Our series of articles on Burnley concludes with a look at the Clarets’ attacking options.
A profile of manager Scott Parker and a round-up of Burnley’s defensive assets preceded this piece.
To get a fan’s perspective, we’ve included insights from Adam Dennett of the excellent No Nay Never podcast.
The stats in this piece are taken from WhoScored and FBref.
WHAT IS BURNLEY’S GOAL-SCORING POTENTIAL IN FPL?
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 46 | 28 | 16 | 2 | 69 | 16 | +53 | 100 |
| Home | 23 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 35 | 8 | +27 | 51 |
| Away | 23 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 34 | 8 | +26 | 49 |
Goals didn’t exactly flow for Burnley in 2024/25, as their return of 69 goals was dwarfed by the 95 of Leeds United.
Underlying stats-wise, the Clarets attempted 198 fewer shots than the champions and were only mid-table in terms of expected goals (xG).
| 2024/25 total (rank v other Championship clubs) | |
|---|---|
| Goals scored | 69 (3rd) |
| Shots | 561 (10th) |
| Attempts from set plays | 154 (17th) |
| Attempts from counter-attacks | 20 (20th) |
| Expected goals (xG) | 57.5 (10th) |
Parker’s reputation for measured, possession-based football is reflected in the low number of counter-attack shots.
The Clarets posed little threat from set-piece situations, too.
It is probably fair to say that Burnley’s defenders will be of keener interest to Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers in 2025/26 than their players further forward, then.
That said, Burnley did increase their attacking threat after Marcus Edwards arrived from Sporting CP in January, netting 30 goals in their final 13 matches.
“A big part in the transformation was the signing of Marcus Edwards from Sporting in January. His quality on the ball gave the opposition something to think about and made such a difference to our previously one-dimensional attacks. Josh Brownhill, Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming were the biggest beneficiaries of the extra space being afforded. I’m not saying that we will be able to replicate this in the Premier League, but it certainly gives us hope.” – Adam Dennett
Parker’s team will be solely focused on survival next season, with a pivotal home match against Sunderland in Gameweek 2 likely to shape the course of their campaign.
THE PLAYERS
2024/25: APPS, GOALS AND ASSISTS
| Player | Position | Starts (sub apps) | Mins | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Brownhill | CM/AM | 39 (3) | 3,483 | 18 | 6 |
| Zian Flemming | ST | 28 (7) | 2,439 | 12 | 4 |
| Jaidon Anthony | RW/LW | 42 (1) | 3,675 | 8 | 7 |
| Jeremy Sarmiento* | AM/LW | 11 (24) | 1,157 | 4 | 0 |
| Lyle Foster | ST/LW | 17 (11) | 1,595 | 2 | 5 |
| Josh Cullen | CM | 43 (1) | 3,810 | 2 | 3 |
| Josh Laurent | CM | 25 (17) | 2,442 | 2 | 2 |
| Jay Rodriguez* | ST | 8 (12) | 742 | 2 | 0 |
| Luca Koleosho | RW/LW | 20 (8) | 1,683 | 2 | 0 |
| Hannibal Mejbri | AM | 23 (14) | 1,933 | 1 | 4 |
| Ashley Barnes | ST | 2 (12) | 128 | 1 | 1 |
| Marcus Edwards | RW | 12 (2) | 946 | 1 | 1 |
| Johann Gudmundsson* | RW | 0 (1) | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Zeki Amdouni | AM | 0 (2) | 33 | 1 | 0 |
| Manuel Benson | RW | 0 (3) | 43 | 1 | 0 |
| Wilson Odobert* | AM | 1 | 90 | 1 | 0 |
| Han-Noah Massengo | CM | 1 (7) | 93 | 0 | 1 |
| Nathan Redmond | RW | 0 (2) | 13 | 0 | 1 |
*No longer at the club
JOSH BROWNHILL
Only one player in the Championship scored more goals than Josh Brownhill in 2024/25.
The box-to-box midfielder, who also thrived playing in a slightly more advanced role under Parker, finished the season as Burnley’s top goalscorer, with 18. He also contributed six assists.
Brownhill capped off the season in style with a brace of goals against Millwall, but it could very well have been his final appearance for the club, as his contract is set to expire at the end of the month.
On penalties (he took and scored three in 2024/25), with a share of free-kicks too, Brownhill produced 63 shots. Two teammates, Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming, both surpassed that total, with 97 and 79 respectively.
Similarly, his 49 key passes were significantly inferior to Anthony’s 81.
Furthermore, there was a notable overperformance in expected goals, netting 18 times despite an xG of only 9.9.
That said, Brownhill’s clever movement, ability to crash the box and form overloads, both centrally and out wide, shouldn’t be overlooked.
“He’s a driving force in this team, he’s got brilliant box habits and he’s always in and around the right areas.” – Scott Parker on Josh Brownhill
With Burnley making the step up to the top flight, Brownhill might be pushed deeper, but his well-timed runs into the box could still produce goals.
