Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley: Premier League - Talking Points!

Burnley's unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an abrupt end as they were beaten 4-0 by Tottenham Hotspur.
Jose Mourinho (R), Manager of Tottenham Hotspur interacts with Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley prior to the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 28, 2021 in London, England.Jose Mourinho (R), Manager of Tottenham Hotspur interacts with Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley prior to the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 28, 2021 in London, England.
Jose Mourinho (R), Manager of Tottenham Hotspur interacts with Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley prior to the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 28, 2021 in London, England.

The Clarets were behind after just 68 seconds - the quickest goal they have conceded in the Premier League - when Gareth Bale turned home Heung-Min Son's cross.

Harry Kane made it 2-0 after a quarter-of-an-hour when his effort, from Bale's pinpoint pass, took a deflection off James Tarkowski.

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Lucas Moura then made it 3-0 before the break when Burnley failed to deal with Sergio Reguilon's delivery.

Gareth Bale of Spurs goes for the ball with keeper Nick Pope of Burnley during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 28, 2021 in London, England.Gareth Bale of Spurs goes for the ball with keeper Nick Pope of Burnley during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 28, 2021 in London, England.
Gareth Bale of Spurs goes for the ball with keeper Nick Pope of Burnley during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 28, 2021 in London, England.

Bale then grabbed his second of the afternoon with a sumptuous left-footed finish in the 55th minute.

Here are some of the talking points from the game.

JOSE MOURINHO

Of the managers that Burnley boss Sean Dyche has faced five times or more, only three have been able to survive the 158 defeats he has inflicted.

Tottenham Hotspur's Welsh striker Gareth Bale (L) scores his team's fourth goal, his second, during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on February 28, 2021.Tottenham Hotspur's Welsh striker Gareth Bale (L) scores his team's fourth goal, his second, during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on February 28, 2021.
Tottenham Hotspur's Welsh striker Gareth Bale (L) scores his team's fourth goal, his second, during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on February 28, 2021.

Jose Mourinho is one of those, alongside Manchester City's Pep Guardiola and ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

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The trio are unbeaten in 31 meetings against the Turf Moor chief, with the Portuguese national extending his personal run to 11 games on Sunday.

The former FIFA World Coach of the Year - a two-time Champions League winner with Porto and Inter Milan - has had Dyche's number ever since the ex-Watford defender took charge of his first Premier League game.

Many of you will remember it well. Cesc Fabregas's cushioned assist from Branislav Ivanovic's pass is one of the best we've witnessed in the top flight and Andre Schurrle obliged with the finish.

Burnley forward Lewis RichardsonBurnley forward Lewis Richardson
Burnley forward Lewis Richardson

That was the moment when Chelsea overturned Scott Arfield's opener way back in 2014 and when Mourinho would take command of this pitchside rivalry.

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The 58-year-old has won six more since - two of those with Manchester United - but had a scare when Burnley had moved into a two-goal lead at Old Trafford in December 2017.

Results since Steven Defour struck with a quite spectacular set-piece, however, have been quite convincing, with Spurs netting nine times in the last two meetings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Asked if he felt he owed Mourinho one, Dyche replied: "I've never felt like that about any manager, I've never felt like that about teams, I've never felt it about teams that I've played for, I just get on with trying to win!"

A PINT OF LAGER AND A PACKET OF CRISPS

Funnily enough, Dyche's quip in response to a question about Nick Pope's future coincided with the release of a sketch to mark the 20th anniversary of 'Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'.

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The short video featured Will Mellor and Ralph Little reprise their roles as Jonny and Gaz, with the latter reportedly speaking from a beach in Hawaii.

Dyche, meanwhile, had been addressing reports of Spurs' interest in his goalkeeper, as speculation had outlined the England international as a long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris.

And the Burnley boss set a quite unique transfer fee, saying: "How do you know every offer would have to be massive?

"If they offered a bag of crisps, a pint of lager, in a pub, at the moment with the way things are going, I might be swayed. I might actually take it."

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It would, quite obviously, take much more than a bag of Pickled Onion Monster Munch and an ice cold pint of beer to prize Pope from the club's clutches, particularly in light of another positive display at the home of his suitors.

