Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for today's Premier League showdown between
Burnley and
Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor!
Not many people would have been expecting this to be a clash between sixth and seventh at the halfway stage of the season, and fewer still would have had them that way around, with Burnley leading Spurs by a point in the table.
It promises to be a very intriguing contest in which either side could go into Christmas sitting fifth with victory, but before we take an in-depth look at it let's first check out the team news...
BURNLEY STARTING XI: Pope; Bardsley, Mee, Long, Taylor; Cork, Hendrick, Defour, Gudmundsson, Arfield; Wood
BURNLEY SUBS: Lowton, Vokes, Barnes, Westwood, Walters, Wells, Lindegaard
TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen; Dele, Son, Kane
TOTTENHAM SUBS: Vorm, Trippier, Rose, Foyth, Dembele, Lamela, Llorente
What can we make of those two sides, then?
Well, we'll get to the hosts in a short while, but let's start with a Tottenham lineup which includes Davinson Sanchez for the first time in the last four attempts. The centre-back makes a timely return from injury this afternoon, having missed the last three games.
With Alderweireld also sidelined at the moment that forced Spurs to play Eric Dier in central defence against Man City last time out, but Sanchez is able to return alongside Vertonghen this time around.
As ever,
Harry Kane will lead the line for Spurs today as he looks to make it a positive end to another spectacular year, although he has been hit or miss to a certain extent so far this season - despite once again being amongst the division's top scorers.
Kane has still nonetheless scored 16 Premier League goals away from home in 2017 - a tally only Robin van Persie (19 in 2011) and Sergio Aguero (17 in 2016) have ever beaten.
© Offside
Son Heung-min continues alongside Spurs in what has recently been more of a front two with Alli in behind rather than a front three.
Alli will once again operate in the hole today, and the England international has a decent record against Burnley, directly contributing to a goal in each of his three Premier League appearances against the Clarets.
Alli has not been at his best this season, with only three goals and three assists so far this term in the Premier League, although last season he has been involved in just five goals from his 16 league outings before Christmas, only to then up his game and register 14 goals and six assists in his 21 league outings after Christmas.
Pochettino has made four changes to his starting lineup for today's match following that 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City last time out.
I have already mentioned Sanchez, who replaces Dembele in the starting XI, but there are also recalls for Aurier, Davies and Sissoko in place of Trippier, Rose and Winks this afternoon.
Burnley don't often make changes to their starting lineup in the Premier League, but they have been forced into one this afternoon as Kevin Long comes back into the side.
The Clarets will be without James Tarkowski for at least the next three games after he was charged with violent conduct following a clash with Glenn Murray last weekend, although the defender could be sidelined for even longer having undergone surgery for a hand injury sustained in the same match against Brighton.
Aside from that change, though,
Sean Dyche has once again kept faith with the starting lineup that only managed a goalless draw with Brighton last time out.
Stephen Ward once again misses out having failed to recover from a knee injury in time, while Lowton only makes the bench, having missed the last five games with a similar problem. Taylor and Bardsley continue on the flanks, although Lowton is expected to return to the starting lineup once he regains full fitness.
At the other end of the pitch, Burnley will be looking for Chris Wood to provide the goals, with the striker having already found the back of the net against Tottenham this season.
Wood's late equaliser at Wembley in August proved to be an early sign of the Claret's resilience, and the striker will once again plough a lone furrow up front for the goal-shy Burnley this afternoon.
If Wood is to get any joy this afternoon then he will need to be well supported by those behind him, and Johann Berg Gudmundsson is likely to be the biggest provider for the striker.
Gudmundsson has assisted five of Burnley's last nine Premier League goals, so Spurs must be wary of him getting crosses into the box this afternoon.
Even if Burnley cannot get anything out of this game, they can be hugely proud of their performances during the opening half of this season.
Sean Dyche will have gone into this season with the number one goal of staying in the division for another season, but after just 18 games they are already only eight points short of the magic 40-point mark. Indeed, there is more talk of whether Burnley can challenge for Champions League places than there is fear that they may be dragged into a relegation battle, which says it all really.
A victory for Burnley today would see them spend Christmas in fifth place, only outside the Champions League spots on goal difference.
