Midfielder Josh Brownhill eager to make the most of Burnley's leading role
The Clarets have been regularly pegged back by their opponents in the Premier League ever since a 3-2 defeat at Southampton on Easter Sunday.
Sean Dyche’s side held a two-goal lead at St Mary’s on that occasion and, subsequently, have failed to win six of the last eight games in which they have gone in front, losing five.
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Hide AdMonday night’s defeat to Everton at Goodison Park compounded their inability to preserve an advantage, with eight points now dropped from winning positions already this season.
Midfielder Josh Brownhill, who has started three of the four league games this term, said: “It was obviously gutting to not get anything out of the game.
“I think for the majority of the game we were in control and looked very secure. We didn’t feel like we were giving them many chances.
“So when the game is like that and you go 1-0 up, you think you can see the game out. We’re normally very good at that, particularly last season.
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Hide Ad“It was a few minutes of madness that cost us. It went really fast and before you know it, we are 3-1 down.
“To feel in control of the game and thinking, ‘we’re not going to let it slip’, to that was tough. With the players they (Everton) have got, with so much quality, you know they are going to punish you.”
Brighton and Leeds United have also clawed back deficits this term, which stretched Burnley’s run without a win at Turf Moor to 13 games in all competitions.
The Clarets haven’t won at home since overturning Aston Villa’s lead with two goals in three second half minutes in January.
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Hide Ad“This year we have done that too many times already, going a goal up and then not seeing it out, so that is definitely something we need to work on as a team,” added Brownhill.
“It was heart-breaking going back into the dressing room after the game, knowing we did so well to go 1-0 up and play the way we did. We don’t feel like we deserved a 3-1 scoreline at the end.
“For us, we do need to take those positives that for a lot of the game we dominated. We have to take that into the weekend now, facing another tough game.”
Burnley collected just two points from their opening seven games last season; they’ve currently taken one from the 12 made available to them.
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Hide AdAhead of Arsenal’s arrival at the weekend, Brownhill finished: “We still believe. We have been in this position before.
“Last year we didn’t have the best of starts, after seven games we had only two points.
“We aren’t quite that far in this time, and the performances are better this time around. We have scored and got in front, so we are doing something right.
“It is just that final detail, which we are normally good at. I don’t think there is anything to worry about.
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Hide Ad“We have been in worse positions later on in the season and clawed that back.
“So as much as we are disappointed, I don’t think there is anything too big to worry about in the camp. It has only been a few games. We’re not worrying too much just yet.”