2017 was a superb year for Burnley Football Club. There were plenty of highlights that will be remembered by Clarets fans for a long time as the club continued its Premier League journey.
One of the main highlights of 2017 for the Clarets was securing top-flight survival for the first time in recent history and at the third attempt since the league was rebranded as the Premier League. Sean Dyche and his players were against the odds from the start, being labelled as one of the main favourites to go down, but they defied the odds and survived comfortably – finishing six points above the relegation zone.
It was clear that Burnley were a better side than in their previous Premier League campaign, with more strength in depth, and having learned from their past relegation and made suitable improvements. Morale was high after winning the Championship in impressive fashion – maintaining a superb 23-game unbeaten run in the second half of the season to beat Middlesbrough to the title.
Sean Dyche’s side entered 2017 in a healthy position, sitting in 11th place after winning seven of their opening 11 games at Turf Moor. They continued their impressive home form and set the record for home points gained by a promoted side on the way to reaching the 40-point target to ensure the Premier League survival that fans had been dreaming of.
Another high was the famous away win at Selhurst Park which proved to Burnley’s only away win of the 2016/17 season. Goals from Ashley Barnes and Andre Gray earned a first a top-flight win in London since a 1-0 win against QPR in January 1975. The Clarets had been unfortunate to go so long without an away win after many impressive performances that went unrewarded, and it was an important result that calmed some of the worries over their Premier League away-form.
The match was a terrific occasion for the travelling Burnley fans who, as always, had supported their side brilliantly throughout the season – travelling around the country despite the disappointing form on the road. The result was huge for everyone at the club, proving many critics wrong and repaying the mentality from the players to not give up despite a series of poor results.
Yet another highlight of 2017 was the frequent England call-ups received by members of the Burnley squad – with Michael Keane, Tom Heaton and Jack Cork all featuring for their country in the calendar year. The Burnley players were not just there to make up the numbers, but contributed to the side in various high-profile matches.
Just a few years ago, it seemed extremely unlikely that the Clarets could be in a position to provide players that would contribute to the national side – but the club has come on leaps and bounds in recent years which especially evident in 2017.
Another highlight of the year was the incredible away form early in the 2017/18 campaign, as the Clarets remained unbeaten in trips to Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United. It all started with a famous 3-2 win over champions Chelsea on the opening day where Burnley were 3-0 up at half time. A brace from Sam Vokes and a stunner from Stephen Ward ensured a day that Burnley fans will remember for a long time.
The vast improvement in away form in 2017 was incredible and Sean Dyche should be credited for his efforts. He made the Clarets even more resilient and hard to break down over the summer which proved to be difficult of the bigger sides. Although nobody could have expected such a change in results on the road, there were signs of promise earlier in the year despite the long winless run – as the Clarets came close to a few big results early in 2017.
A final highlight of 2017 came as one of the most incredible moments in Burnley’s recent history, as Sean Dyche’s side climbed to fourth in the Premier League in December after a 1-0 home win against Stoke City. The Clarets overtook Liverpool and Arsenal (who both had a game in-hand) to reach the Champions League places just short of the halfway stage of the season – an achievement that nobody expected at the start of the 2017/18 campaign.
Burnley’s superb form in the first-half of the 2017/18 campaign came as a huge shock to many Clarets fans, with Sean Dyche’s sitting on 33 points at the end of the calendar year – just 7 points behind the total that kept them up last season. It is even more impressive when considering the injuries Sean Dyche has had to deal with, losing key players Tom Heaton and Robbie Brady through long-term injury.
As we look ahead to 2018, there is no reason why Burnley cannot enjoy an even better year as Sean Dyche and his side continue to defy the odds in the Premier League.
ClaretDan 