Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's early Premier League kickoff as Burnley host Tottenham Hotspur at Turf Moor. Both sides still have plenty to fight for in the closing stages of the season and will be desperate for a victory today in order to edge ever closer to their respective goals, so we should be in for an intriguing affair. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

Results went against Burnley yesterday as the other two teams in the bottom three both picked up rare victories, but a win for themselves today would put the Clarets in a strong position. Sunderland, who are currently in 17th place, don't play until later today and then in a Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United, so this is a real chance for Sean Dyche's side to overhaul the Black Cats and put more pressure on that derby.

Victory would see Burnley climb out of the bottom three, and to be in a position of safety with seven games remaining would be a major achievement for the Clarets. They were many people's favourites to go down at the beginning of the campaign having surprisingly won automatic promotion from the Championship last season, but they are still in touch and a 17th-placed finish would have to go down as a successful season for them.

They still have plenty of work to do to achieve that goal, however, but to still be in touch at this stage of the campaign will be satisfactory for Dyche, particularly after his side's recent run of fixtures. They face Arsenal next week to end a run of consecutive matches against every team in the top eight before a kinder end to the campaign that includes matches against fellow strugglers Leicester, Aston Villa and Hull.

Given their recent fixtures, it is not surprising that they come into this match in pretty poor form. They have only won one of their last nine Premier League games, picking up just five points from 27 available in that time. A victory over Manchester City was a clear highlight of their season, but overall they have struggled in recent weeks and will need to improve their results if they are to stay in the division.

Their home form is perhaps the biggest cause for optimism, with that 1-0 win over Manchester City coming at Turf Moor. That should give them confidence that they can get something out of these next two games against Spurs and Arsenal, both of which are at home. They have lost just three of their last 11 home outings, winning four and drawing four, and if they can continue their decent form in front of their own fans then it could prove to be the difference between playing Premier League football or Championship football next season.

Goals are a major issue for the Clarets, though, with only 26 from their 30 games this season and 14 from 15 matches at Turf Moor. When they do win games, they tend to be by a narrow scoreline, and they often find themselves needing to come from behind as well. They have conceded a league-high 28 goals in the first half of matches so far this season and have been trailing at half time in 14 of their 30 games - the most in the top flight.

They do actually have a relatively good record against teams in the top half of the table this season, though, with 12 of their 25 points coming in meetings with members of the top 10. Of the teams in the bottom half, only Crystal Palace and West Brom have a better record than that, so perhaps the upcoming games against the likes of Arsenal and West Ham won't seem too daunting after all.

Spurs will be fully aware of Burnley's ability to make it difficult for teams, but today's visitors have plenty to fight for themselves and realistically need a victory to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Arsenal and Manchester United both widened the gap further with victories yesterday, while fourth-placed Manchester City have an eight-point lead over Spurs. City don't play until Monday night, so a failure to win for Tottenham today would give the champions the chance to extend that gap to double figures.

While Arsenal and United winning yesterday wasn't ideal for Spurs, there was good news in the form of Liverpool and Southampton both losing. Spurs remain in seventh place behind both teams, but even a draw today would see them leapfrog the Saints, while victory would move them above Liverpool and into fifth. Even iff the top four does end up being beyond their reach, they will still be looking to finish as high as possible in that mini-league between the chasing pack.

Spurs have been in fine form since the turn of the year, but the defeats they have suffered in that time have been damaging ones. Liverpool and Manchester United have both won big matches in the top four race, with the latter being particularly painful due to the nature of it. They have won 10 and lost just three of their last 16 Premier League games, including three of their last four, but those defeats could ultimately prove to be costly.

Goals have been the order of the day for Spurs all season, regardless of what end of the field they are coming at. Only one team outside the bottom three has conceded more than Mauricio Pochettino's side in the current campaign, while they are the top scorers outside of the top four, with 50 from their 30 games.

Incredibly, there have been 47 goals in their 11 Premier League games since the turn of the year, an average of 4.3 per game, while they have scored 26 of those - the highest tally for this calendar year in the top flight. That is all well and good in the attacking third, but defensively Pochettino will want more from his side. They have gone seven league games without a clean sheet - the longest current run in the division.

Interestingly, Spurs have an identical record after 30 games as they did at the same stage of last season, with 16 wins, five draws and nine defeats in the league so far. That may point to a lack of progress so far under Pochettino, but there is a sense that they are at least heading in the right direction and, should they fall short this term, will be able to mount a stronger bid for Champions League football next year.

