Burnley v Watford: Premier League – live!

If you haven’t already spotted the glorious news: “The channel that shows Premier League games here in the US has decided to broadcast this game over the game involving Arsenal which they have put behind their paywall,” emails J.R. in Illinois. “I was surprised when I found that out but I’m no longer surprised now that I see Mike Dean (and his beard) will be reffing this game. Of the two noon kick-offs (6pm for you) I actually wanted to watch this one anyway. With David Luiz suspended and therefore unable to provide entertainment there’s no real reason to watch Arsenal …”

Watford’s final warm-up game ahead of the restart was against Brentford, for whom the Algerian winger Saïd Benrahma dazzled, notably fooling full-back Kiko Femenía:

Be it with back-heels, rainbow flicks or making the opposition look silly, few players outside the Premier League have made a bigger impression than Saïd Benrahma in the past couple of seasons. The Brentford winger boasts an endless box of tricks but he is more than just easy on the eye – he is approaching double figures in assists after equalling last season’s goal tally of 11 with eight Championship games to play. His speciality is sliding the ball through the legs of dazed defenders. “He could nutmeg a mermaid,” said Sam Saunders.

Burnley (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Brownhill, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Rodriguez, Vydra

Subs: Dunne, Bardsley, Peacock-Farrell, Thompson, Jensen, Long, Pieters, Thomas, Goodridge

Watford (4-2-3-1): Foster; Femenía, Kabasele, Dawson, Masina; Capoue, Hughes; Sarr, Cleverley, Welbeck; Deeney

Subs: João Pedro, Cathcart, Chalobah, Doucouré, da Silva Gomes, Pussetto, Gray, Pereyra, Mariappa

Referee: Mike Dean
VAR: Martin Atkinson

The Premier League may have returned a little over a week ago but has it really returned until Burnley have given Watford a runaround at Turf Moor? Exactly. Sean Dyche is reportedly considering departing the club at the end of the season but could yet guide his team to a very respectable top-half finish. Watford, scrapping for points, will have other ideas this evening, determined to build on an encouraging point at Leicester last weekend. Monday’s game at Manchester City was, of course, unfortunately overshadowed by that abomination of a ‘White Lives Matter Burnley’ banner being flown overhead but this evening they have an opportunity to show what they’re really about and plan to project their “One Club For All” initiative, which includes an inclusion advisory group and Burnley FC in the Community, whose activities involve 33,000 people, 19% from a BAME background. “This club does a lot of work in the community and in local education projects, and we don’t want all our efforts undermined by a few people with an unacceptable message,” said Dyche.

Kick-off: 6pm