Burnley return to Turf Moor this evening under growing pressure after a run of damaging defeats, while Crystal Palace head north looking to re-assert their own momentum and tighten their grip on a top-half position. With the home side sliding and the visitors generally solid, this feels like a pivotal night for both.
Burnley come into the game on the back of a 3–1 defeat at Brentford at the weekend, a result that made it four straight league losses for Scott Parker’s side. Before that, they were beaten 2–0 at home by Chelsea, 3–2 away at West Ham and 2–0 at home by Arsenal, undoing the good work of back-to-back wins over Leeds and Wolves in October. Burnley sit in the bottom three and have conceded at least two goals in each of their last five league games, a statistic that underlines why the pressure has begun to sharpen on Parker.
Crystal Palace arrive after a narrow 2–1 home defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, where they took the lead but were pegged back in the second half. That followed a 2–1 loss away to Strasbourg in Europe, but those setbacks came after a strong spell: Palace had gone five games unbeaten before that, including league wins over Brentford and Wolves and a goalless draw against Brighton. Oliver Glasner’s side remain one of the league’s more organised outfits, with one of the better defensive records and a solid away return this season.
Team news adds another layer. Burnley are without forward Zeki Amdouni and defenders Connor Roberts and Jordan Beyer, all sidelined through injury, which trims Parker’s options at both ends of the pitch. Palace, meanwhile, are missing midfielders Caleb Kropa and Cheick Doucouré and full-back Borna Sosa, while Ismaïla Sarr is also expected to be absent, slightly reducing Glasner’s flexibility in wide and central areas. Even so, Palace’s core defensive unit and key attacking pieces remain available.
On the pitch, Burnley under Parker will likely try to find a balance between caution and intent. At home they cannot afford to sit off entirely, so they are expected to press in phases, look to use Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming as their main attacking threats, and rely on quick switches of play and set-pieces to trouble Palace. The key for them will be cutting out the individual errors and lapses in concentration that have repeatedly cost them in recent weeks.
Palace’s plan under Glasner is more clearly defined. They tend to operate from a compact, well-drilled shape, happy to let the game come to them before breaking through the likes of Jean-Philippe Mateta and their mobile wide players. Their defensive numbers – among the best in the division – reflect a side comfortable without the ball, and they will fancy their chances of limiting Burnley’s opportunities and exploiting spaces when the hosts commit bodies forward.
The midfield battle should be crucial. If Burnley can disrupt Palace’s rhythm, win second balls and inject tempo into the game, Turf Moor can become an uncomfortable place for any visiting side. But if Palace are allowed to settle, manage the pace and funnel Burnley into predictable areas, the pattern is likely to favour the visitors’ structure and counter-attacking threat.
For Burnley, the stakes are obvious: end the losing run, restore some belief and show clear signs that Parker’s approach can bring stability. Another defeat at home would intensify scrutiny further.
For Crystal Palace, this is a chance to bounce back from a tough few days, bank valuable away points and re-establish the momentum they had built before their European and league setbacks.
With one team fighting to stop the rot and the other keen to prove their resilience, tonight’s game at Turf Moor has all the ingredients of a tense, high-pressure Premier League contest.
