Burnley looking for a perfect end to 2022 at Stoke

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley will look to end 2022 in style as they search for their fifth Championship win in a row visiting Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium tonight.

The Clarets will hope to continue their fine form propelling them back towards promotion to the Premier League but it won’t be easy against a 17th-placed Stoke side unbeaten in their last three league games.

The league leaders from Lancashire have 50 points from 24 games so far this season with that being more than two points per match as apposed to the Potters having just 30, five clear of the relegation zone.

Burnley sit 11 points clear of third place at the top with Sheffield United level on 50 points with them after their win at Blackpool last night. The Clarets also boast being the division’s top scorers with 49 goals so far this season.

This Friday night clash is set to be an interesting one with Burnley’s away form not as strong as that at Turf Moor with five wins from 11 away matches so far this season and nine wins at home from 13 games.

Meanwhile, Stoke have just three league wins at home so far this season from 11 games with their last coming against Luton in Nathan Jones’ last game with the Hatters in early November.

The home side’s last game was a 2-2 draw away at Rotherham United with a Lee Peltier own goal sending the Potters back home with a point.

Stoke will hope for more than a point tonight however, hoping to end 2022 with a win against table-toppers Burnley giving them a much needed three points to draw further away from the relegation zone and towards the playoff places.

It’s worth noting that Alex Neil’s side have put together a three-match unbeaten run for just the second time so far this season, collecting five points since the resumption after the world cup.

And, Burnley will look to end the home side’s uneaten run and continue their own. When the two teams met on the 5th October earlier this year at Turf Moor the game finished 1-1 with Harry Clarke salvaging a point for Stoke late on.

This evening’s game is the 112th league and cup meeting between the two sides with Stoke taking 46 wins compared to Burnley’s 39 from that number.

Joint-fifth Championship top-scorer Jay Rodriguez will hope to his goal tally tonight seeing him into double figures, with nine in the season so far.

Alex Neil looks forward to hosting top of the table Burnley praising the side for how they’ve done so far this season.

He said: “When top of the league comes, they’ve been in good form, you want to show you’re capable of competing and showing what you can do.

“Burnley to this point have been the best team this season, as the league table proves. I think they’ve done a lot of good work in terms of recruitment and a lot of good work in terms of coaching. I think they’re a well-coached team. It’s going to be a difficult game.”

Injury News

Alex Neil could welcome Dwight Gayle and Josh Laurent back into his matchday squad with the duo eyeing a return from injury.

Neil confirmed a return is near saying: “The two lads aren’t far away at all. One of them might well be involved in the squad against Burnley. Both I fully expect to be back in the next week or so.”

The Clarets are expected to be without Brazilian right-back Vitinho after he sustained an impact injury in training recently.

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