Burnley

Natalie Bromley, No Nay Never podcast, external

I'm not sure who decided to give the Burnley set-piece coach an extended holiday to the Bahamas, but can we have them back please? I'll go and pick them up myself if necessary.

While our ability to deliver an effective corner is questionable at times, our defending of them is much worse - we're abysmal. And it's having disastrous consequences for our season. It's naive enough to leave yourself so exposed against most of the teams in this league, but against a Sean Dyche side it's criminal.

I honestly thought we'd started to turn a corner with the performances of late - particularly Brighton last weekend. But Everton was our worst home performance by a long way.

Relegation is inevitable now, if I'm being honest with myself. So it's time to focus on the pockets of positivity we can find each week: the improvements, the player progress, the manager progress and the plan for the future.

Starting with the utter joy of seeing Lyle Foster healthy and back on the pitch. And hearing the good news that Luton Town's Tom Lockyer is recovering well.

My best wishes go out to both of them, because those things are bigger than football.

Shamoon Hafez, BBC Sport

At the game at Turf Moor on Saturday, there was an almighty commotion close by the press box in the North Stand at certain points during Burnley's 2-0 loss to Everton.

A number of fans appeared to be jostling with each other, there was swearing and shouting going on, while stewards then came in to intervene.

Initially it felt as though there was a disagreement between home fans after Amadou Onana's opener, but the Clarets have now released a statement, external elaborating on the matter.

The club said: "We are aware of the problems that arose as a result of away supporters being in some home sections at Turf Moor for the match against Everton on Saturday.

"We have launched an immediate internal enquiry and want to assure our fans their safety is our top priority and the situation that arose was unacceptable."

Burnley travel to Fulham on Saturday and their next home game is against Liverpool on 26 December.

We asked for your thoughts on Saturday's game between Burnley and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Burnley fans

Peter: That was a dire performance. No passion, no ideas, incompetent defending, no idea of how to break quickly from defence. Too many players not off the required standard.

Taylor: Alan Pace has staked Burnley on Vincent Kompany. Kompany has a vision of how the team should play. Unfortunately the opposition are not playing ball. It was boys against men yet again, with the usual result. What brings it into sharper focus, is the opposition manager proving the difference an exceptional leader can make. For Burnley's sake, go.

Neil: We are too pedestrian playing out from the back. Teams have more than enough time to sort themselves out. Eventually we just end up getting ourselves into trouble. Mid-December and we don’t seem to have grasped what it requires to stay in the Premier League. Let's just hope Kompany sorts it soon as it would a very welcome Christmas present.

Steven: Really poor first half, slight improvement second half but for me men against boys. Everton were what we were like five years ago. Fantastic to see Foster back. Got to keep going!

Everton fans

Paul: Hope is something Evertonians have almost forgotten but Dyche has brought it back. Even with three changes to the defence, the team were still solid. The squad are all pulling in the same direction. When the 10 point deduction came in I hoped we’d be saying 'without the 10 point deduction Everton would be in Europe' - I’m hoping it’s true.

Keith: Everton are currently one of the Premier League's in-form teams. Dyche has got them playing as a team, even it's not pretty, they're winning and keeping clean sheets. I know it's not for a lack of trying but I would like to see Calvert-Lewin on the score sheet more. Come on Toffees.

Spider: The run continues and mentality is growing stronger. A lot of recognition needs to go to Sean Dyche. This team is unrecognisable from years gone by. Amazing, truly amazing. Long may it continue.

Mark: A performance which may not set the Premier League on fire but it shows that all the 'hard yards' are making the difference. Everton are much more resilient than the team we saw last year. Changes made because of injuries and suspension have also given a couple of players a chance to redeem themselves from the debacle of last season.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

And Match of the Day 2 brings you a round-up of Sunday's games.

Listen back to Sunday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United

Listen to Saturday's commentaries here:

Manchester City 2-2 Crystal Palace

Burnley 0-2 Everton

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Former Burnley goalkeeper Paul Robinson feels the Clarets don't have enough quality in their squad.

Saturday's 2-0 loss to Everton means Vincent Kompany's side are six points from safety and have already suffered more Premier League defeats at Turf Moor this season than in the whole of 2021-22.

"Eight points from 17 games and another home game ticks away from Vincent Kompany," Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily.

"He has been sticking to his style. They have been a bit more pragmatic and against Sheffield United they went a little bit more direct. They dominate possession at times and look good with the ball, but in the final third they just lack that quality and the decision-making with the final ball.

"They are too easy to beat for me and haven’t got enough quality in that squad. You look at the players and they are a decent, hardworking team of honest players, but they just don’t have the quality and they are finding that every single week. It’s no coincidence they have beaten two teams in the Premier League – Sheffield United and Luton, two teams who came out of the Championship with them. Every other game they have struggled and the home form is what’s worrying for Kompany.

"Home should be a fortress when trying to stay in the Premier League and they are too easy to beat."

