Premier League 2019/20: Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Burnley, 5 Talking Points

#3 Is Burnley’s defensive frailty going to land them in trouble?

Burnley's defence looked incredibly frail in today's match

For as good as Tottenham were today, it must be said that Burnley’s defence was pretty awful, and Sean Dyche’s side made it very easy for Spurs to score at least three of their goals. Little could be done about Heung-Min Son’s stunner, but the Clarets’ backline was definitely at fault for both goals from Harry Kane as well as Moussa Sissoko’s strike.

The problem appeared to be that a formerly strong defence of Matthew Lowton, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee and Erik Pieters seemed all too willing to simply back away from Tottenham’s attackers as they came at them, rather than attempting to close them down. Had they pressed harder, they could certainly have prevented Kane’s opener, for starters.

Worryingly for Sean Dyche, this isn’t the first time that Burnley’s defence has looked hugely vulnerable this season; they conceded 3 against Sheffield United, 4 against Chelsea and 3 against Liverpool in earlier games. Right now they’re 13th in the Premier League table, but with 18 points they’re only 3 above 18th placed Southampton – and if they don’t tighten their backline up, they could easily be sucked into trouble.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram