AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth will be hoping to complete their first Premier League double of the season when they face Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday (1pm kick-off).
Philip Billing’s stunning strike earned the Cherries a 2-1 win over the Clarets at Vitality Stadium in October – head coach Andoni Iraola’s first league victory in England.
Billing’s 40-yard effort helped Iraola’s team register their first three-point haul of the season after Antoine Semenyo’s goal had cancelled out Charlie Taylor’s opener.
Since then, Vincent Kompany’s team have picked up eight points from 16 games in the Premier League and are currently 11 points from safety in 19th place, above Sheffield United on goal difference.
Jay Rodriguez, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Zeki Amdouni, Luca Koleosho and Josh Brownhill were on target in a 5-0 win over the Blades, while Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge netted in a 2-0 victory at Fulham.
Before losing 5-0 against Arsenal in their last game at Turf Moor, the Clarets drew their two previous home games – Chelsea loanee David Datro Fofana netting twice against Fulham (2-2) and Amdouni on the scoresheet against Luton (1-1).
Having led Burnley to the Championship title last season, Kompany has presided over three league wins in 2023/24 and the Clarets have occupied a spot in the relegation zone for the duration of the campaign.
Ahead of Sunday’s clash, afcb.co.uk caught up with Matt Scrafton who covers the fortunes of the Clarets for the Burnley Express.
BURNLEY PROFILE
Founded: 1882
Ground: Turf Moor
Nicknames: The Clarets
Record appearances: Jerry Dawson – 569 games (1907-1929)
Record goalscorer: George Beel – 188 goals in 337 games
Head coach: Vincent Kompany (appointed June 2022)
League position: 19th
Leading goalscorer: Zeki Amdouni (five in all competitions)
Last game: Crystal Palace 3 Burnley 0 (Premier League)
afcb.co.uk: How have the Clarets fared since the teams last met in October?
MS: They started the season with the same style of play as last season but it didn’t really work because they were far too open.
It was around the Bournemouth game when Vincent Kompany made a few tweaks and adaptations. If you watch them now, they don’t play out from the back as much.
If you watch Match of the Day or listen to talkSPORT, they say Burnley are struggling because they play out from the back and are getting punished. That’s only one of about ten different factors.
They are mixing it up a lot more and goalkeeper James Trafford will go long. They are among the top four or five teams in the league for going long so this idea that they are playing out from the back at all costs isn’t true.
It all changed from around the time they played Bournemouth. They lost 3-1 at Arsenal at the start of November and played very well.
It was the fist time this season we thought there was something to build from and there were some foundations.
For the next two or three months until the end of January, that continued and performances were okay.
They were competitive and that wasn’t the case at the start of the season so they were making steps.
Then, it was the crucial time to take the next step and turn it into results but that hasn’t happened.
In the past couple of games, the 5-0 defeat against Arsenal and the 3-0 reverse at Crystal Palace, they seem to have gone backwards.
I don’t know if the confidence has drained from the players. Kompany says they won’t give up but it’s hard when you’re on 13 points and are losing most weeks.
Performances since the Bournemouth game had generally got better, they were more competitive and were in games, but results haven’t followed and confidence is really starting to dip now.
afcb.co.uk: Are you surprised with how the season has gone considering last season’s runaway title triumph?
MS: A small percentage of the supporters maybe got carried away and thought that because they were so good in the Championship that they could do a Brentford or a Brighton, get used to the Premier League, finish mid-table and push on.
But the quality in the Premier League has got so much better, even in the past three or four years.
I think the majority of supporters accepted it was going to be a difficult season and finishing 17th would have been job done.
But I don’t think anyone saw this coming in terms of three wins and the manner of the defeats. I know the club has moved on since Sean Dyche but it doesn’t feel very Burnley.
They are so easy to score against, they are so easy to play against at times and so easy to beat.
I read a comment recently which said teams don’t necessarily need to be at their best to beat Burnley.
I think every Burnley would say it’s been a massive surprise to see how they have fared this season.
afcb.co.uk: How do you find Vincent Kompany (pictured above) away from the media glare?
MS: He has always been great. He is what everybody has seen over the years. He’s a very intelligent and articulate man.
I wasn’t here last season but apparently he was a bit more open then. This season, he has been a bit more guarded with things like injury news.
We don’t get a great deal of access to him away from the football but he always speaks very well and, rightly so, has a lot of respect in the game.
Maybe from the outside that has bought him a bit more time but he’s always a good listen in a press conference.
Win, lose or draw, he’s always good value and is always happy to speak about anything. He’s very enjoyable to deal with.
afcb.co.uk: Give us a word on David Datro Fofana (pictured above)?
MS: They were clearly struggling up front and he’s definitely brought something different. He’s very lively and energetic and can score goals.
He missed a couple of chances against Liverpool but at least he was in those positions which hasn’t always been the case with Burnley strikers this season.
He’s definitely one to watch and has been a positive since coming in during the January transfer window.
He’s also a unique and lively figure as well, an interesting lad. It’s just he has probably come too late, unfortunately.
afcb.co.uk: Who’s their rising star?
MS: Wilson Odobert (pictured above), a 19-year-old who plays as a left winger. He’s quite small but very quick and a good dribbler.
Due to his age, he has been a little inconsistent in the past month or two and has drifted in and out of games but we have seen his talent and he’s one to watch.
If he gets one-on-one with his marker, he can be very dangerous. If they end up in the Championship next season and he stays, he should be very effective at that level.
afcb.co.uk: Are any key players either injured or suspended against the Cherries?
MS: Josh Brownhill (pictured above) serves a one-match suspension after receiving a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity against Crystal Palace.
Aaron Ramsey and Nathan Redmond are both out for the season and Luca Koleosho and Lyle Foster are both out long term as well.
Defender Jordan Beyer has been a doubt for the past two or three games and still hasn’t come back but could return any time soon. He’s the one question mark but the other four are all long-term absentees.
afcb.co.uk: How do you see this one panning out and what’s your score prediction?
MS: I’d like to think there will be a reaction but I said that last week against Palace and it didn’t happen. There has to be a reaction.
I don’t know the latest with Dom Solanke and Bournemouth but if he’s out, I’ll go with a 1-1 draw.
You can follow Matt on X (formerly Twitter) – @matt_scrafton
Officials: David Coote (referee), Timothy Wood (assistant), Craig Taylor (assistant), Darren Bond (fourth official), Jarred Gillett (VAR).