The three teams directly above them in the table have all dropped points already this weekend, with Arsenal holding Liverpool to a draw and Chelsea sharing the spoils with Everton, so there is a real chance to make up some ground this afternoon - although Spurs will be thinking exactly the same thing.
The main secret to Burnley's success is their incredible defensive record, with no team having conceded fewer than the Clarets this season.
Sean Dyche's side have let in only 12 goals from their 18 outings so far this term and have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last nine outings, stretching back to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in October.
It is 354 minutes since Burnley last conceded a Premier League goal, stretching back to Demarai Gray's sixth-minute strike for Leicester on December 2, since when the Clarets have kept three clean sheets in a row.
Indeed, another shutout this afternoon would see Burnley equal their club-record for the top flight of four consecutive clean sheets, which is an achievement that they have not managed since 1922.
Overall this season Burnley have kept clean sheets in half of their 18 outings, with the bulk of those coming here at Turf Moor, where the Clarets have conceded only three goals all season - the joint-best home defensive record in the division.
Burnley's last eight Premier League home games have yielded six clean sheets, although at the other end of the field there are problems with only Swansea having scored fewer goals in front of their own fans.
There have been only 10 goals scored in the nine Premier League games held at Turf Moor this season, the fewest of any stadium in the top flight, and 11 of Burnley's last 13 home league wins have been by just a wingle goal.
Burnley come into this match having lost just one of their last eight league games at Turf Moor, winning four of their last five. Indeed, another victory today would make it three on the bounce here for the first time since January.
Burnley's home record will come under some serious questions in the coming weeks, though, with their next four outings here seeing them host Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City - at which stage we should have a better idea of whether they are bona-fide top-six contenders.
The Clarets' never-say-die attitude has already been proved, though, with Dyche's side having earned five points with goals in the final 10 minutes of matches this season - second only to Manchester City.
Tottenham know all about that having been denied at the death in the reverse fixture at home in August, a result which added to their Wembley troubles at the time.
However, it is Tottenham's away form which will be causing the main problems right now, and their failure to fire on all cylinders both home and away at the same time has really cost them so far this season - to the extent that last season's runners-up find themselves a whopping 24 points adrift of leaders Manchester City as things stand.
Pochettino's side have picked up just one point from the last 15 on offer away from home in the Premier League, which is form more akin to a team battling relegation than one who went into the season with serious aspirations of challenging for the title.
Spurs had won nine of their previous 10 league away games before that, including their opening four of this season, but they are now on their longest winless away run since April 2012 under Harry Redknapp.
That form is not much better when taking all competitions into account either. Spurs have only won one of their last seven trips away in the league, cup and Champions League, losing four times in that run and drawing twice.
The solitary win was an impressive one away to Borussia Dortmund, where there is also a notable draw at the Bernabeu in that run, but it is still a major dip in form compared to five away wins on the bounce prior to their current run.
All of that has contributed to Tottenham losing four of their last nine Premier League games, with just three wins and two draws in that time too.
Such a poor run of form has seen them drop 16 of the last 27 Premier League points on offer, which is certainly not good enough to challenge for the top four, yet alone keep pace with leaders Manchester City.
Whatever happens today, Spurs will not spend Christmas in the Champions League places having fallen four points behind Liverpool, but victory here would at least lift them above both Burnley and Arsenal into fifth.
It may be that Tottenham need to go on a similar run to last season, when they won nine consecutive games in December and January, to haul them back into the driving seat for a top-four spot, and victory over the team directly above them in the table today would be the perfect start to that.
Spurs are actually only three points worse off than they were at the same stage of last season, although their tally of five defeats already this term is just one fewer than they suffered on their way to second place in 2016-17.
The latest of those defeats came at the hands of an unstoppable Manchester City last weekend, when they were simply outclassed on their way to a 4-1 defeat, with their goal coming as a consolation right at the end of the game.
That City defeat ended a run of three consecutive victories and four games without a loss, and they have only been beaten in back-to-back matches once across all competitions since February - when they lost to West Ham in the EFL Cup and then Manchester United in the Premier League earlier this season.
You have to go back to their final two games of the 2015-16 campaign for the last time Spurs lost back-to-back Premier League games, though, when they collapsed to allow Arsenal to finish above them in the table.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Turf Moor, which means that it is time for a prediction!
