Burnley vs Arsenal
Turf Moor, Burnley
Sunday, 02-02-2020 @5pm
Ref: Chris Kavanagh
Arsenal have won their last 10 league games against Burnley – and 11 in all competitions, a run stretching back to March 2010. Burnley have not led for a single minute in the last 11 Premier League meetings. The Clarets are winless in 14 top-flight fixtures against Arsenal since a 1-0 victory at Highbury in September 1974 (D3, L11).
Arsenal are unbeaten in six away league games, drawing each of the last four. They have not drawn five consecutive away league matches since August 1948. The Gunners have won just two of their 12 away league games (D7, L3). Arsenal have 12 points from their last 11 league fixtures, the same tally as Unai Emery managed over his final 11 matches in charge. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored seven goals in four league appearances against Burnley, averaging a goal every 51 minutes. Aubameyang has scored nine of Arsenal’s 14 away league goals this season.
Burnley are unlikely to start new midfield signing Josh Brownhill but he is included in their squad. Ashley Barnes and Johann Berg Gudmundsson remain injured but Phil Bardsley returns after a back problem.
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Luiz are both available following suspension. The Gunners are assessing the fitness of Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi and Reiss Nelson, as well as new defensive signings Pablo Mari and Cedric.
Tottenham vs Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur stadium, London
Sunday, 02-02-2020 @7:30pm
Ref: Mike Dean
Steven Bergwijn will be involved for Tottenham following the winger’s £26.7m move from PSV Eindhoven. Injured trio Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko and Ben Davies remain out.
Manchester City will monitor Fernandinho, who has missed the last two matches through injury. Centre-back Aymeric Laporte, who recently returned from a lengthy lay-off, missed the midweek derby against Manchester United because of fatigue and will also be assessed. Leroy Sane is not yet ready to feature, while Benjamin Mendy is again set to miss out.
Tottenham are winless in six Premier League games against Manchester City (D2, L4), with their last victory coming at White Hart Lane in October 2016. City have lost three of their last five league and cup away games against Spurs, but have won their last five Premier League away games in north London (versus Arsenal and Tottenham) – as many as they had in their first 40 such games in the competition (D10, L25). Spurs have claimed 23 Premier League victories versus City – the only team they have a better record against is Everton (26 wins).
Spurs have claimed just one point from a possible 18 this season against teams above them in the table prior to the weekend’s matches. Defeat would ensure Tottenham become the sixth club to lose 400 top-flight home matches. They have lost two of their six home league matches under Jose Mourinho, as many defeats as in their final 15 home games under Mauricio Pochettino. Spurs have kept just two clean sheet in 17 league and cup games under Mourinho. This will be the 23rd meeting between Mourinho and Pep Guardiola in all competitions. Mourinho has lost 10 of those encounters (excluding one defeat in a penalty shoot-out – four more than he has against any other manager. Dele Alli has had a hand in nine goals in 16 games under Mourinho in all competitions (scoring six and assisting three), which is three times as many as he recorded in 10 appearances under Pochettino this season.
Manchester City have won 11 of their last 12 Premier League matches in London, with the exception a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea in December 2018. City have scored in each of their last 23 Premier League away games, the third longest such run in the competition’s history. Aymeric Laporte has ended on the winning side in 42 of his 49 league appearances for City; he can become the first player to win 43 matches in his first 50 Premier League games. Kevin de Bruyne averages an assist every 180 minutes in the Premier League – the best such ratio in the competition’s history (minimum 20 assists).
