Burnley V Southampton
Saturday 10th August 2019 – 15:00 Kick-Off
English Premier League
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 20/23
Bookmaker: Betfair
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/5 | 11/5 | 17/10 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 8th August 2019 at 13:25)
Preview: Not since 2007 have Southampton celebrated a win in this fixture, with each of the previous three all ending in draws. Can Ralp Hasenhuttl’s side put that right at Turf Moor this weekend or will Sean Dyche’s Burnley make full use of home comforts?
English Premier League Betting with 22Bet
Burnley Preview – Hosts to maximize advantage of Turf Moor?
The Clarets have never been the most entertaining of sides to spectate on the pitch, but they appear to have applied this to their transfer dealings off it as well following a quiet summer in which their only notable incomings include former Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez and a full-back from Stoke. For a club that finished the last season in alarming form, to not reinvigorate the squad with a few more fresh faces seems strange.
In many respects, Burnley deserve a huge amount of credit for turning their season around so spectacularly last time around. The team went from certified relegation candidates at Christmas to comfortably marooned around mid-table in the closing stages. Perhaps this partly explains why they finished with three successive defeats, with players assuming their mission was already accomplished? However, seven losses in their final eleven fixtures (W3 D1 L7) is a little harder to explain.
Turf Moor is famed for being a ground no visiting side looks forward to playing at. That wasn’t quite the case last season, though, with Sean Dyche’s men finishing the campaign with only the 15th best figures on their own patch (W7 D2 L10, GF24 GA32). However, the fact Burnley managed to record more wins (7 v 4) and boast superior numbers in both scoring categories suggests home form remains integral.
As for pre-season, Burnley fans could consider it a roaring success. That is if you consider beating mostly lower leagues sides a positive. Dyche overseen seven friendlies in total (W4 D1 L2) but would have been satisfied with the final two performances in particular, beating teams from France and Italy in Nice (6-1) and Parma (2-0), respectively.
Southampton Preview – Saints to deliver after promising pre-season?
From looking a team completely lost, bordering on hopeless, to securing their Premier League status with something to spare. The transformation of Southampton under new boss Ralph Hasenhuttl was overlooked by many, with the former RB Leipzig coach managing what his predecessor seemingly could not – picking up positive results as well as playing a more exciting brand of football.
The Saints manager has now had a full pre-season to truly stamp his mark on this side, and with a couple of useful additions in attack – the club shelled out a combined £30m for Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo – supporters could bear witness to further progress in the season ahead. One aspect they will be keen to improve on is their displays away from home, as only a handful of teams registered fewer points on their travels in 2018/19.
On the road, Southampton recorded just four victories (W4 D4 L11, GF18 GA35), with three of those coming against teams either relegated or barely avoiding it. Their final seven away contests, meanwhile, saw them produce just one winning performance (W1 D2 L4), which was away to Brighton (0-1), in a run that saw them score more than once on one solitary occasion. It is little wonder the club moved quickly to bolster their attacking options in the summer.
The team should kick-off the new season in reasonably high spirits though, on the back of a successful pre-season that included no defeats and, crucially, a decent number of goals scored. Southampton won their final four friendlies, the latter two coming against Dutch side Feyenoord (1-3) and Germany’s FC Koln (2-0), whilst racking up a combined total of 12 goals.
Burnley V Southampton Key Facts:
- Burnley ended the 2018/19 Premier League by losing seven of their final eleven mathches (W3 D1 L7).
- Southampton won just one of their last seven games away from home last season (W1 D2 L4).
- The previous three league meetings between these two sides produced draws.
Betting Summary
The statistics clearly point to Burnley retaining a clear preference for playing at home, where they recorded more wins and netted more frequently last season. The club opted for stability during the summer, with very little activity in the transfer window whether that be incoming or outgoing. To lose seven of their final eleven league fixtures in 2018/19 is disconcerting, however.
Since the appointment of a new manager, Southampton appear to be a team gradually on the up. Their results under Hasenhuttl in the second half of last season would back this up. However, away from home the team remained disappointing and their struggles to pick up wins on the road towards the end of the campaign – winning one of their final seven away matches (W1 D2 L4) – is off-putting, despite an otherwise encouraging pre-season.
Home games are a big deal for Burnley, as that tends to be where the bulk of their points and better displays are found. Southampton weren’t the best travellers but did at least manage to score in seven of their final ten away matches, a positive trend that might continue here after adding more firepower over the summer. Last season produced a 1-1 draw and while this fixture has been low-scoring in recent times, this new-look Saints side could ensure we are served entertainment in Lancashire.