Burnley do not do goal-filled matches here at Turf Moor, and despite the attacking talent on show for Tottenham, I can't see many flying in today either. Spurs will feel as though the onus is on them to chase the win, though, and hopefully that will make for an entertaining game. I will go for a narrow away win.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Burnley 0-1 Tottenham
Unsurprisingly, Tottenham have had the better of this fixture in recent years, with Burnley having failed to win any of their last seven matches against today's opponents across all competitions.
Indeed, their most recent win over Spurs is also their only Premier League win against the North Londoners, and it came way back in May 2010 when they ran out 4-2 winners under Brian Laws.
Spurs have won four and drawn two of the remaining seven previous Premier League meetings between the two sides, including the August meeting when Chris Wood's 92nd-minute equaliser rescued a point at Wembley after Dele Alli had earlier opened the scoring.
Tottenham did win the corresponding fixture last season, though, with Dier and Son both on the scoresheet in a 2-0 victory.
Another win for Spurs this afternoon would see them record back-to-back league wins at Turf Moor for the first time in 92 years, stretching all the way back to December 1925.
It is also a long time since Tottenham went into this fixture sitting below the Clarets in the top flight. On the most recent occasion that happened before today, seventh-place Burnley beat 20th-place Spurs 3-2 in April 1975.
Right, the players are out and we're almost ready to go at Turf Moor. Let's have a quick reminder of the team news before we get started...
BURNLEY STARTING XI: Pope; Bardsley, Mee, Long, Taylor; Cork, Hendrick, Defour, Gudmundsson, Arfield; Wood
TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Sissoko, Eriksen; Dele, Son, Kane
KICKOFF: Here we go then! Referee Michael Oliver gets us underway at Turf Moor!
No chances to speak of in the opening exchanges as both sides look to settle into this game.
YELLOW CARD! Alli was fortunate to escape a red card last week, and he lunges into an early challenge here too. The Burnley players aren't happy with it, but Michael Oliver deems a yellow card punishment enough.
Spurs have their first bright attacking moment as Son slides a pass down the left channel for Davies. However, the full-back gets his cross all wrong and woefully overhits it.
PENALTY TO TOTTENHAM!
GOAL! Burnley 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Harry Kane, penalty)
What a start for Tottenham! They break down this Burnley rearguard after only seven minutes as Kane strokes home from the penalty spot.
Long was the offender who committed the foul inside the area, tripping Alli and leaving Michael Oliver in no doubt about the penalty. Kane steps up and sends Pope the wrong way.
What a year it has been for Harry Kane...
Burnley have been so disciplined at home this season, so to gift Spurs an opener like that will really annoy Sean Dyche. Spurs, for their part, have started this match really well.
Burnley come forward down the left flank through Gudmundsson, who manages to squeeze a cross into the box too. Lloris claims it, but that was better from the home side.
Son has looked sharp so far today. Spurs play out from the back well to find the South Korean international here, and he darts past one defender before seeing his subsequent effort well blocked.
CHANCE! Big chance for Kane to double both his personal tally and Tottenham's lead! Alli's shot from the edge of the box is blocked, but Kane is immediately on to the loose ball. He beats Pope to it and takes it past the keeper, but the angle is against him and he can only hit the side-netting with his effort.
Turf Moor is a very difficult ground to go to, and Burnley have shown time and time again so far this season, but Spurs really have made an impressive start to this game. They have dominated the opening 20 minutes or so.
A little better from Burnley as they win a corner which Long gets on the end of, but he nods it back into the middle and Spurs can deal with the danger.
CHANCES! Spurs immediately break from that corner, with Eriksen giving the ball to Alli, who in turn plays it through to Sissoko. The winger only has the keeper to beat, but he is denied by a fine stop from Pope and then the Burnley keeper thwarts him from the follow-up too. It is a fine double-save from the keeper, and Bardsley completes the clearance before Son can finish off a second rebound.
That could have, and should have, been 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur, and from that position it is a long way back for Burnley. Pope may have just kept his side in this game with that double save.
The impressive statistics keep coming for Kane. Only Teddy Sheringham has now scored more Premier League goals for Tottenham...
