home. We played them at QPR in the FA Cup back in 2003 but after two seasons there they did return to Craven Cottage with its new temporary stands behind the goals and it's unique neutral fans section next to the away fans.

It couldn't get much closer to the Thames, it's right there on the river bank and currently they are building a new stand on that side of the ground.

We travel there having beaten them in the last midweek game we played there, winning 3-2 in 2015/16 during the 23 game unbeaten run but we will be looking for our first Premier League points there having been beaten on the two occasions we've played them in the Premier League.

I'm sure Sky will mention it tonight that we haven't won a top flight game there since December 1965 when Willie Irvine scored what was our last away hat trick in the top division prior to Chris Wood's at Wolves a couple of weeks ago. They probably won't mention that there have only been four games since.

I'm sure we'll be determined to get over the line as soon as possible which is ensuring mathematically that we'll be in the Premier League next season and those were Dwight McNeil's thoughts when he spoke to the media a few days ago.

"That's the goal," he said. "To get mathematically safe to go into the last remaining games of the season safe in the Premier League for next season. We'll be going into the game looking to win it. We just want to get it done as soon as possible because it's always nice to go into the last few games where you can enjoy it more because you know you're safe in the Premier League for another season.

"Our main aim is to get the job done on Monday."

McNeil was substituted in the game against West Ham but he's been in outstanding form in recent games notably at Everton and Wolves, and he'll be in the starting line up tonight that will probably show very few, if any, changes from that which played against West Ham.

We are still unable to call on either Kevin Long or Robbie Brady but it was reported that everyone else is fit and if Sean Dyche decides to stick with the same team we will line up: Nick Pope, Matt Lowton, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, Charlie Taylor, Josh Brownhill, Ashley Westwood, Jack Cork, Dwight McNeil, Matěj Vydra, Chris Wood. Subs: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Will Norris, Phil Bardsley, Jimmy Dunne, Erik Pieters, Dale Stephens, Jόhann Berg Guðmundsson, Jay Rodriguez, Ashley Barnes.

It's been a difficult season for Fulham having been promoted last season having beaten Brentford in the play-off final. From the first weekend in November to the first weekend in December they were in 17th place in the table. At all other times they have been in the bottom three having and their only two home victories have come against the two teams who currently sit below them in the table.

Much has been said of our lack of goals this season but Fulham, with 25 scored, are one of the two teams to have found the net on fewer occasions. Their leading goalscorer is Bobby De Cordova-Reid with six.

The only two potential injury doubts for Fulham are Harrison Reed (pictured above) and Tom Cairney. The two former Blackburn players are back in training. Reed played as recently as 18th April but Cairney hasn't lined up for Fulham since mid-December. Scott Parker will also be able to call upon Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

They were beaten 2-0 last time out at Chelsea and their team was: Alphonse Areola, Ola Aina, Joachim Andersen, Tosin Adarabioyo, Antonee Robinson, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Mario Lemina, Ivan Cavaleiro, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Ademola Lookman, Josh Raja. Subs: Marek Rodák, Kenny Tete, Michael Hector, Denis Odoi, Aleksandar Mitrović, Tim Ream, Joe Bryan, Josh Onomah, Fabio Carvalho.


LAST TIME WE WERE THERE
It was a Sunday afternoon in the pouring August rain in 2018 and three days after we'd returned from the away defeat against Olympiacos in the Europa League play-off.

We were beaten 4-2 and we could have no complaints at the result either. It was a shockingly poor performance and a day when we found ourselves hit by injuries.

We were behind in only four minutes when Jean Michael Seri scored from distance but we were quickly level through Jeff Hendrick, our best player on the day, when he latched on to a ball through from Jeff Hendrick.

Jόhann Berg Guðmundsson was forced off with an injury and that forced us into bringing on Charlie Taylor and playing him in midfield, that was until midway through the second half when Stephen Ward had to come off with an injury in what proved to be his final league appearance for us. By then the score was 3-2 in favour of the home side.

Aleksandar Mitrović had scored twice before James Tarkowski, who had scored his first Burnley goal in the previous league game against Watford, scored just before half time.

We never really threatened to get back into it and when Mitrović hit the post, Andre Schürrle hit home the rebound complete the scoring.

The teams were;

Fulham: Marcus Bettinelli, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Denis Odoi, Maxime Le Marchand, Joe Bryan (Calum Chambers 72), Jean Michael Seri, Kevin McDonald, Tom Cairney (André-Frank Zambo Anguissa 78), Andre Schürrle (Ryan Sessegnon 89), Aleksandar Mitrović, Luciano Vietto. Subs not used: Fabri , Cyrus Christie, Stefan  Johansen, Aboubakar Kamara.

Burnley: Joe Hart, Matt Lowton, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, Stephen Ward (Ashley Barnes 66), Aaron Lennon, Ashley Westwood, Jack Cork, Jόhann Berg Guðmundsson (Charlie Taylor 19), Jeff Hendrick, Chris Wood (Sam Vokes 66). Subs not used: Tom Heaton, Phil Bardsley, Kevin Long, Ben Gibson.



https://www.uptheclarets.com/a-monday-night-by-the-thames