It’s been a powerful thing getting to where we have
Burnley travel to the Emirates tomorrow to face an Arsenal side who are once again in the chase for the Premier League title. It’s another clash between the two managers with Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger now unbeaten against Clarets in the league.
They beat us 1-0 at Turf Moor with that very fortunate late, late goal from Laurent Koscielny and Wenger believes we will give them a tough game again even though we are still to win a game on the road this season.
He said: “Everybody questions that every week and then they play at home and they basically beat everybody there. It’s what they’ve repeated for 20 games, it’s not a coincidence and every time you see them play at home against a big team you think ‘this time they might not do it’ and they do it almost every time. That is just down to quality.
“There is a special atmosphere (at Turf Moor), they certainly have the needed confidence, they are very efficient at home. They know very well what to do at home, they defend very well and they do not concede goals.
“They are a top ten team in the first part of the league, so what they have done is absolutely unbelievable so we have to make sure they do not find a solution away from home on Sunday because it is a big game for us and we have to prepare well. Even away from home recently they were a bit unlucky in some games.”
Looking back at that game at the Turf, Wenger added: “When we came out of the game I thought ‘they will not go down’ because of their spirit and organisation. They have strong points there and they accept that they will give you the ball. Not many teams do that and keep their focus.
“The say, ‘OK from the start of the game you have the ball but we might try to kill you at some stage’. You need a special spirit to do that. Once you have ten years in the Premier League, you have the pressure to do a bit more. in the first year, everybody accepts you will do that and that makes them dangerous because they are good at it and they accept it all together. That makes them efficient.”
Burnley boss Sean Dyche will enjoy his 200th game in charge of the Clarets tomorrow. His record is impressive with 83 wins recorded and just 59 defeats in the 199 games so far and the second goal in the FA Cup win last Tuesday against Sunderland, scored by Andre Gray, was the 250th we’ve scored in those games.
It’s fitting, I think, that we face one of the big clubs, or ‘superpowers’ as he likes to call them on this special day for our manager when he’ll come face to face with one of the few who have been in their current job longer than he’s been at Burnley.
Speaking about the games and the time he’s been with us, he said: “I am delighted to make that milestone because it’s tough. We all know the stats on management now and how tough it is. To hit 200 is a good marker and we’ve had time to build something, slowly but surely.
“We have a culture and environment here that is part of our building blocks for success. There’s been a lot of good work done, but not just by me, but my staff who have done fantastically well, the board, the staff in the offices and the fans.
“It’s been a really connected period for everyone and it’s been a powerful thing getting to where we have, and moving forwards.”
And so to the Emirates, with Dyche adding: “Everyone knows we don’t do blind faith and the reality is Arsenal is a tough place to go, but we are in good shape ourselves, we are enjoying the challenges.
“You have to play all these games away from home in the Premier League and we have been to some really tough places. A lot have been against teams in mid-table and upwards, and statistically that suggests they will be easier than going to places like Arsenal. So we’ll take on the latest challenge as we always do and go down there with a good mindset to deliver a good performance.”
It will be the fifth time he and Wenger have come face to face in league and cup. He said: “I can’t give Arsène enough credit for what he’s achieved. It’s quite an achievement to get so many games at one club, to remould the club and re-fashion the team again and again, to find the success they’ve had and all the great players that have been through.
“He has done so many good things at one club and for the game as well, I think. He has rubbed off on so many managers and coaches and the game at large. I just have so much time for people like him and Sir Alex, for what they have achieved in the game, and continue to do.”
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