As a midfield enabler, he’d likely need to be priced up at £4.5m to pick up any real Fantasy interest, if he remains at the club, of course.
JAIDON ANTHONY/MARCUS EDWARDS
Winger Jaidon Anthony was directly involved in 15 goals last season, scoring eight times in 43 matches.
The corner-taker also provided seven assists from 81 key passes, the joint-second most in the Championship, highlighting his position as one of the division’s most creative players.
Playing consistently under Parker, who managed him at Bournemouth, Anthony mostly lined up on the right in the first half of the campaign, where he struggled to impose himself.
Edwards’ arrival in January solved that problem, however, as it meant Anthony could shift to the left, where he could cut inside onto his stronger right foot.
From that point onwards, he bagged five goals and four assists in 13 matches.
Edwards, meanwhile, was a surprise loan signing from Sporting CP, a move which, like Anthony’s, has since been made permanent.
His presence turned Burnley into a far more potent unit, with his knack for drifting inside and attracting defenders opening up space for others.
“Marcus has brought a quality in the final third for us, he’s scored some goals, he attracts players, opposition are wary in terms of attracting two or three and we open up spaces elsewhere. He’s got individual quality as well, hence why we brought him here and I understood what Marcus would bring to us and us as a team. I knew he’d enhance us. He’s definitely been a large part and I think the whole team as well, our general improvement in the final third and as an attacking force has improved no end in terms of us understanding what we’ve been working on as well, I’ve seen it first-hand over the last few weeks. So, while Marcus has added that, I do think as a group and as a team, our general structure in terms of attacking has improved massively.” – Scott Parker on Marcus Edwards
A regular starter during the run-in, Edwards produced just one goal and one assist in 14 appearances, registering 18 shots and 12 key passes.
Even at £5.0m/£5.5m, Edwards will need to seriously improve that output to become a Fantasy option.
| Mins | Goals | Assists | Shots per game | Key passes per game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony | 3,675 | 8 | 7 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| Edwards | 946 | 1 | 1 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Brownhill | 3,483 | 18 | 6 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
ZIAN FLEMMING
Zian Flemming scored 12 goals and provided four assists in 27 Championship starts and a handful of sub appearances last season.
The Dutchman, who flourished as an attacking midfielder at previous club Millwall, mostly played as a number nine under Parker.
He lacked creativity (0.7 key passes per game), but his average of just under three shots per 90 was the best rate of any Burnley player. He also took some free-kicks.
Admittedly, Flemming’s goal output is less desirable than that of Leeds’ Joel Piroe, who struck 19 times last season. However, it’s worth noting nine of his 12 goals arrived on the road, where opponents were far more likely to attack Burnley.
“It’s probably not a coincidence. I think it’s probably the dynamics of the games and what we face. I think it’s probably very different. You go away from home, maybe the game’s a bit more open. Teams are coming at us a little bit more and there’s probably bigger chances for us to create or exploit. What other teams are leaving at home is probably a little bit different. Teams come with probably a bit of a different game plan. We’re probably reduced and restricted in the chances we can create for Flem.” – Scott Parker on Zian Flemming
Flemming might benefit from more space to exploit in the top flight, then, though Parker could target a new centre-forward this summer.
Lyle Foster, meanwhile, failed to nail down a regular place in the first XI during the run-in, mustering only two starts in the final 13 matches.
“… it would be great to add a striker to compete with Flemming and Foster. There may also be a Brownhill-shaped hole to fill in the coming weeks! I expect Parker to bring experienced Premier League heads in to blend with the young squad and maintain what has been an excellent team spirit since he took the reins at Turf Moor.” – Adam Dennett
OTHER OPTIONS
Due to his deep-lying midfield role, Josh Cullen probably won’t make the cut as a Fantasy asset, having produced 23 shots and 36 key passes in 44 matches last season.
Hannibal Mejbri and Josh Laurent, meanwhile, offer different attributes, with Parker often switching between the two depending on the opponent.
Hannibal, the more attacking option, averaged just 0.9 shots and 0.8 key passes per match.
“Parker doesn’t rotate for the sake of it, but did make regular changes in some positions, particularly in central midfield, with Hannibal and Josh Laurent rotating depending on opponent.” – Adam Dennett
Winger Luca Koleosho struggled for regular game time under Parker last season. While he made 28 league appearances, the youngster started just one Championship match in 2025.
Another winger, Manuel Benson, was largely injured, making just three sub appearances.
Zeki Amdouni, who scored five goals for Burnley in their last season in the top flight, was on loan with Benfica in 2024/25. As part of the deal, the Portuguese giants have the option to make the move permanent, though it’s yet to be revealed if that clause will be triggered.
The likes of Han-Noah Massengo, Andres Hountondji, Darko Churlinov and Michael Obafemi also return from their respective loan deals, though it remains to be seen if they are part of Parker’s plans.
Veteran forward Ashley Barnes is out of contract this summer.
Jonjo Shelvey and Nathan Redmond have been released.
