Burnley vs Crystal Palace. Premier League.
Turf MoorAttendance18,862.
Sunday 10 September 2017 12:37, UK
Record signing Chris Wood is set for a home debut when Burnley take on struggling Crystal Palace at Turf Moor on Nissan Super Sunday.
The former Leeds man came off the bench to score a stoppage-time equaliser at Tottenham before the international break and boss Sean Dyche believes his arrival - along with that of Nakhi Wells - has given his side crucial extra attacking options.
"(Wood) is similar to Sam Vokes in that he has had a number of loan spells and he had been wandering around football a little bit," Dyche said. "He found a home at Leeds but we wanted to make him a part of what we do here and he has started very well.
"(Wells) is another player we have been monitoring for a long time. We know in the Premier League you need as many different attacking threats as possible and he is a different type to what we've got."
Frank de Boer heads north under intense scrutiny after three defeats from as many Premier League games but the Dutch coach insists there is no need for panic.
"It always takes time, you don't have to panic suddenly," he said. "We know what we want and everybody is of course very disappointed in our results. But we know also this is not a one-day project, it is from the long term. There is a very positive vibe in the team so I am very positive for the future."
While Wood and Wells are fit to fire, Burnley midfielder Jeff Hendrick remains a doubt with the thigh injury that saw him miss the 1-1 draw at Wembley.
Jon Walters made a successful return from a knee injury with Ireland during the international break and boss Dyche has no further concerns.
Wilfried Zaha and Connor Wickham remain sidelined for Palace but De Boer is hopeful Ruben Loftus-Cheek and James Tomkins will be fit following minor knocks.
Mamadou Sakho is set to feature for the club's U23s on Monday as he continues to build up his match fitness.
Burnley won both Premier League clashes against Palace last season, their first league double over them since the 2001-02 season.
Crystal Palace haven't lost three consecutive league games against Burnley since February 1971 - a run of four in a row.
Burnley have won six of their eight top-flight games against the Eagles (D1 L1), their only defeat a 3-2 reverse at Turf Moor in January 2015, a game the Clarets led 2-0.
Crystal Palace are yet to score a Premier League goal this season as we head in to MD4. Palace have never failed to find the net in their opening four games to a league season in their history.
Frank de Boer is only the fifth manager in Premier League history to see their first three games in charge of a club end as a defeat without his side scoring - the other four were Gianluca Vialli at Chelsea, Kevin Ball at Sunderland, Steve McClaren at Middlesbrough and Stuart Gray at Southampton.
The record for the fewest number of Premier League matches that a permanent manager has been in charge of a club for in the competition is currently held by Les Reed at Charlton in 2006-07 (7 games).
Should Burnley's new signing Chris Wood appear in this game, this would be his sixth league game against the Eagles - all with different clubs (West Brom, Birmingham, Bristol City, Millwall, Leicester and Burnley). He scored in his last league game against them, for Leicester in a 2-2 draw in April 2013.
Lee Chung-yong could make his 100th Premier League appearance in this match, becoming only the third South Korean player to reach this landmark in the competition after Park Ji-Sung and Ki Sung-yueng.
Frank de Boer is desperate for a result. It's a massive match for Palace because after this game Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea loom in the not too distant future. For me, they have to go to Turf Moor and make sure they don't lose.
Meanwhile, Burnley had a shocking result at home against West Brom but two excellent results away at Chelsea and Tottenham. It's a total reverse to their form last season but I can see them getting back to winning ways at home against Palace, who are struggling without Wilfried Zaha.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
