Talking points from Burnley's win at Crystal Palace

Burnley claimed a second-successive win at Crystal Palace on Monday night, and have now lost just one of their last 10 Premier League games.
Ben Mee and Matej Vydra celebrateBen Mee and Matej Vydra celebrate
Ben Mee and Matej Vydra celebrate

And here are a few talking points from the 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park.

1 - Is Europe a realistic possibility?

The Clarets climbed to eighth with the win at Palace, which, in all likelihood, will mean Europa League football next season. Arsenal are expected to climb back above them on Wednesday night, as they host doomed Norwich, but Burnley are level on points with Spurs in seventh, and a point better off than Sunday's visitors Sheffield United - who host Tottenham on Thursday night.

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With six games left, Sean Dyche's side are nine points short of matching the 54-point haul which earned seventh place and a return to Europe after 51 years in 2018.

However, Dyche was wise to point to his dwindling squad numbers. He said after the game: "It's probably one of those things that's awkward right now because of the player situation, if we had the players with us, I think we could go even stronger to the end of the season, because everyone knows we're physically very fit and sharp, and that's been on show.

"Obviously, having been through it (Europa League), it is very tough, you can't really speak about it at the moment because you've seen how few players we've got."

https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/its-certainly-there-one-biggest-results-ive-had-manager-here-burnley-boss-sean-dyche-win-crystal-palace-and-talk-another-europa-push-2898790If Dyche had Ashley Barnes, Chris Wood, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Robbie Brady, Jeff Hendrick, Aaron Lennon, Joe Hart, Jay Rodriguez, Matt Lowton and Jack Cork currently available, then why couldn't Burnley kick on?

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Burnley are beyond stretched, finishing the game at Palace in a 5-4-1 formation. He has one fit striker, one fit wide player and two fit central midfielders, and a bench with next to no senior experience.

You wouldn't rule his group out, though, with their mentality and work rate...

2 - A tantalising glimpse of the future?

Numbers may have dictated Dwight McNeil playing off the only available forward Matej Vydra, but the 20-year-old showed all his class at Selhurst Park.

I asked Dyche after the game whether it was a sign of things to come, and he smiled: "It's is (a sign of things to come) when we've got this many players! If we had more players, it might be slightly different.

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"He's a very adaptable player, and it looked like he enjoyed it."

McNeil is excellent at forcing turnovers when in his wide position, and he did that well again against Palace, at one point robbing Luka Milivojevic and running 60 yards before forcing a save.

He got on the ball to great effect in the first half, spreading the play well, and commiting opponents.

If Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and/or Jay Rodriguez are in the side, would you want to lose his delivery from out wide? I doubt it.

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But to get his quality on the ball centrally could be massive for Burnley in terms of adding creativity in that area of the pitch.

3 - Burnley's mixed football

Statistics that came out on the morning of the game https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/burnley-make-fewest-passes-game-any-premier-league-side-make-them-count-2898001 suggested Burnley, on average, make the fewest passes per game of any Premier League side.

But Dyche has long spoken of his footballing nirvana, to play a mixed brand of football, adapting to the challenges and trying to hurt opponents in as many ways as possible - like Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

And the Clarets made a mockery of suggestions they are a one-dimensional long ball side at Selhurst Park.

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They showed both silk and steel. They moved the ball with pace and purpose in the first half, enjotying 53% possession, and crafted some decent openings.

After the break, Palace bossed the ball, but Burnley took advantage of a set piece, and then did what they do - defended brilliantly, cutting out crosses, making blocks, putting their bodies in the way, so much so, Nick Pope didn't have a save of note to make all night.

4 - Clean sheets and wins

Nick Pope earned a 13th shut out of the season at Palace, to move top in the race for the Golden Gloves, one clear of Liverpool's Alisson. Burnley have never had as many as 13 clean sheets in the Premier League, which shows just how solid Pope and his back four have been over the campaign.

The Clarets may already have shipped six more goals than they did in reaching Europe two years ago - but 22 of the 45 they have conceded have come against Manchester City (9), Chelsea (7) and Spurs (6)!

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Monday was also a 13th win of the season, and 11 of those have come with a clean sheet - only Leicester and Southampton have scored against Burnley in games they have won.

One more win would match their tally of 14 two years ago, but can Pope ward off Alisson, Rui Patrício of Wolves, Dean Henderson of Sheffield United, Manchester City's Ederson and

Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester (all 11) for the Golden Gloves? If he can, it may just be enough for Burnley to finish in the top 10 for a second season in three, and maybe even a European slot again.

5- Vydra buying into the team ethic

Sean Dyche spoke on Friday about striker Matej Vydra starting to buy into the mentality of the club https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/slowly-surely-mentality-and-environment-we-work-actually-rubbing-him-burnley-boss-sean-dyche-matej-vydra-2897711 - and as a lone forward at Palace, he had to put in another selfless shift.

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While the Czech Republic forward barely had a sniff of goal, he worked that hard, he was out on his feet at the end as Burnley held on to the win.

He still provided that threat in behind when the ball is played forward quickly, with Ashley Westwood trying to release him a number of times, but he was a nuisance, closing down defenders and getting his body in to try and prevent the ball going back towards Burnley's goal.

Vydra may have to plough a lone furrow again at the weekend, but there is the trust there that he can do the job for the team.

6- The emergence of Josh Brownhill

Sean Dyche insisted last week that January signing Josh Brownhill was not brought in to replace Jeff Hendrick https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/burnley-boss-sean-dyche-midfielder-josh-brownhill-was-competition-not-jeff-hendrick-replacement-2895009 - but while it is early days, the former Preston midfielder is showing he can perform the role Hendrick did.

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Brownhill is naturally a central midfielder, like Hendrick, but has played narrow on the right at Bristol City, and has slotted in after the departure of Hendrick with little fuss.

He has displayed the energy and workrate of Hendrick - effectively doubling up with Phil Bardsley to nullify Wilf Zaha, while supplementing the attack,

And he has shown no little quality on the ball, using and looking after it well.

While he has yet to chip in with a goal or official assist in three starts, he was involved in the winner against Watford, and the positions he has taken up in the final third suggests he can better Hendrick's output of nine goals and five assists in four seasons.

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