13 August 2021, 22:01 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
English Premier League fixture. Burnley F.C. vs. Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Kicks-off at 15:00 (GMT+1) on Saturday, August 14 at Turf Moor.
Preview Burnley Premier League, Aug 14, 2021
Preview Burnley will welcome Brighton for their opening game of the 2021/22 English Premier League season with the aim of picking up their first few points. Last season, they were deeply enmeshed in a tangle for survival in the Premier League after starring at relegation in the face at some point during the length of the season. This time around, they hope to avoid the scrap entirely. Burnley had an impressive pre-season tour, defeating the likes of Morecambe, 2-1, Salford City, 4-0, and Oldham Athletic, 2-0. The Clarets also picked up victories against Blackpool, 1-0, but lost to Cadiz, 2-0. In July, Burnley announced the acquisition of Welsh goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey on a free transfer having signed a two-year contract. He will be the backup for first-choice goalkeeper, Nick Pope but would be willing to go glove-to-glove against the Englishman for a starting role in the squad. Central-defender Nathan Collins also made a summer switch from EFL Championship side, Stoke City. The 20-year-old put pen to paper for a three-year contract up until June 2024. After guiding Burnley to a 17th place finish with 11 points, - just above the bottom three last season, Sean Dyche would be looking to get the Clarets’ campaign off to a positive start. A conventional 4—4—2 formation with the duo: Matej Vydra and Chris Wood forming a striking partnership ahead of the midfield quad is expected on Saturday against the Seagulls.
Preview Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League, Aug 14, 2021
Preview Brighton finished just above Burnley last season after picking up 41 points – two points more than the Clarets. This season, they would be looking to do much better and distance themselves from the bottom half. The Seagulls announced the addition of Zambian international, Enock Mwepu from RB Salzburg on a four-year deal for a fee of €23M. They also captured 21-year-old Dutch goalkeeper, Kjell Scherpen from Ajax for €5M. Japanese winger, Kaoru Mitoma, formerly of Kawasaki Frontale completed his move to Brighton for an undisclosed fee while the likes of Matthew Ryan and Davy Propper exited the club as free agents. The Seagulls cashed out on centre-back, Ben White following his €58.5M move to London side, Arsenal. Meanwhile, Nathaniel Phillips appears to be on the horizon for Brighton. The club sees him as a suitable replacement to fill the void created by the exit of Ben White. Graham Potter would be looking to get Brighton’s season off to a flying start with an important win over Burnley this weekend. He is expected to adopt a 4—3—1—2 formation with Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay in attack.