Spurs have found midfield balance, Sean Dyche needs changes and Brighton are still a step ahead of the gameThe last time Luton visited Stamford Bridge for a league fixture, George HW Bush was US president, Bryan Adams was in the middle of his monster 16-week stay at the top of the charts with (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, and Liverpool had just broken the British transfer record by paying £2.9m for Derby’s Dean Saunders. The record has gone up a touch since August 1991 but again the Hatters visit west London in the wake of a new spending benchmark being set, and the player in question could well be in line for a first start for his...
Tonali starts in style, Nketiah shows he should start more often and De Bruyne’s fitness is starting to become a worryBeyond bedding in four debutants at Brentford, a leading task for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham is to revive a number of players who were all but given up on by Antonio Conte. Richarlison, who scored just one Premier League goal in his first season at the club, has taken on Harry Kane’s role as striker with James Maddison the new playmaker. Few beyond Conte doubt Brazil’s first-choice No 9’s talent but renovation is required. “He’s got a lot of great attributes and he will always work hard for the team and that’s a good starting point for me,” Postecoglou said,...
Burnley learned their lessons from the 6-0 FA Cup defeat in March and on the evidence of their first Premier League outing, they will be more than capable of staying upIt was a faltering start for Burnley’s triumphant return to the top flight. First someone decided to host a pointless lights show in bright sunshine to get the crowd excited and then Erling Haaland opened the scoring for Manchester City in the fourth minute. Only one of them made an impact with a flash.Neither event would do much to whip up a furore in most circumstances but the Burnley supporters are accustomed to what their side can do under Vincent Kompany. City were ahead but feeling the heat at Turf...
Luton’s return to the top flight, a return of Everton’s anxieties and a big showdown at Stamford BridgeVincent Kompany’s old club provide a litmus test for his current one for the second time in six months. Burnley were storming towards the Championship title and unbeaten in 18 matches when pitted away at Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals in March. Club officials, as the new Mission to Burnley documentary reveals, viewed the tie as a gauge of Burnley’s Premier League credentials while Kompany fired up his players with talk of Wembley. They were swatted aside 6-0. There is no shame in a sound beating at the home of soon-to-be treble winners but Kompany will expect a more competitive display...
Burnley are flying high in the Championship under Vincent Kompany but were completely outclassed by Manchester CityManchester City had won the previous 10 matches against Burnley with an aggregate score of 34-1. All of those games took place against sides managed by Sean Dyche, a very different style of team to the one created by Vincent Kompany but, six goals later, some things never change. The Belgian has turned the Clarets from a dour but efficient team to being exciting and free-wheeling but the reality of what he faces next season became apparent on Saturday night.Promotion is essentially guaranteed, it would take an almighty demise to give up their 16-point lead on third with a game in hand in the...