The low point for Tottenham Hotspur began with Antonio Conte’s final match in charge last March. A draw against Southampton kicked off a final 11 matches that yielded just three wins, as Spurs tumbled down the table far enough to fall out of the European places. Since then, many positives have occurred, and the final position of this team will be much more respectable, yet suddenly the vibes are getting a little too familiar.
Spurs have only two wins over the past eight fixtures with three more remaining, setting up for a finish remarkably similar to last year’s. While this is not necessarily unprecedented (we all remember the spring of 2019), it feels weird to call this a season of success while essentially experiencing the same collapse as 12 months ago. So, while beating Burnley may not mean a ton in isolation, it does feel valuable to close out the year by winning the winnable matches.
Tottenham Hotspur (5th, 60pts) vs. Burnley (19th, 24pts)
Date: Sunday, May 11
Time: 10:00 am ET, 3:00 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Peacock Premium (USA)
After winning the Championship in 2022-23, Burnley looks to be headed right back down. It has been a dismal year in the top flight, and the Clarets are bottom three in goals scored, goals allowed, and goal difference, having beat just one team (Fulham) above 16th in the current table. There are some rough sides in the league this season, and this is certainly one of them.
Saturday is actually the third meeting between these two clubs this year. Back in early September (when things seemed much brighter), a Heung-Min Son hat trick highlighted a 5-2 win for Spurs, and Pedro Porro saved the FA Cup tie a few months later with a 78-minute screamer to give Tottenham its only cup win of the season.
Now or never
While technically holding two of its past three opponents to a single goal, Burnley has conceded xGA totals of 2.4, 2.7, and 3.4 during this stretch. There is absolutely no excuse for Tottenham to fail to take advantage here, and if this does not get the attack back on track then nothing will. The final period against Liverpool should bring some reason for optimism, but this is a contest that must see Spurs turned on from the start.
I said it last time, but it feels like this is a prime audition window for some of the attackers who are on the fringe. Specifically, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski could do themselves a lot of favors with a few solid outings to close out the year. I am not convinced either is a great fit for this system — Ange Postecoglou might agree if they cannot step up against this level of competition.
With two of the final three contest against relegation sides, Tottenham can close out the year with some positives to build upon. Obviously this has not been the way anyone hoped the last few months would play out, but dropping points against clubs like Burnley is only going to make it feel even worse.