Burnley boss Sean Dyche won't adopt Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's "cup final" mentality in fight for Premier League survival

Sean Dyche doesn't buy into the thinking that Burnley should approach each and every game from now until the end of the season as a cup final.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Clarets have 11 games remaining to save their Premier League status after results elsewhere left them with a proverbial mountain to climb.

Last gasp wins for both Everton (against Newcastle United) and Leeds United (away at Wolves) in recent days have severely dented the club's hopes of survival.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They're now four points adrift of safety, and eight points shy of 16th place with games in hand, in what is Burnley's sixth successive season at this level, and seventh from the last eight.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley embraces Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal prior to the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Arsenal FC at Turf Moor on February 02, 2020 in Burnley, United Kingdom.BURNLEY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley embraces Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal prior to the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Arsenal FC at Turf Moor on February 02, 2020 in Burnley, United Kingdom.
BURNLEY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley embraces Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal prior to the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Arsenal FC at Turf Moor on February 02, 2020 in Burnley, United Kingdom.

Around this time last year, with Arsenal pushing for a top four finish and a place in the Europa League final, boss Mikel Arteta had said: "Every game for us is a final. The three points means a lot in the table and we need to go for them and win as many games as possible."

Dyche, however, won't be mirroring the Spaniard's mentality. "I wasn't aware that Mikel Arteta gave them [Arsenal] the 'cup final' mentality," he said. "My view is probably a bit more level; because if you say we've got 11 cup finals, do you know how difficult it is to win one?

"We'll mainly concentrate on playing the games and going hard in each one of them, that would be my personal opinion. I'm definitely not questioning Mikel, but my opinion of my team is to keep going hard, keep working hard, keep doing the right things, and add in the detail. That's what I'll be focussing on."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Three defeats on the bounce — after encouraging wins over Brighton and the Gunners' North London rivals Spurs — has done little to lift the pessimism among fans at Turf Moor.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on March 05, 2022 in Burnley, England.BURNLEY, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on March 05, 2022 in Burnley, England.
BURNLEY, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on March 05, 2022 in Burnley, England.

The Clarets were just minutes away from climbing out of the bottom three at home to Leicester City while deja-vu struck against Brentford, who inflicted a damaging loss on their opponents with two late goals from Ivan Toney.

Dyche feels those moments, which have come in 5-10 minute windows in those games, ultimately alter the true feeling of a performance. "We haven’t felt we are coming up short," he said. "They are the things that frustrate you.

"But that is football and a moment can change your filter, you can look at a very good performance and decide it was a bad performance because you lose and you have to be careful with that, well I do.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I don’t think we were far away [against Brentford]. If we had come away with a point I think we would have taken it but we could have won it.

"If we had come away with a win then you could argue we deserved it. That is how hard it is to judge a scoreline and take the emotion out of it."

Burnley tackle the Toffees and bottom-of-the-table Norwich City next month following a meeting with Premier League leaders Manchester City (April 2nd).