The 2025/26 Premier League season kicks off with an intriguing clash as Tottenham Hotspur host Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Spurs, now under the guidance of new manager Thomas Frank, are eager to bounce back from a disappointing 17th-place finish last season, despite securing a Champions League spot via their Europa League triumph.
Burnley, freshly promoted under Scott Parker, return to the top flight with momentum, boasting the Championship’s best defensive record and an impressive away form last season. They ended the season with a 33-match unbeaten run and finished on 100 points, placing second behind Leeds United on goal difference.
This match promises a tactical battle between a revitalized Tottenham side and a resilient Burnley outfit looking to make a statement.
Prediction
Tottenham are favored to win this opening-day encounter, leveraging their home advantage and superior attacking quality.
Despite their inconsistent form last season, Spurs have a strong historical edge over Burnley and are expected to capitalize on their attacking options. Burnley, however, are no pushovers, having put together a remarkable unbeaten run to close out their 2024/25 campaign.
Their disciplined defense and counter-attacking threat could make this a closer contest than the odds suggest. Analysts predict a 2-1 victory for Tottenham, with both teams likely to score due to Spurs’ defensive vulnerabilities and Burnley’s knack for finding the net on the road.
Head-to-head
Tottenham have dominated recent encounters with Burnley, winning 14 of their last 20 meetings across all competitions, with Burnley securing just two victories and four draws.
In their most recent Premier League clash on May 11, 2024, Spurs edged out a 2-1 victory at home. Over the last five head-to-head matches, Tottenham have scored nine goals to Burnley’s four, with three of those matches featuring under 2.5 goals.
Spurs have been particularly strong at home against Burnley, winning their last five Premier League home games against the Clarets, including a 5-0 thrashing in December 2019.
Burnley’s sole win in the last five meetings came in February 2022, a 1-0 upset at Turf Moor.
Possible lineups
Tottenham’s lineup is likely to reflect Thomas Frank’s preference for a structured yet attacking 4-3-3 formation. With injuries impacting their squad, key absences include Radu Dragusin (ACL, out until late 2025) and James Maddison (ACL, out for most of the 2025/26 season).
A possible Spurs XI could feature Guglielmo Vicario in goal, a back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Destiny Udogie, a midfield trio of Yves Bissouma, João Palhinha, and Oliver Skipp, and an attacking line of Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, and Dominic Solanke.
Burnley, under Scott Parker, are expected to deploy a compact 4-4-2, with new signing Kyle Walker potentially debuting at right-back.
Their likely lineup includes James Trafford in goal, a defense of Walker, Dara O’Shea, Maxime Estève, and Vitinho, a midfield of Josh Brownhill, Josh Cullen, Hannibal Mejbri, and Luca Koleosho, and strikers Lyle Foster and Jay Rodriguez.
Burnley’s injury list includes Manuel Benson (ankle) and Lyle Foster (shoulder, doubtful), which may force Parker to adjust his attacking options.
Betting tips
Betting markets heavily favor Tottenham, with odds around -285 for a Spurs win, +425 for a draw, and +750 for a Burnley upset. A strong betting option is Tottenham to score exactly two goals, given their consistent scoring pattern under Thomas Frank in opening fixtures.
A riskier wager on over 2.5 goals is appealing, as Tottenham’s home games often produce goals, and Burnley’s attacking output in the Championship suggests they can contribute.
A bet builder combining Tottenham to win, over 2.5 goals, and Richarlison to score anytime offers good value. Alternatively, Tottenham to win to nil at +150 could be considered, though Burnley’s away form makes this less certain.