Why Burnley Can Break Into The Premier League’s Big Six By The End Of The Season
Burnley have been in remarkable form under Sean Dyche and have truly taken the Premier League by storm. The Clarets are playing top-level football and have exceeded expectations so far. Right from the opening day shock victory against defending champions Chelsea to their recent win against Swansea City, Burnley have been impressive, week in and week out. They face a big test against Arsenal over the weekend and share the same points as Arsene Wenger’s men and Liverpool. If they manage to register a win, Burnley will move above the Gunners.
Whether they stay there or not obviously depends on how they perform in the following set of games but the fact that they are breaking into the top six itself is a huge deal. When the season began, Burnley were not even considered as a threat. In fact, many expected them to get relegated and their opening day victory against Chelsea was considered a one-time miracle. However, the Clarets have been one of the very few sides to have put in consistent performances this season.
When they host Arsenal on Sunday, Burnley will look to make it four consecutive wins. Most of the credit for this remarkable turn of events must go to Sean Dyche. The way he has assembled his team is strikingly similar to Claudio Ranieri’s historic Premier League side that picked up the title in 2015/16. At present, the likes of Riyad Mahrez, N’golo Kante and Jamie Vardy are considered big players in the league but back then, people hardly knew them. And yet, they made a mark for themselves by soldiering through.
Burnley’s players are doing the same this time. They are a bunch of passionate and hard-working individuals who are playing for more than just a victory or 3 points – they are playing for passion.
The club deserves special mention for their stunning defence. They are third among the clubs to have conceded the least amount of goals. Ben Mee and James Tarkowski have established a solid defensive partnership at the back while Jack Cork continues to be a formidable presence in the middle of the park. However, they have solely relied on their defence. When it comes to the attack, they have scored just 12 goals in 12 games so far.
The fact that Burnley have faced Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City and only lost once is truly commendable. They lost only against Guardiola’s men at the Etihad stadium and one can hardly blame them for that since it looks like every team will be subjected to the same.
Surely, the way Burnley are playing right now, a top-6 finish looks pretty much achievable.