One concern for Pochettino in the closing stages of this season will be his side's declining away form. Spurs have lost four of their last five away games in all competitions and three of their last five in the Premier League. Five of their remaining eight matches, including this one today, come on the road, so if they are to sneak into the top four then they simply have to improve in that respect.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that Harry Kane is handed the captaincy for the visitors. Regular skipper Lloris is sidelined with a gashed knee, which gives Michel Vorm his first league start for the club, while Paulinho and Chiriches also come into the side. As for Burnley, they name an unchanged side with Ings and Vokes leading the line. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

BURNLEY STARTING XI: Heaton; Trippier, Duff, Shackell, Mee; Boyd, Jones, Arfield, Barnes; Ings, Vokes

BURNLEY SUBS: Gilks, Keane, Ward, Kightly, Jutkiewicz, Sordell, Ulvestad

TOTTENHAM STARTING XI: Vorm; Walker, Chiriches, Dier, Rose; Bentaleb, Mason; Chadli, Eriksen, Paulinho; Kane

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Friedel, Davies, Dembele, Lamela, Stambouli, Townsend, Soldado

What can we make of those two sides, then? Well, Sean Dyche has become renowned for not tinkering with his team much, and he names another unchanged XI today. That means that Danny Ings continues up front, with the striker keen to get back on the goal trail. His nine goals in 29 games have helped to keep Burnley within touching distance of safety, but he hasn't found the back of the net since February 11 and will be hoping to end that mini drought this afternoon.

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Ings is joined up front by Vokes again, with Barnes being pushed over to the left in recent weeks having enjoyed a spell in a more central role earlier in the campaign. Much of Burnley's success this season has come as a result of their high work rate, and George Boyd has been the epitome of that - he has run a league-high 338.8km this season. Spurs also have a great work rate, however, and second in that list interestingly enough is Christian Eriksen.

Sean Dyche keeps faith with the same defence as Duff continues his recent run in the team. Shackell will be hoping for a better time of things today than he suffered last time out, when he put through his own net to gift Southampton their second goal in a 2-0 defeat at St Mary's. They will have their work cut out against a free-scoring Tottenham attack, however.

That star of that free-scoring attack has, of course, been Harry Kane, whose season just keeps getting better. Having broken into the first team, the striker has scored 29 goals in all competitions, including 19 in the league and 11 in his last eight. He captains the side for the first time today having also scored within 80 seconds of making his debut for England in the international break. He can't have been too far off winning an unprecedented third consecutive Player of the Month award for March having scored a hat-trick against Leicester last time out.

Kane's contribution cannot really be understated so far this season. Claims that he is worth £100m are a little fanciful, but in terms of points won for his side, he is the most valuable player in the Premier League this season. His goals have earned Spurs a whopping 22 points - just three fewer than Burnley have amassed all season and nine more than any other player has won for his side.

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Supporting Kane is, as ever, Eriksen, who has been responsible for a few victories himself this season with his late goals. The Dane has enjoyed a fine campaign as well and is joined in the trio behind Kane by Paulinho and Chadli today. The latter scored in an FA Cup meeting here at Turf Moor in January and has weighed in with some valuable contributions, but is yet to really rediscover his early-season form. Paulinho, meanwhile, scored in the replay of that FA Cup clash at White Hart Lane.

A big loss for Spurs this afternoon is Lloris, who misses out due to a knee injury sustained against Leicester before the international break. Vorm established himself as a very good keeper during his Swansea days, however, so the visitors have an adequate replacement. Chiriches also comes into the side, and he and Rose both scored in the FA Cup replay between these two sides in January.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Turf Moor, which means that it is time for a prediction! Tottenham matches always seem to have goals in at the moment and, while Burnley aren't exactly free-scoring, the rewards of a victory are too great for them to approach this match with too much caution. I see goals for both sides, but Tottenham should just have the quality to win this one. I'm going for a 3-1 away victory.

Find out what the Sports Mole sofa panellists had to say about this important match at both ends of the table in our video preview below:

This will be the fourth meeting between these two sides this season, with Tottenham winning two and drawing one. The reverse league fixture saw goals from Kane and Lamela give Spurs a 2-1 victory just before Christmas, while a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in the third round of the FA Cup forced a replay. Spurs came out on top in that one, recovering from falling two behind inside 10 minutes to win 4-2 and progress through to the next stage.

