Premier League action makes a quick return to Turf Moor tonight night as Burnley play hosts to Stoke City, kick off 7.45. The match quickly follows on from the incident packed 1-0 victory over Watford on Saturday when Johann Berg Gudmundsson increased his assists in the league this season to 5.
A 5th win in the last 7 league games for Sean Dyche's Clarets has narrowed the gap to 2 points in the race for a Champions League place.
While that possibility may seem very much tongue in cheek for the EPL media observers, European football at Turf Moor next season is getting a little closer for Sean Dyche's team of the moment.
To talk in such terms would have been considered ridiculous at the start of the season but then again who would ever have thought Leicester City could possibly win the Premier League?
Stoke are the second oldest professional club in the world and share with Burnley the honour of being one of the Founder members of the Football League. It is nearly 10 years since Mark Hughes' men were promoted to the Premier League and they have comfortably finished around mid table at the end of each season.
In 2011 they reached the FA Cup Final where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Manchester City, leading to their own season in Europe.
In many ways, the Potters achievements are what many Burnley fans would be very happy for the Clarets to emulate. It really is all about survival and good cup runs for most Premier League clubs outside of the "Big Six".
Hughes took over the reins from Tony Pulis in 2013 and currently finds his team only 3 points above the relegation zone. He is the latest Premier League manager to be in danger of losing his job following the 5-1 defeat to Spurs at the weekend.
The Welshman is playing down such talk, pointing to the fact that in the 6 league games before the Spurs game, his team were in the top 10 of the Premier League form table with 8 points from 2 wins and 2 draws.
Hughes however, cannot hide from the fact that his team seem to be low in confidence and spirit. Not only has he to try and pick up his players after the heavy defeat to Spurs but he also had to discipline one of his unused substitutes who left the bench 15 minutes before the end of their recent game against Swansea.
Stoke's away form is poor with only 1 win and 5 defeats in their 8 games. They are a team who blow hot and cold but it is up to the Clarets to take advantage of the soft centre that has seen them concede 35 league goals this season, the most in the division.
In sharp contrast, Burnley's win against Watford brought up the Clarets fourth home win and 8th clean sheet of the season.
The strength of the Burnley squad is deep this season and despite going into the Hornets encounter with 4 regular first team players missing, the Clarets still managed to come away with a win.
Eire international Kevin Long, deputising for captain and lynchpin Ben Mee on Saturday, probably played his best ever game for the Clarets but it seems likely he will make way for the fit again Ben Mee tonight.
Scott Arfield , justified his inclusion in place of the unlucky Robbie Brady, calmly taking his goal in typical fashion and looked to be getting stronger as the game wore on.
Phil Bardsley looks like he has made the right back position his own and the outstanding Matthew Lowton will have to fight hard to win back his place. I hope Dyche has a quiet word with Bardsley before the match, because Stoke will undoubtedly try to wind up their former player during the match.
The biggest compliment I can give goalkeeper Nick Pope is that most people I talk to these days would be happy to see him continue in goal to the end of the season. His amazing record of clean sheets and lack of goals conceded really is hard to believe.
England international and club captain Tom Heaton will undoubtedly be fit again at some stage during the second half of the season and be looking for an opportunity to impress Gareth Southgate before the World Cup. On current form Pope might just beat him to a seat on the plane to Russia.
Burnley's home record against Stoke in the Premier League reads played 3, won 1 and drawn 2.
Turf Moor has seen fewer goals than any other Premier League side this season. In the eight games played so far there has been a total of just 10 goals.
Tonight threatens to be a cold one for the brave hearted fans who will need to be warmed up by a good Clarets performance and hopefully bring another 3 points to make their European dream that much more real.
This Burnley centric match preview was written by Michael Donnelly, alias "The Donz", who contributes regularly on behalf of Clarets Mad. (TEC).
Source: DSG
