Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
At Home Park, clubs from opposite ends of the table face off. Burnley are just three points shy of the leaders, while bottom-placed Plymouth Argyle sit five points from their nearest competitor. How can one even hope for a draw here?
Plymouth Argyle
In truth, since Wayne Rooney's departure, Plymouth Argyle have shown signs of improvement in January. They have almost stopped losing (three draws and a defeat in the league, along with an FA Cup win), and have tightened up defensively. Their scoring rate hasn't changed much, as matches where Plymouth Argyle score more than one goal remain rare. The last high-scoring draw was on 1 January, without Wayne Rooney—2:2 against Bristol City in the Championship. Since then, they've had four matches with totals under 2.5, scoring two goals only once.
Burnley
Burnley are known for their efficiency in achieving results throughout the campaign. Across 27 rounds, they have only had five matches where they scored more than two goals. Their defence is impressively reliable: they have conceded just nine goals so far, averaging one goal every three games. Goalkeeper James Trafford's clean sheet streak now stands at 460 minutes—over five matches.
Plymouth Argyle vs Burnley Prediction
There is likely to be an edge in favour of Burnley. However, given the current situation and the arrival of Miron Muslic as coach, we shouldn't rule out a reinvigorated Plymouth side. Therefore, we're opting for a total under.