It was Burnley who came from two goals behind to win 4-2 in the only Premier League meeting between these two sides at Turf Moor. It came on the last day of the 2009-10 season, with Burnley already relegated and Spurs already guaranteed a Champions League place. Both teams find themselves in similar positions now, although there is still time to do something about their fate.

Spurs have only won one of their last seven visits to Turf Moor, with that coming in the League Cup more than a decade ago. They have not won a league game away to Burnley for 39 years, so are looking to end a long drought here today.

KICKOFF: Spurs get us underway at Turf Moor as they look to keep their Champions League hopes alive with a victory here.

This match has started at a decent tempo, with Spurs seeing most of the ball in the opening exchanges but Burnley looking to get onto the front foot whenever possible.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Burnley to break the deadlock! Mason is harried in midfield and ends up giving the ball straight to Ings, who finds himself clean through on goal. Bentaleb does well not to concede a penalty, and Ings can only fire a low effort straight at Vorm when he really should have scored! Almost a gift for the hosts.

Spurs are just settling themselves down now following that early scare, knocking the ball about patiently and easing their way into the match. Burnley are full of energy, though, and are not making things easy for Tottenham at all.

Sean Dyche will be very pleased with what he has seen from his side so far. They have given up most of the possession to Spurs, but are pressing really well as a team and playing with great intensity. George Boyd is setting the tempo for the hosts.

Tottenham haven't been able to get their attacking talents in the game at all yet. The vast majority of their possession has come in front of Burnley, with Kane getting no joy up front so far.

Risky challenge from Bentaleb as he dives in on Barnes with his studs raised. The ball was bobbling up off the floor and was there to be won, but nowadays those challenges are a bit of a gamble. Martin Atkinson is right to give nothing more than a free kick, though.

SAVE! Heaton is called into action for the first time today, but it is a simple one for the keeper. Chadli tried his luck from a good 30 yards out, but his effort lacked power and was easily gathered by Heaton.

SAVE! Again Heaton is called into action to deny Chadli. This time it is a smarter stop as he gets down well to his left to stop the shot. Chadli had cut inside from the left and used Rose as a decoy runner on his outside before curling one towards the bottom far corner from 20 yards.

Spurs have just gained a greater measure of control over this game in the last five minutes or so. The tempo of the match has slowed, with Burnley not pressing quite as enthusiastically as they were in the opening exchanges.

Half a chance for Burnley as Shackell swings a cross in from very deep. Barnes does well to get his head to the ball, but there isn't much else he can do from so far out. His header loops harmlessly into the arms of Vorm.

CHANCE! Decent chance for the hosts! A long free kick is floated to the back post, where Barnes has ghosted in completely unmarked. He fires the ball back into a promising area, but Spurs just about snuff out the danger and get it clear.

SHOT! Spurs are struggling to get in behind Burnley, so have been largely limited to long-range efforts here. Rose is the latest to have a crack, firing a powerful effort high and wide from 25 yards.

SHOT! Better from Spurs, but again they are forced into a long-ranger. Walker, Eriksen and Kane all combine down the right, with the latter dropping the ball back for Mason. The new England international hits it first time but drags his effort comfortably wide.

Good opening for Burnley as Ings down really well down the right to slip his pass inside to the midfielder. Boyd has space inside the box, but not quite as much as he thinks. He lets the ball run across his body, which allows Mason to get a foot in.

Promising attack for Spurs now as Walker wins the ball well and immediately gets up in support down the right flank. He delays his pass for too long when he gets into the area, however, and eventually Mason is flagged for offside.

Interesting piece of defending from Chiriches as he shepherds the ball out of play with a little too much gusto against Boyd. He played the man rather than the ball, knocking Boyd over in the area. It is unlikely that the referee would ever give a penalty for that, but it did give Martin Atkinson a decision to make.

Burnley have a chance to put the ball into the box from a free kick again, and Trippier's delivery is a good one. Vokes attacks it well but gets too much on his header, putting it well over the crossbar.

Good break from Spurs as they mop up a Burnley attack before immediately racing down the other end through Eriksen. The Dane has Kane in support, but his pass into the box is knocked behind for a corner.