CHANCE! Another chance for Kane to close that gap further as Pope's throw is straight to Eriksen, who cushions it into the path of Kane. Kane has Son and Alli in support, but chooses to go for goal himself and blazes it over the crossbar from outside the area.
We're almost half an hour into this match now and Burnley will not have been dominated at home as much as this many times under Sean Dyche. The deficit remains just one goal, but Spurs have been by far the better team.
Much better from Burnley as Wood wins the ball back from Aurier in a dangerous position before playing the ball down the left channel for Gudmundsson. Wood continues his run into the box and slides in to try to meet the low cross into the box, but Lloris collects it bravely.
Wood seemed to pick up an injury when sliding in on Lloris there, tangling legs with the Tottenham keeper. He will need treatment, but it looks as though he will be able to continue.
Wood did try to continue, but he has gone down off the ball again here and is clutching his knee. It would be a surprise if he was able to continue now having clearly been struggling since coming back onto the field.
BURNLEY SUB: Sure enough there is the sub as Ashley Barnes replaces Wood.
This has been better from Burnley in the last five minutes or so. They come racing down the right flank this time and Defour swings a cross into the box which is put behind for a corner. Spurs deal with the danger, though.
Burnley win another set piece - this time a free kick from deep - but Gudmundsson's delivery is really poor. He badly overhits it and it flies straight out for a goal kick.
Burnley were very slow to get started in this match, but they have been much better over the past 10 minutes or so. Spurs will still be very pleased with their performance on the whole so far today, though.
A concerning statistic for Burnley - they have failed to win any of the 46 Premier League games in which they have conceded the first goal under Sean Dyche.
There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this first half.
Dele Alli really has been the pantomime villain today, with the Turf Moor crowd believing he should have been sent off in the opening exchanges and that he went down too easily for the penalty moments later.
HALF TIME: Burnley 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
The first half comes to an end at Turf Moor, and it is Tottenham who go into the break with a 1-0 lead over the hosts.
It is a deserved lead too - and it could be worse for Burnley - but the home side did grow into the game as the first half wore on. Burnley are still in with a shout today, but they need to offer more going forward in the second half.
The only goal of the game so far came after just seven minutes from the penalty spot as Alli - who had already drawn the ire of the Burnley fans - went down under the challenge of Long inside the area.
Michael Oliver quickly pointed to the spot, and up stepped Kane to send Pope the wrong way with a clinical penalty into the top corner.
Spurs could - and probably should - be further ahead in at the break, having dominated the opening half-hour or so in this match before Burnley began to come back into the match.
Kane himself could have doubled his personal tally when he was quickest to a loose ball inside the area, but his effort only found the side-netting with Pope out of possession. The best chance fell the way of Sissoko at the end of a rapid counter-attack, though, with Pope pulling off a crucial double save to deny the winger.
Tottenham had 10 shots in that first half compared to zero for Burnley, and the hosts have also been hit by an injury to Wood which forced the striker to go off.
Sean Dyche's side need to offer more of an attacking threat in the coming 45 minutes if they are to avoid only a third home defeat of the season today.
KICKOFF: Burnley get us back underway for this second half!
CLOSE! It is another quick start to the half for Spurs, and Kane almost manages to smuggle an early second in. Eriksen whips a cross in towards the near post which Kane only narrowly misses having escaped his marker. Pope can only get his body in the way of the cross, with the ball then bouncing against Kane from close range and going behind for a goal kick.
CHANCE! Another poor clearance from Pope invites more pressure from Spurs. Son and Alli combine to find Eriksen inside the box, but the Dane doesn't make a clean connection with his finish.
Burnley have again been slow to get going in this second half, which will be a concern for Dyche. They were punished for that in the first half, and if they concede another then it will be a long way back for them here.
Good battling from Arfield as he chases a hooked ball into the box. Sanchez and Lloris are both in attendance too, but neither of them take charge and Arfield makes a nuisance of himself to earn a corner.
SHOT! The resulting corner is taken down by Ben Mee, but his subsequent effort is a long way high and wide of the target.
