Preview: Norwich City vs. Burnley - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams inside the Premier League relegation zone will lock horns for a huge match on Sunday afternoon, as Norwich City welcome Burnley to Carrow Road.

The Canaries are currently bottom of the table, picking up just 18 points from their 30 matches, while Burnley sit 18th, one point behind 17th-placed Everton on the same number of games (29).

Match preview

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Norwich have not been cut adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table, but it is going to take some effort from the Canaries in the coming weeks to escape the relegation zone.

Indeed, Dean Smith's side have only picked up 18 points from their 30 league games this term and sit seven points behind 17th-placed Everton, who have a game in hand, so it is looking increasingly likely that they will be dropping back down to the Championship for the 2022-23 campaign.

Norwich have not won in the league since a 3-0 success at Watford in January, picking up just two points from their last eight matches, one of which came away to Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.

The Canaries, who will travel to Manchester United in their next match after this one, have only picked up nine points from their 15 home league games this term, which is the second-worst record in the division behind Watford, but they also have the second-worst record on their travels.

Norwich claimed a point away to Burnley in the reverse game earlier this season, but they have not beaten the Clarets in the league since a Championship clash back in April 2008.

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Burnley, meanwhile, gave their survival hopes a huge boost on Wednesday evening when they recorded a 3-2 victory over fellow strugglers Everton at Turf Moor.

Maxwel Cornet netted the winner in the 85th minute of the contest, and the success ended a run of four straight league defeats, which had left the fans fearful of a drop into the Championship.

Burnley have picked up 24 points from their 29 league games this season to sit 18th, just one point behind 17th-placed Everton on the same number of matches, while they are six points behind 16th-placed Leeds United with two fixtures spare on the Whites.

Sean Dyche's side will fancy their chances of escaping the relegation zone due to their experience towards the bottom of the division, but they have only won once on their travels in the Premier League this season.

Burnley's last trip to Carrow Road saw them record a 2-0 victory in July 2020, while they have picked up seven points from their three Premier League matches against the Canaries.

Team News

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Norwich boss Smith revealed during his pre-match press conference that Lukas Rupp, Max Aarons and Brandon Williams are all set to return to the squad after missing out against Brighton.

However, Joshua Sargent, Adam Idah, Andrew Omobamidele and Ozan Kabak are unavailable for selection for the relegation strugglers through injury.

Aarons and Williams are set to return in the full-back positions, but the midfield and front two are likely to be unchanged from the clash against Brighton, with Teemu Pukki and Milot Rashica operating in attack.

As for Burnley, Ben Mee and Erik Pieters are making strong progress in their injury recoveries, but neither player will be available for this weekend's contest.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson is also still out with a calf problem, while Connor Roberts is a doubt with a minor groin issue, so Matthew Lowton could come into the side at right-back.

There could also be a return in a wide area for Dwight McNeil, with Jay Rodriguez, who was on the scoresheet against Everton, playing alongside Wout Weghorst in a front two.

Norwich City possible starting lineup:

Krul; Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams; Gilmour, Normann, Lees-Melou; McLean; Pukki, Rashica

Burnley possible starting lineup:

Pope; Lowton, Collins, Tarkowski, Taylor; McNeil, Westwood, Brownhill, Cornet; Weghorst, Rodriguez

We say: Norwich City 1-1 Burnley

This match has a draw written all over it, and we are finding it difficult to back another result. Burnley will have been boosted by their win over Everton, but the Clarets have only been victorious once away from home in the Premier League this term, so we are finding it tough to back Dyche's side here.