Dyche hails Arfield’s steel

Sean Dyche hailed Scott Arfield’s character as he tripled his goal tally for the season with a brace against Charlton.
Scott Arfield scores against BlackburnScott Arfield scores against Blackburn
Scott Arfield scores against Blackburn

Arfield netted either side of half-time to put the Clarets in command against the Addicks, before goals from strikers Andre Gray and Sam Vokes rounded off a comfortable victory.

The Scot’s previous goal this season was one of the most memorable – earning a second-successive derby win at Blackburn Rovers in October.

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He hit two last season, against champions Chelsea and QPR, on the back of nine in the promotion season, and Dyche said: “They’ve had their fair share of question marks this year, a good few players, but he’s got a toughness and relentlessness to his character, and it’s served him well.

“The inner belief these players should have from a season in the Premier League, and not an easy season, you get more growth out of that than if it was all easy.

“I reminded them of that at half-time, to go out there and play with that freedom.”

The midfielder has shown he is more than capable of making and taking goals at this level in particular, and, asked whether he could add more over the rest of the season, Dyche added: “There’s no guarantee, but he’s in a team that we think can create goals, and if he gets them, fantastic.

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“I’m not bothered who gets them, I just like it when we score more than the other team!”

Arfield himself was delighted to get a brace: “I’m absolutely buzzing for that.

“You’re delighted when you score a goal, never mind two. You’d probably feel greedy and want a third, but that’s life.

“There was a bit of luck in the two goals to be fair. I don’t think he sorted his feet out for the first goal and the second one took a deflection. But there’s no man more happy than me to get two goals.

“The gaffer puts an emphasis on everybody to play with freedom and clarity and go and try to score and express yourself.

“Luckily we did that.”