Listen to Football Daily on BBC Sounds

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, speaking to MOTD: "It is never a problem of not fighting. Today we were undone in both boxes.

"You can talk about everything in-between but in reality you have to be best in both boxes to win football matches and that wasn't the case today.

"Conceding on two set plays is extremely frustrating. Obviously you can call it last-ditch tackles and moments when the other team defends really well but the reality is we have to put chances away. That is the reality of the fight for us.

"The first half was not the level we have had recently. The second half was good and we created chances. If we were not creating anything I'd be more worried."

On fans still behind him and players: "This place is different. I can't explain why, it just is. The key is for us to every single time to repay these fans, and we do that by giving everything we have."

On Lyle Foster's return: "Lyle gave us something else. The second half was overall a good performance. We just have to put the ball in the back of the net now."

• Only Tottenham (18) have won more Premier League points away from home than Everton this season (16). The Toffees’ 16 points is already more than they won on the road in the whole of last season (15).

• Excluding penalties, Everton have scored more goals from set piece situations than any other side in the Premier League this season (10), with both of their goals today coming from a corner and a free-kick.

• Burnley have lost eight of their nine Premier League home games this season (W1) – it’s already as many defeats as they suffered at Turf Moor in their last top-flight campaign in 2021-22 (W5 D6 L8).

• Everton keeper Jordan Pickford has kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season (6), with only Newcastle (7) keeping more than the Toffees overall (6).

• All eight of Everton’s Premier League wins this season have been while having less than 50% possession – more than any other team this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Paul Robinson, former Tottenham and England goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live:

"Turf Moor is not what it used to be under Sean Dyche.

"Everton have come here and done a job on Burnley. The way that they battle for second balls and work for each other - that's what Burnley used to do here and that's what kept them in the Premier League.

"Home form is key and they have been nowhere near it at Turf Moor, and especially on the road. It's going to be a long season for them.

"They have seen this type of relegation battle before, but they have seen a different team in this relegation battle before. They have seen a Sean Dyche team - a team that believe in themselves and work hard and play a different type of football.

"When you are inferior to your opponents, you have to affect them and make it hard for your opponents. Burnley are too easy. They don't offer enough going forward. The lowest a team has stayed up with at this point in the season is nine points and yet another game ticks away from them."

Manager Sean Dyche enjoyed a winning return to Burnley as his in-form Everton side picked up their fourth consecutive Premier League victory.

Dyche was in charge at Turf Moor for almost 10 years before being sacked last year, and there was no room for sentiment as his Toffees team ruthlessly moved seven points clear of the relegation zone.

James Trafford made a superb save to keep out Dominic Calvert-Lewin's header, but Amadou Onana leapt above the Burnley goalkeeper from the resulting corner to nod in the opener from Dwight McNeil's delivery.

The visitors doubled their lead after 25 minutes as Michael Keane stroked in at the second attempt after his initial effort was saved by Trafford and Dara O'Shea failed to clear the rebound.

Burnley looked to threaten in the second half as Zeki Amdouni forced Jordan Pickford into a fine save at full stretch and Sander Berge rattled the crossbar, but a bleak season continues as the Clarets remain second bottom and are now six points adrift of safety.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

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There are five games being played in the Premier League on Saturday and we will bring you every moment.

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All times are GMT

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on darts star 'Hollywood' Chris Dobey, who supports Newcastle.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Unai Emery and Ange Postgecoglou have made a huge impact as managers in the Premier League this season, but Sean Dyche is right up there with the job he is doing at Everton.

Dyche has not done it in a different way, but his achievements are especially impressive when you consider what he has had to contend with - the stress levels and all the negativity around the club as well as their points deduction. He did well to keep them up last season too.

Now he is going back to his old club with an Everton team that has an identity and is playing well. Jarrad Branthwaite's suspension is a blow but I still think the Toffees will make it four wins in a row without him.

Dobey's prediction: 1-2

Find out all of Sutton's predictions for this weekend's games

Image source, Getty Images

Sean Dyche says there is no room for sentiment when he returns to Burnley with Everton on Saturday.

The Toffees beat Vincent Kompany's side earlier this season in the Carabao Cup at Goodison Park, but this weekend will see Dyche return to Turf Moor for the first time since his 10-year stint in charge came to an end.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Dyche said: "People who know me in football know I don’t really go in for all that sort of stuff.

"There is a massive respect quite obviously because of my time there. I always had a big respect and a big connection with the people and the fans because of my time and the team’s time and what was achieved there.

"To be honest, when the whistle blows, I want to win. That’s work time, that is what I am in the game for – to win. Before and after I’m hopefully going to bump into some old faces.

"There has been a lot of change there but there are people I still know there so it will be nice to see them. I’ll pop in my pub [The Royal Dyche] obviously and have a few pints."

On what he makes of Kompany's side this season, Dyche added: "It’s tough. They had a fantastic season last season.

