Burnley welcome Bristol City to Turf Moor in a huge Sky Bet Championship clash in the race for promotion.
Victory could see Burnley go third if Blackburn and Reading lose elsewhere, whilst a win would see Bristol City leapfrog their hosts and go as high as third if Blackburn, Reading and Sunderland all lose elsewhere.
Team News
Darko Churlinov is ruled out for Burnley for a second consecutive match after he missed Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Preston with an unspecified injury.
Charlie Taylor (unspecified) is also ruled out alongside Ashley Westwood (ankle), Scott Twine and Kevin Long (both knocks) who remain absent.
Bristol City have no fresh injury concerns to report following their midweek defeat at Norwich, as Tomas Kalas, and Ayman Benarous (both knee) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Burnley are unbeaten in their last five league meetings against Bristol City (W4, D1).
- Bristol City have won just one of their last eight visits to Turf Moor (W1, D2, L5).
- Burnley have kept just one clean sheet in their last five Championship clashes against Bristol City – winning 4-0 at home in December 2015.
- Vincent Kompany’s Clarets have kept just two clean sheets in nine league games this season.
- Four of Tommy Conway’s five league goals have been provided by Nakhi Wells and Andreas Weimann, who both provided two assists apiece for the 20 year-old forward.
Prediction
Defending has been Burnley’s biggest issue this season which again reared its ugly head on Tuesday evening, as highlight by how they conceded just five minutes after taking the lead in an eventual draw at Preston so there is clearly work to be done because they already have attack sorted.
Bristol City though have only been marginally better defensively but they will be disappointed to have not snatched a draw at Norwich in midweek, in a game where neither team were really on top but Nigel Pearson’s Robins just made too many small errors so improvement is needed here.
In summary, I simply expect goals here given the poor defensive record of both teams this season, yet Bristol City’s attack seems more hooked up in terms of creating chances and goals for one another, which could well prove the difference unless Conway, Wells and Weimann can be silenced.
Prediction: Burnley 1-2 Bristol City
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