Burnley and Leeds United will be eager to return to winning ways and get their Premier League campaign on track when they face off at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The dreaded international break is finally over, and the Premier League will resume with Gameweek 8 of the 2025/26 season this weekend. The latest round of fixtures begins with the game between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea at the City Ground before continuing with five simultaneous matches, including Burnley vs Leeds United at Turf Moor.

Burnley may have produced many impressive performances and taken the game to the best teams in the Premier League. However, that has not reflected in the results, as the Clarets have managed only four points in seven Premier League matches. So, the clash in Gameweek 8 provided an opportunity to Scott Parker and his charges as they aim to climb out of the drop zone.

On the other hand, Leeds United’s results have been more impressive than Burnley’s, as the 2024/25 EFL Championship winners have accumulated eight points in seven outings thus far. However, the Whites have not been as impressive on the road as they have been at Elland Road, and Daniel Farke will hope his charges deliver the goods this weekend.

Burnley and Leeds United played out a goalless draw when they faced off at Turf Moor last season, with the match featuring only one shot on target. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Burnley

Scott Parker has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Burnley manager may be bereft of the services of nearly half a dozen first-team players vs Leeds United on Saturday.

Connor Roberts (knee), Jordan Beyer (hamstring), and Zeki Amdouni (knee) remain in the treatment room. Additionally, Parker has been sweating over the fitness of Jaidon Anthony (thigh) and Lyle Foster (hamstring). However, the attacking duo should be fit and available to take on Leeds United this weekend.

Martin Dubravka will retain his spot between the sticks, with Burnley lining up in a 5-4-1 formation in front of him vs Leeds United on Saturday. The backline will feature Kyle Walker, Josh Laurent, Axel Tuanzebe, Maxime Esteve, and Quilindschy Hartman.

As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Florentino Luis and Josh Cullen in the central areas. Finally, Jaidon Anthony and Loum Tchouana will be the two wide attackers, with Lyle Foster leading the line for Burnley against Leeds United on Saturday.

Probable Lineup (5-4-1): Dubravka; Walker, Laurent, Tuanzebe, Esteve, Hartman; Tchaouna, Florentino, Cullen, Anthony; Foster

Leeds United

Unlike his counterpart in the Burnley dugout, Daniel Farke has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Turf Moor. The Leeds United manager may be without four first-team players on Saturday.

Lucas Perri is fit and available after recovering from a hamstring injury. However, Farke has been sweating over Noah Okafor’s fitness, as he has been struggling with adductor issues. The Swiss international and Daniel James face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Meanwhile, Harry Gray and Wilfried Gnonto remain on the sidelines.

Perri should return between the sticks, with Leeds United lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Burnley on Saturday. The backline will feature Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk, and Gabriel Gudmundsson.

As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Sean Longstaff, Anton Stach, and captain Ethan Ampadu. Finally, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will spearhead the Leeds United attack against Burnley, with Brenden Aaronson and Noah Okafor. Jack Harrison will start on the left flank if Okafor is not fit enough to start.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Gudmundsson; Stach, Ampadu, Longstaff; Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor

Key Stats

• Burnley have only lost one of their last six home league games vs Leeds United (W3 D2). However, the Clarets are winless in their three most recent meetings at Turf Moor (D2 L1) since a 1-0 victory in the EFL Championship in April 2016. Meanwhile, the Whites have only faced defeat in one of their last six league clashes with Burnley (W3 D2). However, they failed to score in both Championship ties between the two sides in the 2024/25 season (D1 L1).
• The home side has won Premier League games between two newly promoted clubs on the last three occasions, including Burnley beating Sunderland 2-0 earlier this season. Only three of the previous 19 top-flight games between promoted sides had seen home wins before this (D5 L11), while there have not been four successive home wins in these fixtures since April to December 2012.
• Burnley have conceded the second-most goals in the opening seven Premier League games this season (15, behind only West Ham United), just one fewer than they let in 46 Championship matches in 2024/25. In Football League history, the only side to concede their previous season’s tally within their first eight games of a campaign were Liverpool in 1894/95 (first 7).
• After beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in September, Leeds United will be aiming to win consecutive Premier League away games for the first time since April 2022 under Jesse Marsch. However, the Whites have kept only one clean sheet in their last 24 away games in the top flight (51 goals conceded), doing so via a goalless draw against Newcastle United in December 2022.
• Anton Stach is one of only seven players to attempt 10+ shots (12) and create 10+ chances from open play (10) in the Premier League this season, leading all Leeds United players in both metrics.

Player to Watch

Jaidon Anthony

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While Anton Stach, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lyle Foster were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Jaidon Anthony as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Burnley and Leeds United at Turf Moor.

The hosts have produced 56 shots in the Premier League this season, of which Jaidon Anthony has been directly involved in 19 (12 shots, seven chances created), a ratio of 34 per cent. Only Erling Haaland for Manchester City (38 per cent) has been involved in a higher proportion of a side’s shots thus far. Anthony has also been impressive with his output, and he will be the go-to man for Burnley this weekend.

Prediction

Burnley 1-1 Leeds United

Saturday’s match will provide a golden opportunity for the two teams to pick up three points and bolster their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season. However, both sides have pitfalls that may stop them from clinching the valuable three points this weekend.

Burnley’s inconsistencies in the final third and soft underbelly during the defensive phases have rendered them one of the favourites for relegation. On the other hand, Leeds United’s displays on the road have not been impressive apart from the victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. So, all signs point towards a hard-fought stalemate, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate for Saturday’s Premier League clash at Turf Moor.