Burnley: The Jekyll and Hyde of the 2016-17 Premier League season

Burnley have shocked everybody this season by climbing into the top half of the Premier League season. So how did they do it?

Burnley were among the favorites for relegation at the start of the season. After 23 games, though, the Clarets are already starting to look safe. Incredibly, the club currently sit in 9th position in the Premier League standings.

A 1-0 home win over champions Leicester City the latest win to boost their points tally. Another impressive result. The game was tight and a battle, but the home team worked their way to another win.

At home, that was their 9th win of the campaign. Burnley have only lost three games at Turf Moor all season. Whilst only one game has ended in a draw. And while Burnley have amazingly won nine of their home games this season, there are much better teams with much worse home records.

Manchester United have almost half the home wins of the Clarets, with five wins and five draws at Old Trafford. Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have all won on their respective home grounds less than Burnley have at home this season. Who could have ever predicted that?

Sean Dyche has done a phenomenal job of getting the club into the position they are right now. The basis of that is clearly the team’s form at Turf Moor. After 23 games, only league leaders Chelsea have won more home games. Tottenham and Burnley are tied in second place.

The Clarets are scoring goals, too. It’s not just park the bus and grind it out. Burnley have netted 21 goals at home. Nobody outside of the top four has bettered that at this point. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are tied on 21 goals with Dyche’s men.

However, for all the success and joy at Turf Moor, life on the road is much tougher for Burnley. All season the team have accumulated just one point away from home. That was a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Their other nine away games have all ended in defeat.

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They have the worst away record in the entire league. Despite scoring 21 goals at home, Dyche’s team have managed a paltry four on the road. It really is Jekyll and Hyde form. Every team in the league would love to play Burnley on their own home ground. Travel to Turf Moor? No thanks.

The club’s away form is 100 percent relegation form. But the home form is pretty much title-winning form. It’s not necessarily ideal, but it’s going to keep the club safe this season. Which is more than can be said for Burnley last time they were in the Premier League.

Back in the 2014-2015 season, the club were relegated with just 33 points. Their home form was amongst the very worst in the league. Strangely, their away from was better that season, but overall nowhere near enough to avoid relegation.

Dyche has clearly learned from that campaign, and now the club are benefiting. There’s a lesson there for all yo-yo clubs that continually move between the Premier League and the Championship.

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Somehow you have to find a win to win games in order to avoid relegation. Draws are not going to cut it. You need wins and it doesn’t matter how they come. If you win most of your home games and lose almost all of your away games, even that will do it.

It sounds kind of stupid, in a way. But that is exactly what Burnley are doing this season. The Jekyll and Hyde team of the 2016-17 Premier League.

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