"I saw Vincent at one of the LMA events and commended him on the work they had done. Going into the season it’s difficult. They spent money but how do you buy players that are game ready for the Premier League? It’s not easy.

"Then you have got to develop players to be ready. Some of the old players were there from my time, but a lot of new players. You have to mould it, you have to form it, you have to produce a team that can win. It’s a massive challenge for anyone going up.

"I’m told from colleagues around the game in the Championship the gap has got bigger so it’s even harder to make that jump. I think they are a work in progress and the manager speaks clearly about that. Adapting to the Premier League is a challenge for everyone."

Shamoon Hafez, BBC Sport

Vincent Kompany has spoken to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton at Turf Moor.

Here are the key lines from the Burnley manager:

• Kompany said striker Lyle Foster continues to make progress but is not in a position to join up with South Africa after being named in their preliminary squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

• On Burnley's attempts to survive: "The team is alive, fighting and doing everything it can. If we are going in a wrong trend then we need to boost it but we need to give ourselves a chance reward ourselves with the performances."

• Midfielder Aaron Ramsey is "fine" but touch and go for Saturday while Michael Obafemi has a "short-term issue" that is "nothing major".

• Kompany said Sean Dyche's "legacy" at Burnley should be "celebrated": "Every club, in recent history, has a reference point. He has been that in recent history and no-one did better than him. As a manager, you are always looking to the good habits you can retain and build on."

• On how Everton have performed this season: “The team is definitely well coached, it is alive and they have had some good results this season. They have got some players performing at the levels and a good squad. They have a lot of clarity in what they do and it gives you an edge and results."

• On Toffees' 10-point deduction: "Somebody has decided they should get deducted points but they are good team and we have to make sure we are at our best on the day. I can’t judge a team on how the maths have been manipulated. We have to be at our best."

• On facing in-form midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure: "I could assess a lot of players in their squad but he has been a threat with his timing to arrive and be dangerous in the box. It is a team with good players. Every weekend we play against good players but we should focus on our own performance."

Everton, Burnley and Leeds United are among the clubs monitoring 21-year-old English defender Archie Brown, who plays for Gent. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Shamoon Hafez, BBC Sport

Burnley picked up a crucial point against Brighton at the weekend, a result that kept them off the foot of the Premier League table on goal difference.

The Clarets host in-form Everton on Saturday, knowing victory will reduce the gap to the Toffees to just two points and provide a major boost to their survival hopes.

The game will put up two goalkeepers in fine fettle - Burnley's James Trafford and Everton's Jordan Pickford.

Trafford played a crucial role in England's Under-21 European Championship-winning campaign in the summer and he made a string of stunning to claim a draw against the Seagulls.

Vincent Kompany has adopted a possession-based style of play and it all starts with their young stopper, often playing outside his area and spraying the ball around the pitch like a prime Andrea Pirlo.

He will surely have his eye on the senior team's number one shirt currently held by opposite number Pickford, who has managed three consecutive shutouts in the league.

The Toffees stopper will head to the 2024 Euros as the national team's first-choice goalkeeper but could well be looking over his shoulder if Trafford's impressive form continues.

• Burnley have won five of their eight Premier League home games against Everton, more victories than they have managed against any opponent at Turf Moor in the competition.

• Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure has applied 664 pressures on opposing players in the Premier League this season, over 100 more than any other player. The Mali midfielder has scored 11 goals since Sean Dyche joined the Toffees earlier this year, accounting for 34% of his total in the Premier League.

• This will be Everton manager Dyche’s first return to Turf Moor since leaving Burnley in April 2022. His only previous away game against the Clarets was a 2-2 draw with Watford in the Championship in August 2011 – his inaugural game as a manager.

• Everton lost 3-2 at Burnley in their past Premier League meeting in April 2022. Only once have they lost consecutive games against the Clarets in the competition, doing so in the 2017-18 campaign.

Natalie Bromley, No Nay Never podcast, external

If you are quick to get frustrated with a player when their performances do not live up to expectations, you should be even quicker to praise them when they do.

James Trafford has had a difficult start to his Burnley career. Not only has he had to face some of the world's most prolific strikers, but he has had to do so with an inconsistent back four protecting him and with a fanbase who have either bemoaned the absence of crowd favourite Arijanet Muric or who just did not think he was ready yet.

I, too, have felt frustrated by him. Not necessarily because I do not believe he is good enough - he has a natural talent that I am excited to see develop and will be England's next number one - but because his short-distance passes have often played us into trouble.

As a fan of a struggling side, there are few things more frustrating than silly errors that gift goals.

At Brighton, he was our man of the match by a long way. It was not just his sensational saves that earned him that accolade. It was his grit and determination to rescue a good away point that really shone.

We have missed that kind of dogged determination this season - and if Trafford is the man to lead that charge to survival, then he has my unwavering support.

Bravo, James Trafford. Enjoy the praise for that performance. You earned it.