How Tottenham breach Burnley’s battlements

By Ryan Wrenn | Aug 25, 2017

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - AUGUST 19: Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley shows appreciation to the fans prior to the Premier League match between Burnley and West Bromwich Albion at Turf Moor on August 19, 2017 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images) /

Tottenham face the weight of expectation — and a supposed curse — in addition to Burnley on Sunday, and the result could put an early marker on the season ahead.

Last weekend’s disappointing loss to Chelsea more or less necessitate a win for Tottenham here, if only to vanquish the concern that Wembley will never quite feel like home.

Despite all the pressure, history suggests that there really shouldn’t be any reason for concern. Though Tottenham won by relatively modest scorelines last season — 2-1 in December then 2-0 in April — both matches were essentially strolls in the park. Spurs exceeded 60% possession over 180 minutes and managed 49 shots total.

Why those contests didn’t end as complete routs like matches against West Brom, Leicester, Hull City and Stoke is in part a matter of context more than anything else.

The 2-1 came in the middle of densely packed festive period — and when Toby Alderweireld was still recovering from injury. April’s match came midweek, and Pochettino elected to rotate out the likes of Kyle Walker and Mousa Dembélé while also dealing with the absence of Harry Kane.

Now, with a full week’s rest after the loss against Chelsea and only an injury to Danny Rose to worry about, Tottenham should be ready to give it their all.

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Burnley’s win over Chelsea to start the season was remarkable but undercut somewhat by the red cards that gave them at least a one man advantage for most of the match. Tottenham are unlikely to do them the same favor.

That means that Sean Dyche will need to pray that his side’s typical tactics are enough to hold back Kane and company, at least until they themselves might be able to score on the break.

In broad terms, tactics like those used by Burnley aren’t dramatically different than those used by Tony Pulis at West Brom and, in years past, Stoke. They are both call backs to earlier versions of English football in that they rely on physical defensive efforts complemented by quick reactions on the break. No team — including West Brom — attempted more long balls last season than Burnley, per WhoScored.

The primary difference is that Burnley are still seen as scrappy underdogs, while Pulis’ teams tend to overperform just enough to feel annoyingly remarkable to bigger sides. It’s easier to root for a side fighting for survival rather than just a perennial 10th place finish.

Tottenham have overcome their struggles against such tactics in recent seasons. Pochettino’s use of Christian Eriksen in particular helps in this regard. As we discussed in our lineup predictor from Thursday, the Dane’s ability to find opportunities in the spaces between midfield and attack opens up defenses, and leaves Spurs less vulnerable to rapid counter-attacks.

Jan Vertonghen’s ability in the air will also come in handy as Burnley attempt to find striker Sam Vokes with long balls launched over Spurs’ vaunted midfield.

Wider areas might be more of a problem, especially if Pochettino calls upon Kieran Trippier to patrol the right flank. The England international still occasionally lapses in his defensive duties, and Burnley midfielder Robbie Brady will be anxious to exploit any opportunities given to him.

Next: Pochettino's pre-match point of view

While caution is always the safer bet, there seems little reason to worry that Totteham will succumb to the Wembley curse again on Sunday. They are simply the strong team, playing at home against a team notoriously poor on the road and they have every reason to head into the international break with a commanding win.