Burnley on the verge of Premier League return

Burnley are on course for an immediate return to the Premier as the Clarets currently lead the Championship table and have lost just five games in what has been a very competitive season.

The Lancashire club have hit form at exactly the right time in the campaign having enjoyed a recent winning run. Since then they have beaten Nottingham Forest, Bolton, Blackburn, Fulham and, more recently, Huddersfield.

Manager Sean Dyce has been linked with a number of positions away from Turf Moor since Burnley were relegated last season, however, the 44-year-old has stuck with the club and it looks like the partnership, which has worked so well in the past, is going to pay off as the Championship leaders could be back in the big time in the Premier League next season.

A large part of Burnley’s success in the Championship has been down to Andre Gray’s prolific goalscoring return for the club. The Englishman, who signed for the Clarets back in the summer from Brentford for a fee thought to be in the region of £6 million, has proved a fantastic acquisition as he has already scored 20 goals in all competitions.

No team in the Championship has scored more goals than Burnley so far in the campaign as the Clarets have racked up 60 goals. Sam Vokes has supported Gray with goals of his own, while Scott Arfield and Matthew Taylor have contributed to that tally.

Burnley are clear of second placed Brighton in the standings but they do have to travel to Amex Stadium before the season is out. If Dyce’s men can come away from the south coast with a positive result, it will go a long way towards them securing the title and promotion into the Premier League, where the new television deal is set to come into play.

The Clarets have already played the tougher games in this league and have to face just Brighton and Middlesbrough from the top six in the current standings among their remaining fixtures.

Of the rest of their fixtures, Burnley fans have a derby against local rivals Preston to look forward to at Deepdale. Their final game of the season is an away trip to Charlton, who are struggling in the bottom three in the table and could well be relegated by the time that fixture comes around.

When it comes to the chase for second place in the table, Middlesbrough are behind Brighton but do have a game in hand so their destiny is in their own hands.

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