It was almost a story of London buses for the team from the north of the capital city on Wednesday.
Spurs had waited 17 years for a trophy since the 2008 League Cup before they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final in May. Their reward was a battle with Paris Saint-Germain for the prize of the UEFA Super Cup, and after 80 minutes, there were two goals ahead in Udine.
However, the bottling gene returned, as Kang-in Lee and Goncalo Ramos rallied from the bench to level the score for PSG, who won 4-3 in a penalty shootout. Spurs walked away empty-handed but with pride in their performance as the building blocks are put in place under Thomas Frank.
The Dane has demonstrated he can maximise resources at **Brentford**and is already scaling up some of his strategies for facing big opponents. But now he must embrace the position of the protagonist.
It was not a problem with the Bees, whom he guided to promotion through the playoffs in 2021. But the pressure is on for an outfit that only finished above the bottom three during the last campaign.
Frank's thoughts will go out to the visitors, who try to survive in the top tier after a year-long hiatus.
Scott Parker picked up the pieces of a **Burnley**side that tried to play 'the right way' under Vincent Kompany in the 2023/24 season. He went on to steer the team to a historic Championship campaign.
The Clarets charted 30 clean sheets last term, conceding only 16 goals in 46 games, both records in the second tier of English football. Their 100 point haul was not enough to outdo Leeds United and take the top spot in the table, but both clubs were clear in the race to return to the promised land.
It will be a different beast to be such a strong bulwark in the topflight. Burnley have only avoided defeat once away to Tottenham and also conceded in each of their last 20 Premier League outings.
Parker has tried to achieve survival with promoted teams before. He failed with **Fulham**in 2021 and walked away from **Bournemouth**weeks into the 2022/23 season. Will this attempt work out for him?
Tottenham
Frank will be frustrated to be without two instigators in the final third. ****James Maddisonis missing with an ACL injury he picked up from the preseason tour in a 1-1 draw withNewcastle Unitedat the start of the month.Dejan Kulusevski****is also on the road to recovery after he had a knee surgery.
Destiny Udogie is "progressing" with the rehab from a niggle in his knee, but will be absent, as will Radu Dragusin after an ACL tear. **Kota Takai**must wait for his league debut due to a foot issue.
There is good news for Dominic Solanke. He is still not set to start for Spurs, but he came off the bench in midweek against PSG after suffering from an ankle injury, and should earn more minutes.
Yves Bissouma is back in the mix after a disciplinary for lateness ruled him out of the last squad.
Burnley
Two attackers are out of the picture for Parker in the long term. **Manuel Benson**has been sidelined with a significant calf tear since September of last year. Zeki Amdouni has been absent since the preseason phase thanks to a cruciate ligament injury, which has since forced him to undergo surgery.
Otherwise, the boss believes he is going back to his old club with a "pretty full squad" to pick from.
Reunions are also on the cards for Marcus Edwards, who only featured once for his boyhood club before furthering his career in Portugal, and Kyle Walker, who spent eight years on their books.
Zian Flemming, Bashir Humphreys, Jordan Beyer, and **Connor Roberts**all had niggles as the preseason went on. But according to the manager, injuries would not chalk anyone out of his plans.
Likely Lineups
Tottenham
Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Sarr, Odobert; Richarlison
Burnley
Hladky; Walker, Esteve, Ekdal, Hartman; Laurent, Cullen; Bruun Larsen, Hannibal, Antony; Foster
Key Players
Tottenham – Wilson Odobert
The arrival of new managers may mean certain players have more or less significance in a squad. The jump has not happened at this level for Wilson Odobert, but could he benefit from Frank's presence?
Spurs should expect to have more of the ball, and this fixture will be unlike the tests against Arsenal, Bayern Munich, or PSG. They must be the protagonists and manage to take the game to the Clarets.
It could be the time for the Frenchman to shine. He left an impression after his first year in England with Burnley to bring about the move to North London. He has a silky first touch, knows how to square up and take on markers from both flanks, and has more refinement than Brennan Johnson.
The Welshman would benefit from being a back post scorer for Ange Postecoglou, but his speed masks some flaws. Now, his fellow wide threat will want to make this campaign one to remember.
Burnley – Maxime Esteve
At the other end of the field, a fellow Frenchman will look to be a leader and manage Spurs' threat.
The backline has experienced a lot of disruption. James Trafford took the chance to return to Manchester City, whose squad he left for two years of first team football with the Clarets.
Bashir Humphreys, who signed permanently as a smart pickup from Chelsea, has not played since February with a quad injury, and Hjalmar Ekdal went on loan to **Groningen**at the start of the year.
Esteve chose to withdraw from the **France**squad for the Olympics in 2024, and a summer of rest did the 23-year-old the world of good. He did not miss a match in the Championship, and his box defending was a big part of the excellent record that propelled Burnley back into the top tier.
He should embrace these tests at this point in his career and see where the year could take him.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game will take place at the home of Tottenham Hotspur, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
The kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 BST on Saturday, 16 August 2025.
How can I watch?
Live footage will not be televised in the UK. However, a replay will be accessible through SpursPlay.