Burnley vs Sunderland Prediction: Burnley will persist in their efforts to secure valuable three points

On Friday evening, Burnley will be playing host to Sunderland in a highly anticipated match, as the former seeks to secure a victory that will bring the club within a mere six points of a much-coveted return to the illustrious Premier League.

Despite facing a formidable opponent in Manchester City during the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, Burnley suffered a significant setback as they were handed a resounding 6-0 defeat at the hands of Vincent Kompany's former side, which brought the team back down to earth with a somewhat jarring bump.

Notwithstanding the disappointment mentioned earlier, Burnley can now shift their focus towards their ultimate objective of securing a prompt return to the top tier of English football, as they are currently just nine points shy of this feat with only nine matches left to play.

Burnley boasts an impressive record of 17 consecutive matches without a defeat in the league, which serves as a testament to the team's exceptional form. Further extending this unbeaten streak at their home ground, Turf Moor, would undoubtedly bolster their position of strength over their closest rivals Sheffield United, potentially increasing their lead by more than 13 points.

Muric; Roberts, Dakhil, Beyer, Maatsen; Cullen, Cork; Tella, Gudmundsson, Zaroury; Barnes.

Taking Sunderland's perspective into consideration, their once-promising campaign for promotion has started to wane, with their fortunes dwindling following a heart-wrenching last-minute equalizer at home to Bristol City on February 18th. The team has only managed to garner a meager five points from their last seven matches, with their recent form not necessarily aided by facing three fellow promotion contenders.

Despite this, it is worth noting that Tony Mowbray may find solace in the fact that the team has managed to collect a commendable four points from their recent encounters with Norwich City, Sheffield United, and Luton Town, which may serve as a boost to their morale.

It is anticipated that Amad Diallo, having played for a total of 74 minutes during his participation in the Ivory Coast national team's recent fixture on Tuesday, will continue to occupy a spot among the Sunderland substitutes for the upcoming match.

Patterson; Gooch, Hume, Batth, O'Nien; Michut, Neil; Roberts, Ba, Clarke; Gelhardt.

Considering the recent international break, there is a strong possibility that this upcoming fixture may prove to be more closely contested than initially anticipated. Nevertheless, while we acknowledge Sunderland's potential to find the back of the net at Turf Moor, our expectations remain that Burnley will persist in their efforts to secure another valuable three points, likely through a hard-fought battle on the field. Based on our analysis, it is reasonable to anticipate a total of over 2.5 goals to be scored during this upcoming match.