Prediction: Stoke City vs Burnley

Verdict: Both teams to score – yes

Best Odds: 13/17

Bookmaker: 888sport

Relegation-threatened Stoke City face a crunch clash in their Premier League survival push on Sunday as they prepare to play host to top-six challengers Burnley at their Bet365 Stadium.

Stoke City

The Potters head into the Sunday showdown five points adrift of safety in the Premier League. With only four games remaining the forthcoming fixture is a ‘must win’ for Stoke City who are coming off from a frustrating 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Paul Lambert’s men were seconds away from claiming three vital points but were heartbreakingly denied a win by Andy Carroll’s last-gasp equalizer at the London Stadium last weekend. It was the substitute Peter Crouch who had given Stoke City the lead 11 minutes from the time but Carroll’s 090^th-minute strike saw Potters miss out on a potentially massive victory. Stoke City fans will be feeling upbeat, however, due to the fact their team showed plenty of spirit and grit, which is exactly what will be needed against in-form Burnley on Sunday afternoon. The Potters are without a win since 20 January and will be extremely eager to end the winless patch that was last week extended to 10 games in a row.

Team News

Maxim Choupo-Moting has picked up a knock and will be out of contention while Jese and Ibrahim Affellay are both suspended for the occasion.

Konstantinos Stafylidis is suffering from a chest injury, whereas there is a big doubt over the availability of Glen Johnson who is recovering from a groin injury.

Burnley

The Clarets will not have been disappointed by their performance in the 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea on Thursday night. Burnley put in a battling display against the last season’s Premier League champions but ended up losing the game through Victor Moses who avenged the Blues’ 3-2 defeat the Clarets on an opening day at Stamford Bridge.

The Thursday defeat marked the end of a five-match winning streak for the Clarets who remain in the running for the top-six places in the Premier League. Only two points behind Arsenal in the standings, Sean Dyche’s men have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the current campaign, thanks to their spirited displays throughout. Sean Dyche has plenty of reason to feel proud of his own work and the way his players perform this season as he remains open-minded but equally realistic about the imminent and long-term future of the club. With only four games to go until the end of the season, Burnley will attempt to keep Gunners out of the European places and they will need a win at the relegation-threatened Stoke City in order to do so.

Team News

Ireland midfielder Robbie Brady and Belgium international Steven Defour are the two confirmed absentees for the Sunday’s match.

Arfield, Mee, N’Koudou, and Walters are all fitness doubts ahead of the trip to the Bet365 Stadium.

Key Factors to Consider

• Stoke City are without a win in their last 10 Premier League games
• Burnley won 5 of their last six Premier League fixtures
• The Clarets lost only one of their last 6 meetings with Stoke
• Stoke City are five points adrift of safety with only four games to go
• Burnley are two points away from the last European place on the EPL table

Conclusion

Both Stoke City and Burnley have plenty to fight for on Sunday, albeit their agendas are significantly different. The Potters found themselves locked in the relegation fight and are expected to lunge forward with everything they’ve got, whereas the Clarets are not ready to admit defeat in the race for European places just yet, despite the heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea last time out.

Verdict: Both teams to score – yes

Best Odds: 13/17

Bookmaker: 888sport