Newly promoted Burnley have players that will be on the cheaper end of the scale for FPL 2023-24, and some that could make a difference in your team. But do the club have favourable early fixtures that will bring allow them to pick up points? Here is an evaluation of the Lancashire team’s first five fixtures and how they might impact FPL team selection.
Burnley’s first five fixtures back in the Premier League:
- Manchester City (Home)
- Luton Town (Away)
- Aston Villa (Home)
- Tottenham Hotspur (Home)
- Nottingham Forest (Away)
On paper, the first five fixtures for manager Vincent Kompany and The Clarets do look rather challenging. The Championship winners could not have been handed a tougher first match, locking horns with treble winners Manchester City at Turf Moor. Despite home advantage it is difficult to see a positive result for Burnley. Especially after being thumped 6-0 by City at the Etihad last season in the FA Cup.
Then comes a meeting with playoff victors Luton Town as their first away game. After a home draw and an away win against ‘the Hatters’ last season, the side from Lancashire will fancy their chances of picking up goals and three points. The fact that a lot of their players will be no strangers to the tactics of manager Rob Edward’s team and playing at a ground like Kenilworth Road, means it could be a game to look at bringing in a Burnley player for your FPL team.
A sense of optimism could be created with the following two games at home to Aston Villa and Spurs, who finished seventh and eighth respectively last season. If draws or victories can be collected from those two games, then confidence could be instilled in the Burnley side.
However, Unai Emery at Aston Villa is building a team to fight in Europe after qualifying for the UEFA Conference League last season. Spurs will hope for a good start under new boss Ange Postecoglou, with the former Celtic manager striving to last longer than the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo who only survived four months at Tottenham. So, from the Clarets’ perspective picking up draws or wins are big ‘ifs’ and it’s possibly not worth the risk of having a Burnley player in your FPL team for those games.
In their fifth fixture Burnley face a trip to the City Ground to square up with Nottingham Forest. Steve Cooper’s home record with Forest was the main reason they were able to survive last season, with eight wins and six draws earning them 30 of their 38 points in 2022-23.
Overall, out of the first five fixtures, it is the two away games that look the most likely fixtures in which Burnley have a good chance to gain ground, but in their challenging early home matches it will be hard against three of the top eight from last season.
There is a low likelihood of Burnley players scoring big points early on in FPL, nevertheless with their rebranded style under Kompany, they could shock the Premier League.
As a defensive option for your FPL team, Conor Roberts the Burnley right back would be a quality pick. The Welshman was able to pick up four goals and six assists last season in 39 Championship starts.
For midfield, Josh Brownhill would give you the chance for goals and assists. The 27-year-old provided seven goals and eight assists last season and would be a cheaper option in FPL.
When looking at the attacking department a fantastic shout would be Nathan Tella. Despite not yet becoming a Burnley player, a permanent £15m move from relegated Southampton could be on the cards. The prolific winger chipped in with 17 goals in the title-winning season for Burnley, on loan from the Saints. So, if a move is struck for the tricky wide man, he should be an option to consider for FPL.