SHOT! Good pass forward from Dier as he finally finds Kane in a bit of space. The stand-in skipper carries the ball towards the Burnley box before letting fly from 20 yards, only to drag his effort wide of the target,

Really good work from Ings as he battles away down the left flank, not giving up on the ball despite being forced deep into his own territory. Great work rate from the striker, as we have come to expect from the whole Burnley side.

SAVE! Again it is a shot from outside the box, but with Eriksen standing over it that can still be very dangerous for Spurs. He is given too much space from 25 yards as he fires one towards the bottom corner, but Heaton gets down well to make the stop, hanging on at the second time of asking.

SHOT! Good chance for Boyd to repeat his Manchester City heroics as the ball drops to him on the edge of the box, but he drags his effort wide of the target. It was another high ball from Trippier that caused the initial problems, with Ings winning the ball at the back post. Vokes can't gather it but the ball runs through to Boyd, who fires it wide.

Burnley have got plenty of joy down their right flank so far today, with crosses into the box causing Spurs a lot of problems. At the other end, Tottenham have had their own sights of goal, but the majority of them have come from range.

SAVE! Almost a superb opener right on the stroke of half time. Ings picks the ball up around 25 yards from goal and tries to curl an effort into the far top corner. It is a really good strike, but Vorm read it and got across to make an equally fine save.

There will be just the one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

We'll have a little longer than the extra minute, with Walker receiving treatment following a clash with Trippier. The Burnley full-back caught Walker with his studs there and the England international certainly felt it.

Martin Atkinson brings an end to the first half, and we remain goalless at Turf Moor between Burnley and Spurs. Both sides have had chances in the opening 45 minutes, but it is Burnley who will be the happier side going into the break. They have come closest to scoring and will be encouraged by that first-half display.

The best chance of the half came after just five minutes when Mason was caught in possession by Boyd, gifting the ball straight to Ings. The striker was in on goal and did well to stay on his feet under pressure from Bentaleb but, with only the keeper to beat, he fired a low effort straight at Vorm. The ball was caught under his feet a little, but he still should have scored.

Ings came close again towards the end of the half with a fine curling effort that almost flew into the top corner, only for Vorm to claw the ball away. It was good goalkeeping from the Dutchman, who anticipated what Ings was trying to do and got across to make an important stop.

Spurs have tested Heaton on a few occasions, but their most threatening moments have all come from outside the box. Eriksen, Chadli, Mason and Rose have all gone for goal from outside the box, while Kane fired one wide himself having been picked out by Dier in a bit of space. He hasn't had much space aside from that, however, touching the ball just 22 times in that first half - the fewest of any Spurs player including goalkeeper Michel Vorm.

Boyd has also squandered a decent chance for the hosts, dragging an effort wide of the target as the ball dropped to him on the edge of the box. Trippier and Ings had combined well to set up the chance, but Boyd could not catch it as sweetly as he did against Manchester City a few weeks ago and the chance went begging.

Burnley have kept their shape really well throughout and have made it really difficult for Spurs to get in behind them. Their energy and work rate has been as good as ever, and they have stayed well drilled to limit the influence of Kane, Eriksen and Tottenham's other danger men. Dyche will be delighted with what he has seen from his side so far and may even feel that they should be ahead at the break.

KICKOFF: Burnley get us back underway for the second half, and there have been no changes for either side despite Walker still hobbling from that blow at the end of the opening period.

Indeed, Walker quickly goes down and he won't be able to continue here. It is a strange one why he emerged for the second half as he is going to have to depart straight away now.

TOTTENHAM SUB: Indeed, there is the change as Ben Davies replaces Walker. Davies, usually a left-back looks to have slotted into the middle of the defence, with Chiriches moving out to the right.

Burnley have a couple of shouts for a penalty in quick succession as the ball bounces first off Bentaleb and then Mason moments later. There is a bigger handball question over the second incident, but Martin Atkinson was right not to point to the spot.

Late one from Boyd as he lunges in on Bentaleb and catches the midfielder. Again Martin Atkinson keeps his cards in his pocket, however. The referee has been lenient today.

There is a lack of creativity and ingenuity in the Tottenham attacks at the moment. They aren't coming up with anything out of the ordinary to break Burnley down, and the Clarets are comfortably dealing with everything that is coming their way.

