Charlie Taylor
Charlie Taylor admitted about mixed emotions after Burnley came within a whisker of getting a long-awaited win over Arsenal. The 0-0 draw at Turf Moor ended the Clarets’ run of 11 straight defeats in all competitions but it could have been so much more.
Charlie Taylor said ” We’ve taken seven points from the last three games when no-one really gave us much hope in any of them. Everyone in the club believed and to get seven points means there’s no way we can be disappointed. It started off here a few weeks ago against Leicester and then you’d say it was a historic win over United which was brilliant. Then today although we’re gutted not to have got the win a point keeps us going and keeps the run going.”
Despite moving up to 11th in the Premier League ahead of the first winter break, Taylor couldn’t hide a feeling of what might have been. Rewind the clock a few short weeks and Burnley had been beaten 3-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and were precariously positioned in the Premier League. The Clarets had lost four on the spin and seven of nine, the two wins in that run were scrappy and scruffy 1-0 victories. There were plenty of worries and a January which began with Sean Dyche saying new signings were ‘unlikely’.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche believes his side will make a “very powerful” statement if they can chalk up victories in the next few rounds. Following a run of four consecutive league defeats after Christmas that pitched the Clarets back into a relegation scrap, Dyche’s side then eased the pressure with back-to-back wins over Leicester, Manchester United and a comfortable draw against Arsenal.
Sean Dyche said “Putting two back-to-back wins together is hard enough in the Premier League. Anywhere in the division – top, middle or bottom – it’s no easy task. We had a blip and I’m pleased it was a blip. We’ve taken 12 points out of the last eight games with four defeats and four wins. We’re onto something but it’s putting it out there again and going and delivering a good performance again.”
New midfield signing Josh Brownhill is poised to make his debut following his move on Thursday from Bristol City, while defender Phil Bardsley is back in contention after recovering from a back problem, but Johann Berg Gudmundsson (hamstring) and Ashley Barnes (hernia operation) remain sidelined.
