The Premier League is up and running, with the opening gameweek of the season yielding ten definitive results. After some shocks and some expected results, the table has started taking shape, as we move into the second round of fixtures, which will begin at a packed Anfield, where Liverpool will play hosts to Burnley in Saturday’s lunch-time kick-off.
The main highlight of this Matchweek is a tantalising London derby which takes place in gameweek two of the new Premier League season, as Arsenal and Chelsea face off at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United and Manchester City will also be in action in what promises to be an exciting weekend of Premier League Football.
Liverpool are coming into this season with a lot of eagerness to return to the summit of the Premier League following a meek surrender of their title last term. And the Reds showed they mean business in their season-opening fixture, [dispatching top-flight returnees Norwich City with ease in a 3-0 win, which saw Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all find the back of the net.
Burnley, on the other hand, have been notoriously slow starters in recent seasons, and that could well be the case at the onset of 2021/22 as well. The Clarets were involved in an eye-catching contest against Brighton & Hove Albion, although they were on the losing end as they squandered an early lead before losing 2-1 at home.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a shock 1-0 win for Burnley, in a result that ended Liverpool’s 68-game unbeaten streak at Anfield in the top-flight and kick-started a horrendous run at home for Jurgen Klopp & co.
Liverpool are without Fabinho following the death of his father. Fellow midfielders Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara could both be in contention for their first appearances of the season following their exploits at Euro 2020.
Midfielder Curtis Jones could also return to the squad after concussion, but left-back Andy Robertson is still working his way back from ankle ligament damage.
Burnley will have an unchanged squad for the trip to Anfield. Midfielder Dale Stephens and defender Kevin Long both missed the opening-day defeat to Brighton and they will remain absent as they continue their recoveries following surgery.
Phil Bardsley is fit again after his hernia operation and the full-back will hope to play, having been a substitute last weekend.
Liverpool lost 1-0 at home against Burnley in the Premier League last season, ending their 68-match unbeaten league run at Anfield. The Clarets last won consecutive away league matches against Liverpool in their first two attempts back in the 1894-95 and 1896-97 seasons.
Burnley have suffered 10 defeats in 14 Premier League matches against Liverpool (W2 D2), and defeat in this match would see the Clarets lose more than 10 Premier League games against an opponent for the first time, also losing 10 against Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City.
Liverpool haven’t suffered back-to-back home league defeats against an opponent since losing three in a row against Crystal Palace between 2014-15 and 2016-17. Alan Pardew, who led Palace to the first two of those three consecutive wins, remains the only English manager to win consecutive away Premier League games against Liverpool.
Liverpool have lost their first home league match in just three of the last 55 seasons and have won their first league game at Anfield in each of the last eight. Their last defeat of this kind was against Chelsea in 2003-04, losing 2-1 under Gerard Houllier.
Burnley have lost eight of their last 10 Premier League games (W2), including each of their last four in a row. They’ve never lost five consecutive matches in the competition, last doing so in any division in the 2008-09 Championship campaign.
Reigning champions Manchester City made a poor start to the defence of their Premier League title and will be aiming to get things back on track when they host newly-promoted Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium in Matchweek 2 of the 2021/22 Premier League on Saturday.
things off with a trip away to north London, Pep Guardiola’s champions fell to a shock 1-0 defeat to a disciplined Tottenham Hotspur side, who were without their best player and City’s transfer target, Harry Kane, for the contest. It was yet another wake-up call for the Sky Blues who also lost to Leicester City in the FA Community Shield clash, and they will now be charged to get back to winning ways.
As for Norwich City, their return to the Premier League after winning the EFL Championship last season did not go as per plans, as they were put to the sword by Liverpool on the opening day at Carrow Road. Things are unlikely to let up for Daniel Farke & co. when they travel to the home of the champions this weekend, having been trounced 5-0 by the Cityzens the last time they visited the Etihad Stadium.
Phil Foden remains out of action for City with the ankle injury which saw him miss the Euro 2020 final.
Ilkay Gundogan is available to play after injuring his shoulder against Spurs, while Kevin De Bruyne faces a late fitness test after not training on Friday and Liam Delap is sidelined.
As for Norwich, Sam Byram and Przemyslaw Placheta are out. Onel Hernandez and Jordan Hugill could return, while Andrew Omobamidele is available after a bout of tonsillitis.
Christoph Zimmermann is sidelined through illness, however.
Manchester City have won their last three home Premier League games against Norwich City by an aggregate score of 14-1, winning 5-0 in the most recent league meeting at the Etihad in July 2020.
In all competitions, Norwich City have won just two of their last 31 visits to Manchester City (D7 L22), winning 2-1 in September 1997 and 3-2 in May 2013.
The reigning champions have lost just two of their last 58 home Premier League games against newly promoted teams (W48 D8), although Liverpool did so in the last such match against Fulham in March last season. Only one of the last 39 reigning top-flight champions have lost their first home league match of the season (W29 D9), with Chelsea losing 3-2 to Burnley in 2017-18.
Manchester City lost three of their final five home Premier League games in the 2020-21 season (W2), and also lost their first home league match last season 5-2 against Leicester City. The Citizens haven’t lost their opening home league match in consecutive seasons since losing against Oldham Athletic in 1988-89 and Southampton in 1989-90.
Norwich City have lost their last 11 Premier League matches, with only Sunderland (20 between 2003 and 2005) ever having a longer losing run in the competition. The Canaries have failed to score in 10 of these 11 games, with their only goal coming in a 2-1 loss at Watford.
Burnley are putting a team out wearing shirt numbers 1 - 11.
A first in the top flight since Charlton did it in the 98-99 season.