It would take a 'monster' fee. The Clarets stopper might have shipped four goals, but he couldn't be held responsible for the finishes that found the back of the net.

Pope, who is in contention to become England's number one for the Euros this summer, made a brilliant save to keep out Lucas Moura in the first half.

But those to prevent Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son from adding to the home side's lead after the break were even more impressive.

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The 28-year-old's statistics are as good as anything on offer in the PL. Only Ederson (15), Emiliano Martinez (13) and Edouard Mendy (11) have returned more than his nine clean sheets so far this season.

According to the WyScout database, Pope has faced the fifth most shots (134) in the division and made the most saves (105), with only West Brom's Sam Johnstone and Leeds United's Illan Meslier fairing better.

"If someone can find a way of changing the rules of the country, get me a pint and a big of crisps then I will have to try and hang on to Popey the best I could," Dyche added.

"Pickled Onion Monster Munch have got to be up there. Anything steak minded or beef. That would do."

EARLY GOALS

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A couple of beers might have been the tonic to take the edge off Sunday's showing away at Spurs.

Either way, whether alcohol was consumed in the aftermath or not, Dyche and many Burnley fans who tuned in to the game would have been waking up with a bad head.

Gareth Bale's opener at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after just 68 seconds was the quickest goal the Clarets have conceded in the Premier League.

And that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the fixture as the hosts - who had lost five of their previous six games in the league - were rampant.

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Josh Brownhill didn't do enough against the ball to prevent Son's cross from taking four players out of the equation.

Charlie Taylor stepped up too late, playing Bale onside in the process, and the Welshman, back to his brilliant best, guided the ball home for only his second league goal of the campaign.

Dyche said: "If you give a soft goal away like that so early on it kills your game-plan. Part of your game-plan stops immediately and we were never able to push them to the phase where it was awkward or uncomfortable because they got that one and then a second very quickly.

"We didn't keep them out for long enough to make them nervous. We didn't stay in the game long enough to make that happen."

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Burnley have been guilty of conceding early goals a number of times this season and they've failed to respond in any of those games.

Danny Ings (5), Riyad Mahrez (6), Patrick Bamford (5), Michail Antonio (9), Gabriel Jesus (3) and now Bale (2) have all breached Burnley's rearguard in the early stages of games and Southampton, Manchester City, Leeds United, West Ham United and Spurs all went on to win to nil.

Dyche added: "It is such a soft goal. By our standards, we very rarely get done by stuff like that in any part of the game but we certainly did today in the early phase and we didn't look alive to it.

"It took us almost off guard for some reason, we didn't respond to it, our line was all wrong, our distances were all wrong. As it was on the third goal, our distances were wrong as a defensive unit.

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"It is a tough afternoon when these sides get their noses in front."

BLOODING YOUNGSTERS

Burnley's misfortune with injuries since Project Restart has been both a blessing and a curse for some of the club's pool of youngsters.

With Dyche's squad as stretched as it has ever been, due to his group of senior pros down to the bare bones, the Clarets chief has had no other option but to call on the Under 23s.

Lukas Jensen, Ryan Cooney, Bobby Thomas, Jordan Cropper, Mace Goodridge and Adam Phillips have all been allowed out on loan to further their development.

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You would imagine more from Steve Stone's collective would have joined them if there hadn't been such a shortage in personnel.

But that has opened the door for other opportunities at first team level. Max Thompson, Josh Benson, Jimmy Dunne, Joel Mumbongo and Anthony Driscoll-Glennon have all made their debuts while Lewis Richardson was handed his big moment in the capital.

The 18-year-old replaced Jay Rodriguez in the closing stages. "Young Rico got on to get his first little feel of what it's like in first team life on the pitch," said Dyche.

"We've had challenges with injuries, but it has opened up these moments for these young players.

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"They are moments that they'll remember forever and we want them to build on them. Even in a game like today, he'll remember getting on so that's good for him.

"He has been with the first team on and off over the last little period.

"Steve Stone said he has been doing well and working hard and doing all the details that are important as he matures

"It is good for him to get on the football pitch."