New on Sports Illustrated: Burnley-Newcastle United Preview

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Burnley's most productive run of the season has them residing within the top-half of the Premier League table.

The visiting Clarets look to remain there, and possibly move up the table, when they try to do the double over offensively-challenged Newcastle United on Saturday.

From Dec. 26-Jan. 11, Burnley (11-4-12) scored one goal whilst conceding eight during a four-game Premier League losing streak. Since then within the league, they've outscored their opponents 9-2 during a 4-1-0 stretch.

Their most resounding result of that span came with last weekend's 3-0 home win over Bournemouth. With star Chris Wood nursing an injury, Matej Vydra scored in his second straight contest and Dwight McNeil added a goal with an assist as the Clarets won their second consecutive match to sit 10th in the table.

"The main job for us is to stay in the Premier League, and then you never know what could happen," McNeil told Burnley's official website.

The good times kept coming this week when the club announced Wood, the team leader with 10 goals, will be available for this contest after sitting out last weekend with a hamstring issue.

"He's looking good," Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. "He's fit, so he comes back into the thinking. (Vydra) and (Jay Rodriguez) in the last couple of games have laid down a marker as well."

With all that up-front talent at the moment, Dyche might have a bit of a lineup dilemma for this match, but perhaps that's a good problem to have. Wood was the lone goal-scorer in a 1-0 home victory over Newcastle on Dec. 14.

Burnley, however, are 0-2-1 at Newcastle during the premier League era.

The Magpies (8-7-12), however, have had trouble scoring no matter where they've played of late. Their most recent Premier League goals came via Florian Lejeune, one minute apart in extra time to earn a 2-2 draw at Everton on Jan. 21.

Since then, Newcastle have been outscored 5-0 whilst going 0-1-2 over a three-game stretch - the last two being road defeats at Arsenal and Crystal Palace. The Magpies, 14th in the table, last won on Jan. 18, over Chelsea - their only league victory over a nine-game stretch.

"All season we've worked hard for the club, for the manager, for the fans - and we're going to keep doing that," captain Jamaal Lascelles told Newcastle's official website.

Newcastle last went four straight Premier League games without a goal early during the 2015-16 season.

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