#5 – Burnley staving off a relegation scrap
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When Burnley go up, they must come down. The two prior promotions for the Lancashire club have ended in a one-way trip back down the ladder, mainly due to a combination of a lack of top-flight quality with a sprinkle of not enough cash and a dab of away day nightmares.
Sean Dyche saw that script a few years ago and the grizzly-voiced Englishman thought he’d write a better sequel. One where Burley continued to be a workhorse but one that actually got results rather than seemingly looking positive only to flounder at the end.
Only three teams have bested them at Turf Moor, Swansea stole a 1-0 win at the start of the season, Arsenal got lucky with their own 1-0 victory and Manchester City showed their prowess as they took the three points. Combine that with the best defence in the bottom half and it’s not hard to see why the Clarets have caused teams headaches this season.
In fact, if they could muster anything on their travels, they would already be safe. Saying that, had you offered the Burnley fans an eight-point advantage with four other teams sandwiched between themselves and the drop at this point of the season, they would think you were possessed.
Dyche has done a terrific job of making something out of nothing, despite many predicting his side to finish bottom again. If he can finish the job, he should be duking it out with Conte and Pulis for Manager of the Year honours.
