Cardiff City v Burnley
Cardiff City Stadium
Sunday 30th September 2018, ko 4:00pm.
After three games against top six teams where City lost all three conceding 12 goals in the process the Bluebirds face another tough opponent but one where a result must be seen as possible.
Already, after just six matches, Cardiff are facing must win games. Because after this one two of the next three are Spurs and Liverpool away.
The second quarter of the season sees matches against more teams that City might fancy geting a result against but by then we could be so far behind we'll never look like catching up.
Burnely were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Burton in midweek but last weekend in the league they smashed Bournemouth 4 - 0.
Early team news:
Lee Peltier starts a lengthy spell on the sidelines as Cardiff host Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday.
The defender is facing two to three months out after dislocating a shoulder against Manchester City last weekend, but the defender will not require an operation as the injury will heal naturally.
Aron Gunnarsson (knee) remains out, but Sol Bamba is expected to return in defence with Bruno Ecuele Manga moving to right back in Peltier's absence.
Burnley are likely to be without Robbie Brady as he continues to build up his fitness while Ben Gibson remains out (hernia). Nick Pope is the only other long-term absentee as he continues to recover from a dislocated shoulder.
The Managers:
Neil Warnock: (On striker Ken Zohore's lack of form)
"He's got to get the hunger back.
"There's only one person who can do that. We can only do so much. What's that saying about taking a horse to water?
"He's in the running. He's in the 18, but he has got to do more in training, which would make my job a lot easier."
When asked if it was a "must-win" game, Warnock joked: "I think there will be a few more of those over the next few weeks, a few more 'must-win' games!
"It isn't a must-win game but it is a game that's really, really important to us, with the games coming up - Tottenham and Liverpool away and a home game in between against Fulham.
"It's a very difficult period and that's why I think the importance of the game, you can't put it under the carpet."
Sean Dyche:
“They’ve (Cardiff) had a tough start, partly because of the realities of their fixtures, partly because it’s tough in the Premier League.
“We’ve been through that ourselves and been through that before in this division.
“Every game in the Premier League is a must-win, every game is a big game and every game you have to give everything to win, or certainly when you’re Burnley or a number of other clubs in the Premier League.”
Match Stats:
- This will be the first top-flight meeting between Cardiff City and Burnley since March 1962 when the two sides played out a 1-1 draw.
- Cardiff are unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions against Burnley (W4 D9), since a 0-2 loss at Turf Moor in April 2007.
- Burnley haven't won away from home against Cardiff in any competition since April 2000, going 11 matches without a win (D3 L8).
- Cardiff are winless in 10 Premier League games (D3 L7), losing the last three in a row by an aggregate score of 3-12.
- Burnley have never won a Premier League away game against a promoted side before, losing five and drawing six of their 11 such games.
- Burnley forward Ashley Barnes' two goals against Bournemouth in his last match took him ahead of Paul Scharner as the second highest Austrian goalscorer in Premier League history (22 goals, behind Marko Arnautovic on 36).
- Burnley boss Sean Dyche has met Cardiff five times previously as a manager in league competition, with all five finishing as draws (twice with Watford, three times with Burnley).
The Officials:
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistants: Stephen Child, Lee Betts
Fourth official: David Coote