Burnley vs West Ham brings together two promotion contenders at Turf Moor on Sunday, but the Championship opener could be decided by a handful of individual and tactical battles.
Nuno Espírito Santo travels to Lancashire without Arne Engels and Tomáš Souček, while Nicky Hayen is preparing Burnley to play an aggressive, possession-based style.
West Ham arrive with confidence from their recent record in this fixture. They have gone eight meetings unbeaten against Burnley and won 2-0 on their previous visit to Turf Moor in February. talkSPORT’s Burnley vs West Ham guide details that run as well as the latest team news.
But Sunday represents a new competition, a new Burnley manager and a very different pressure.
Here are five areas which could decide it.
1. Jarrod Bowen against the Burnley defence
West Ham managed to retain Jarrod Bowen following relegation, leaving Nuno with his most important attacking player for the promotion campaign.
Burnley will know stopping West Ham starts with limiting the captain’s influence around the penalty area.
Bowen can attack space himself, create for the striker and punish any turnover if Burnley’s full-backs push forward.
Hayen wants his team to play aggressively and recover possession high up the pitch. The Burnley head coach explained after his appointment that he wants dominant football, vertical attacks and his side winning the ball back as high as possible.
That approach could create opportunities for Bowen if West Ham escape the first line of pressure.
2. West Ham midfield without Engels and Souček
This has become Nuno’s biggest selection problem.
West Ham’s £22m signing Engels cannot feature because he was not registered in time, while Souček is also unavailable. talkSPORT reports Engels is instead likely to make his debut against Charlton next weekend. Their report confirms the Belgian will miss the Burnley fixture.
The absence comes just two days after ReadWestHam reported that West Ham had reached a full £22m agreement with Celtic for Engels.
Nuno therefore needs enough energy to withstand Burnley’s press without losing the technical quality required to play through it.
Whoever starts centrally could have the biggest influence on West Ham’s afternoon.
3. Burnley’s press against West Ham playing out
Hayen has been very clear about his preferred football.
He wants Burnley to dominate possession but also attack quickly and recover the ball in advanced positions.
That makes West Ham’s first pass particularly important.
If Nuno’s defenders and midfielders can work through Burnley’s pressure, spaces should open behind it for Bowen and the rest of the attack.
Lose possession cheaply near their own box, however, and Burnley will have exactly the type of game their new manager wants.
4. Who wins the opening 20 minutes?
Nuno already has evidence of how valuable a fast start can be at Turf Moor.
West Ham scored after 13 minutes on their previous visit before Taty Castellanos doubled the advantage in the 26th. West Ham’s official report from that 2-0 victory details how the Hammers took control early.
Nuno later praised his players for being switched on from the opening minute.
With Turf Moor likely to be loud for Burnley’s first league game under Hayen, taking the emotion out of the contest early would be valuable.
5. West Ham surviving Burnley’s momentum
February’s result also provides a warning.
Despite losing 2-0, Burnley registered nine attempts during the opening ten minutes of the second half, forcing Mads Hermansen and the West Ham defence into sustained action.
West Ham cannot expect to control every phase on Sunday.
They will need to recognise when Burnley have momentum, defend the box properly and avoid allowing one dangerous spell to become decisive.
There is some encouragement for Nuno in the hosts’ availability problems. ReadWestHam reported that Burnley are expected to be without Josh Cullen, Jordan Beyer and Jaydon Banel.
Neither side therefore begins the Championship season at full strength.
West Ham possess enough quality to make an immediate promotion statement, but Sunday’s opener could depend on how well Nuno’s side handle those five critical areas.
