Chris Sutton believes losing Jarrad Branthwaite with a suspension will be a ‘blow’ for Everton at Burnley, but the BBC pundit still predicts Sean Dyche will win on Saturday.
The Toffees travel to Turf Moor this weekend for their first fixture without Branthwaite since August. He has become an instrumental cog in Dyche’s squad to start each of Everton’s past 14 Premier League games. But the defender has received his fifth yellow card of the season.
Referee Michael Oliver gave Branthwaite a booking as Everton beat Chelsea 2-0 last Sunday at Goodison Park. The official deemed the 21-year-old to foul Armando Broja just outside of Jordan Pickford’s area in the 59th minute. Branthwaite has to now serve his one-fixture ban.
Jarrad Branthwaite misses Sean Dyche’s Turf Moor return through suspension
Branthwaite had only merited one yellow card in his previous nine league appearances since the end of September. But three cautions through the England U21 talent’s first four outings this term left him walking a tightrope early on. Now, those cautions have come back to bite.
Dyche must now alter his favoured defensive pairing of Branthwaite and James Tarkowski as the Everton boss makes his first return to Burnley since being sacked. The Clarets fired the Kettering-born coach in April 2022 before being relegated to the Championship that season.
Everton have edged Burnley under Dyche since the 52-year-old took over at Goodison this January. He oversaw a 3-0 win at home to the Clarets in the Carabao Cup in November. But Saturday will mark his first time working in the away dugout at Turf Moor since August 2011.
Chris Sutton issues his prediction for Burnley vs Everton
Former Celtic striker Sutton predicts Branthwaite’s absence through suspension to also hurt Everton at Burnley on Dyche’s Turf Moor return. But the manner the former Clarets boss has the Blues playing now convinces the Hoops hero that the Toffees will still win the fixture 2-1.
Sutton shared in his column for BBC Sport: “He is going back to his old club with an Everton team that has an identity and is playing well. Jarrad Branthwaite’s suspension is a blow but I still think the Toffees will make it four wins in a row without him.”
Everton head to Burnley after beating Nottingham Forest 1-0, Newcastle United 3-0 and also Chelsea 2-0. The Clarets have beaten Sheffield United 5-0 before losing 1-0 at Wolves and drawing 1-1 at Brighton in that same run. But Everton have not won at Burnley since 2018.
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