Dier and Vokes clash in the middle of the park, with the Burnley striker catching the defender with the point of his elbow. Martin Atkinson doesn't stop the play at first, but eventually pulls it back due to it being a head injury.

Awkward one for Vorm to deal with as Ings volleys a cross in from right in the corner and the ball almost drops underneath the crossbar. Vorm pushes it over the top for a corner to prevent what would have been a remarkable goal.

Rose bursts into the box and goes down under the challenge of Mee, but it looked to be the Tottenham man who initiated what little contact there was. In fairness to Rose, who bounces straight back up and doesn't appeal for a penalty.

Almost a chance for Burnley as again they make good progress down the right flank. Vokes attacks the near post well and almost gets his head on the end of the eventual cross, but it flies past him and almost catches Chiriches out. The ball hits the defender but, fortunately for the visitors, falls kindly to Vorm.

SAVE! Vorm is called into action again as Barnes hits a first-time volley on the turn, but he didn't quite catch it right. It may have taken a deflection on the way through too, and in the end it is a routine stop for the Spurs keeper.

TOTTENHAM SUB: The visitors make their second change of the match as Erik Lamela replaces Chadli.

Burnley have had 65% possession in the last 10 minutes and are in control of this game right now. Spurs are struggling to get anything going in an attacking sense so far and right now Burnley look most likely to go on and win this match.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the day is finally shown to Trippier, who caught Rose as the Spurs full-back was bursting forward from defence.

CHANCE! Spurs have their best chance of the match so far as Eriksen picks the ball up and works himself space to shoot. The angle is against the Dane and it is by no means a sitter, but you'd expect him to at least hit the target. Instead he fires it over the top.

SHOT! Kane finally picks the ball up inside the Burnley box and earns a bit of space before pulling the ball back, but it is behind everyone in the area. It eventually arrives all the way back to Rose, who blasts his effort well over.

We may well have just seen the worst shot of the season! Paulinho breaks forward into a really promising area and has support, but tries to go for goal with the outside of his boot and gets it all wrong to send a dire shot trickling closer to the corner flag. Dreadful.

Important defence work from Dier as he gets across to make a good block to thwart Barnes. It was a well-worked throw-in from Burnley to create the opening and Barnes caught his volley from a tight angle well, but Dier was there.

This time Trippier pops up on the left flank and tries to put yet another cross into the box. It has Vorm worried as it floats over his head before landing on the roof of the net.

BURNLEY SUB: A first change of the match for the hosts as Vokes is replaced by Lukas Jutkiewicz.

YELLOW CARD! Mee also goes into the book for a rash sliding challenge on Lamela. He came right through the back of the Tottenham man there and can have no complaints.

There are just 10 minutes left in this match, then, and it is still hanging in the balance. Burnley have enjoyed the better of things in this second half, but Spurs have shown a few signs of getting back into the match in the last few moments. Will either side get a late winner here?

Burnley play the ball out from the back well and Jutkiewicz picks up the second ball before seeing his subsequent effort blocked behind for a corner. Up come the big men from the back, but it comes to nothing for the hosts.

TOTTENHAM SUB: A final throw of the dice from Pochettino here as Andros Townsend is introduced in place of Mason.

Arfield slides a pass down the channel for Barnes, who works hard to get in front of his man before fizzing a dangerous ball in right across the face of goal. Neither Vokes or Ings can meet it in the area, however, and it flies through to safety.

Spurs begin to apply some late pressure and earn a corner for their efforts, but the initial ball is cleared out and Bentaleb's subsequent first-time volley flies well wide of the target.

Tottenham are still yet to get any join inside the Burnley box in this match. Everything has come in front of the Burnley defence, which will be so disappointing for a team who have scored more goals than any other Premier League team so far this calendar year.

CLOSE! Almost a late winner for Burnley as Boyd nods one towards the bottom corner. He had to generate all of the power on the header himself, but the spin on the ball took it just past the post with Vorm scrambling.

We are into the second of three minutes added time at the end of this match.

Martin Atkinson brings an end to proceedings and the spoils are shared at Turf Moor courtesy of a goalless draw between Burnley and Spurs. It doesn't do a great deal for either side's ambitions for the remainder of the season, but Burnley will be happier with the result and probably could have even won the game against a very disappointing Spurs.

That is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's match between Burnley and Spurs. We couldn't bring you any goals, but Burnley do get a point that moves them up a place to 18th in the table. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!