Burnley are the visitors to the Riverside in our final match of 2024.
Ahead of the Sky Bet Championship match, here is a closer look at the Clarets...
The background
Burnley returned to the second tier this season after a disappointing campaign in the Premier League in 2023/24.
The Clarets have enjoyed life in the Championship so far this season, sitting third in the table and only one point from the top.
They come into this fixture in fine form having won their last three, including a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United last time out.
In the reverse fixture at the start of the month, we claimed a point at Turf Moor courtesy of an Anfernee Dijksteel chip.
The boss
Scott Parker took charge of Burnley in the summer after Vincent Kompany departed for Bayern Munich.
Parker began his managerial career shortly after retiring from playing. He first took charge of Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-18s before joining Fulham as first-team coach.
He was then appointed manager in 2019, and in his first season in charge, he guided Fulham back to the Premier League. Despite the positive start to his managerial career, Fulham were relegated the following year.
Parker was appointed AFC Bournemouth manager in the summer of 2021, where he again earned promotion back to the Premier League. After a run of poor results at the start of the following campaign, Parker parted company with Bournemouth.
A short spell abroad at Club Brugge was up next before he was appointed head coach at Burnley.
Key players
Josh Brownhill has been a key figure for the Clarets since joining in 2020. Brownhill is the club’s top scorer this season with six.
Ecuador international Jeremy Sarmiento is a dangerous figure in the Burnley attack. The wideman impressed when Boro traveled to Turf Moor at the start of the month.
Summer signing Jaidon Anthony is another to keep an eye out for. The winger has featured 15 times so far this season, bagging two goals and two assists.
French defender Maxime Esteve is an influential figure in the Burnley side. The central defender has played every game for the Clarets and is a key reason for their impressive defensive record.
Past meetings
The last time the Clarets visited the Riverside they edged out a 2-1 win to gain promotion to the Premier League.
This is the second meeting of the season, with nothing to separate the two sides in the 1-1 draw at the start of December.