Dyche: Burnley has restored key core values

A 2-1 home win over title-chasing Tottenham moved Burnley further clear of the bottom three, to the delight of manager Sean Dyche.

Published : Feb 23, 2019 23:34 IST

Burnley celebrate beating Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley.
Burnley celebrate beating Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley.
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Burnley celebrate beating Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche feels Burnley is restoring core values after a 2-1 home win against Tottenham Hotspur extended its unbeaten run to eight Premier League games.

Ashley Barnes hit the winner with seven minutes to go at Turf Moor on Saturday, denting Spurs' title hopes after Harry Kane scored on his return from injury to cancel out a Chris Wood header.

RELATED | Burnley 2 Tottenham 1: Barnes hits late winner after Kane's goalscoring return

Barnes and Wood have each scored four goals in their last four Premier League appearances to fire Burnley up the Premier League table and away from relegation danger. And Dyche believes the Clarets, who qualified for Europe last term after finishing seventh in the table, are benefiting from a renewed focus.

"The margins are tight and we're working really hard to look after ourselves," Dyche told a news conference.

"We're not bothered about anyone else, and that has been a key focus from Christmas, get back to what we're about, what we stand for, the belief, the key core values, and I think that's glued us back together, and allowed the players the belief to go on performing.

"The feeling in the camp has grown each game, and part of that is winning, but it's not just that, it's the undercurrent, it's been terrific and the players deserve massive credit for taking that on."

A 5-1 home defeat to Everton on Boxing Day left Burnley staring at a relegation battle but it has taken 16 points from 24 available since restoring club captain Tom Heaton in goal, replacing Joe Hart. "To be honest I had mentioned in the games leading up to that, we had had a couple of tricky results but actually I thought the feeling was getting better and the performances were getting better," Dyche added.

"That was a hard one to take of course but I think it was probably that bottoming out moment and a subliminal thing as a player when you go: 'right that's not me and that's not us as an individual and as a collective'.

"There were no big chats, we had a quick chat about it and said 'that's not us' and reminded them of a few things that make us what we are. And the players deserve a massive amount of credit and raised their game and energy levels.

"The stats have changed radically, just on the simple demand of the physical side of the game, of running hard and pressing hard. They have got their rewards from that. Now the biggest challenge of all is to keep doing it because we want to keep going."

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