No panic as Dyche focuses on the job at hand

But there remains no panic at Turf Moor, with 17 games to change the Clarets’ destiny, starting tomorrow at Brighton.

A first defeat in four games, as Liverpool won 1-0 at Turf Moor on Sunday, was compounded by Newcastle’s third successive victory at home to Aston Villa.

That sent the Magpies four points clear of the drop zone.

However, with a number of teams having been drawn into trouble, including Brentford, Leeds United and Everton, nothing is decided just yet.

Burnley’s focus remains on themselves, as Sean Dyche looks for a way to turn draws into vital wins, against the Seagulls, who are the draw masters of the Premier League with 12, one more than the Clarets.

Boss Dyche said: “You can talk about all the different permutations that could occur, but we really focus on ourselves, and that’s our main challenge.

“Can we get ourselves right, as we continue to try and work at that, not overthinking what’s going on around us.

“I can’t make others win or lose games, we can only concentrate on ourselves.

“I think we’ve stayed pretty steadfast to that, with the team, the belief in it, and recent performances have shown a much better sign of what we want to do, but we’ve got to keep layering up.”

Burnley had drawn three-successive games, at Arsenal, and at home to Watford and Manchester United, before losing to a set-piece against Liverpool, and Dyche feels the performances,particularly against the super power clubs, have shown promising signs: “We’ve had a tough spell of games, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool – and ones beyond that – but all games are winnable.

“That has to be the mentality and our mentality is firm. I think we’re looking at ourselves always, we’re aware of everyone else, of course, but we are looking at ourselves and what we are trying to do.”

Burnley’s shortcomings have been no secret all season, scoring only 17 goals in 21 games, and Dyche added:

“It’s part of your job, part of the reality, we are where we are, we accept that, we accept we could have changed that earlier in the season, and we haven’t, so there’s a responsibility with me, my staff and the players, and I think the players believe in how we work here and that we can and will win games.

“There are lots of good things, but we have to turn that into results – I can tell you all the good stuff and what I think is right, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to win, you have to go and earn the right.

“I’ve been talking about that all season, no one gives you anything in football, you have to go and get it.”

Burnley have the best defensive record in the bottom half of the table, and only Crystal Palace have lost fewer games: “We’ve lost nine games, which isn’t that high for a team down there, and there are lots of these margins I keep talking about, they are only what my eyes and the stats are telling me.

“We’ve got to keep working and continue to believe to get on the right side of things and change what’s going on.

“That’s been the same all season, we’ve been trying to activate on that, and we have to keep offering the players a way of working, the players offer it back that they can do that, and they are doing.

“Wout will make a difference, he certainly has so far, Maxwel will get stronger and fitter.

“They give us a different way we can operate to try and open up offensively more, then we still need that solid base to work from, and we have only conceded twice in four games now.

“We have to add into the attacking side of things, which we have looked to do all season.”