CHANCE! Oh my word, what a chance this is for Tottenham! Kane plays the ball through for Aurier, who drives forward before unselfishly squaring it to Son. The forward simply has to score, but he blazes his finish over the crossbar as Burnley survive! That was a sitter!
YELLOW CARD! Sissoko goes into the book for tugging the shirt of Arfield.
CHANCE! Another big chance for Tottenham as Kane breaks forward down the left channel and suddenly finds himself in a two-on-one situation. He tries to tee up Eriksen, but overhits a simple pass and the chance goes begging.
CHANCE! Kane comes close again here, opening his body before trying to curl his finish into the far corner. His shot takes a deflection on its way behind for a corner, though.
CHANCE! Half a chance for the resulting corner too as Sanchez rises highest to meet it, but his header is blocked before it can test Pope and Burnley scramble the ball clear.
There is a really good atmosphere inside Turf Moor at the moment, but it is the Tottenham fans making most of the noise. Burnley fans have been giving Alli plenty of abuse ever since the fourth minute, and the Spurs supporters are now coming to his defence.
Promising attack from Burnley as Hendrick breaks down the right channel and plays a cross into the box which Aurier needs to improvise to deal with. That was an important interception as Barnes was lurking behind Aurier.
Alli goes down and needs treatment here, which of course draws yet more abuse from the Burnley fans. The midfielder looks like he should be fine to continue, though.
Burnley think for a fleeting second that they might have a penalty - or at least a free kick right on the edge of the box - but the referee's whistle has gone for offside rather than a spot kick.
Good defending from Long as he stands firm at the back post, despite Alli having the run on him. Kane's ball is good and Alli attacks it well, but Long does just about enough to deal with the danger and earn a free kick.
GOAL! Burnley 0-2 Tottenham (Harry Kane)
Is that game over? Kane doubles his and Tottenham's tally for the evening to kill off the growing Burnley momentum.
Sissoko clips a pass through for Kane, who suddenly finds himself clean through on goal. The striker only has Pope to beat, and he never looks like scoring as he strokes the ball into the bottom corner.
BURNLEY SUB: Sean Dyche makes a change in the aftermath of that goal, with Sam Vokes replacing Hendrick.
Harry Kane is now just one goal short of Alan Shearer's Premier League record for the calendar year, and just two adrift of Lionel Messi's tally of 54 goals for the year across all competitions too. He is mixing with the very best at the moment.
Almost a chance for Burnley to get back into this game as Sam Vokes breaks forward, but his touch is just a little heavy and runs through to Lloris.
TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs make their first change of the evening as Mousa Dembele replaces Son.
GOAL! Burnley 0-3 Tottenham (Harry Kane)
Well, if it wasn't game over before it is now! Harry Kane completes his hat-trick - his seventh of the year - to equal Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year.
Kane initially wins the ball with a good sliding challenge before Davies and Alli combine to knock the ball back into the path of the striker. Kane takes a touch with a right foot before drilling a left-footed strike across goal and into the bottom corner. Clinical stuff from the striker.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Burnley think they have pulled a goal back as Vokes challenges Lloris in the air and nods the ball in, but the referee awards a free kick for a foul on the keeper.
CHANCE! Burnley come close again here as Barnes rises in the air and gets a header away towards the bottom corner, forcing Lloris into the save. The Burnley striker wants a penalty for some close attention from Aurier, but the referee says no.
TOTTENHAM SUB: Another change for the visitors sees Erik Lamela replace Dier.
Just five minutes remain in this one now, and Tottenham will be delighted with their performance today. This is such a difficult place to come, but they have been brilliant here.
BURNLEY SUB: A third and final change from the hosts as Arfield is replaced by Nahki Wells.
TOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs also make their final change of the match as Alli departs to raucous boos, being replaced by Fernando Llorente.
There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.
FULL TIME: Burnley 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Well, that was impressive from Tottenham. Burnley had conceded just three goals here all season before today, but Spurs run out 3-0 winners courtesy of a Harry Kane hat-trick - his seventh of the calendar year.
It is a day of history for Kane too as he equals Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a single year, and he still has one game left to set his own marker in that regard.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for this evening's match as Tottenham run out 3-0 winners over Burnley to climb up to fifth in the table courtesy of a Harry Kane hat-trick. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
