Tottenham Hotspur kicked off their Premier League campaign in style with a convincing 3-0 victory over newly promoted Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, with Richarlison’s double strike headlining an impressive performance.
The result will come as a massive boost to Ange Postecoglou’s side, who not only secured all three points but also claimed their first clean sheet of the new season – addressing one of their major concerns from the previous campaign.
Spurs wasted little time in asserting their dominance, taking the lead after just 10 minutes through a moment of quality from their attacking duo. Mohammed Kudus delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, finding Richarlison, who made no mistake with the finish to give the hosts the perfect start.
The Brazilian striker’s early goal settled any nerves and allowed Tottenham to play with the confidence and fluidity that their supporters had hoped to see from the opening day.
The same partnership that produced the opener combined brilliantly again to double Spurs’ advantage on the hour mark. Kudus showed excellent individual skill to beat his marker and deliver another dangerous ball into the penalty area.
This time, the cross was slightly behind Richarlison, but the former Everton forward demonstrated his technical ability with a spectacular scissor kick that flew past Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka and into the net – undoubtedly a contender for goal of the season.
The scoring was completed when Pape Sarr turned provider with a perfectly weighted through ball that found Brennan Johnson in space. The Welsh international made no mistake with the finish, tapping home for his first goal of the new campaign and putting the result beyond doubt.
Despite the scoreline, Vincent Kompany’s Burnley side showed they won’t be pushovers in their return to the top flight. The Clarets created several opportunities throughout the match, with Anass Zaroury coming closest to finding the net just moments before Richarlison’s stunning second goal.
The visitors’ efforts were reflected in the statistics, as they managed to register an expected goals tally of 1.1, suggesting they created enough chances to have found the back of the net on another day.
The match provided excellent entertainment for the neutral, with both teams contributing to an open, attacking encounter that produced 30 shots combined. Tottenham’s expected goals of 2.33 – with the majority coming in the second half – demonstrated their growing dominance as the game progressed.
While Spurs were clinical with their finishing, Burnley can take heart from their ability to create chances against Premier League opposition and will be confident of causing problems for other teams this season.
Tottenham now face the ultimate test of their title credentials with a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face defending champions Manchester City in their next fixture – a match that will provide a true measure of their progress under Postecoglou.
For Burnley, a crucial early-season encounter awaits as they return to Turf Moor to host fellow promoted side Sunderland. That fixture could prove pivotal in both teams’ efforts to establish themselves in the Premier League this season.
The convincing nature of this victory will give Spurs fans genuine optimism that their team can build on last season’s progress and mount a serious challenge for European qualification once again.
