Full Steam Ahead For Lowton

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Defender focused on key spell as Clarets look to make winning start against Brighton

2021-02-05T11:26:26.905Z

Full Steam Ahead For Lowton

Defender focused on key spell as Clarets look to make winning start against Brighton

2021-02-05T11:26:26.905Z

Defender focused on key spell as Clarets look to make winning start against Brighton

Matt Lowton is ready to attack a crucial run of games as the Clarets face a full-on fortnight.

Burnley launch a burst of five fixtures in 15 days, with the visit of Fulham shoe-horned into that schedule after the postponed New Year game was re-arranged for Wednesday, 15 February.

Sean Dyche’s men kick off the run against 15th-placed Brighton at Turf Moor on Saturday before facing Bournemouth in the FA Cup, going to Selhurst Park to play Crystal Palace and then returning home to tackle bottom-three sides Fulham and West Bromwich Albion.

The Clarets could have done without their current crop of injuries, but the opportunity is there to extend even further an eight-point gap above the relegation places and advance into mid-table.

Chairman's Programme Notes: Brighton - Image 2

And after back-to-back defeats at Chelsea and then to league leaders Manchester City in mid-week, Lowton is eager to try and seize the moment.

“We’re not going up against teams like that every week. Obviously, we can beat them, as we proved at Liverpool,” said the Clarets’ defender.

“But it’s difficult to beat teams like that week-in, week-out. It’s important for us with the games coming up that we start picking up points.

“If you are looking at the fixture list, these are the sort of games where we need to be doing that, so we’ll be going out there, getting on the front foot and hopefully making sure we are.

“It’s a big chance for us. There are no easy games, we know that, but on paper they’re games where we need to be picking up points.

“The last four games were tough for us but we got six points from them, so we’ve still got a lot of confidence going into these games.

“We can’t take our foot off it at any point. We’re eight points clear but that can quickly turn around in this league, as we know.

“Every team can pick up points wherever. We’re looking to put points on the board as quickly as we can and move up the table.”

The Clarets’ 2-0 loss to City was only their second home defeat in seven league games with the second-half performance – when the title favourites were unable to add to their tally en route to a 13th successive win in all competitions – adding to the belief that Turf Moor remains a stronghold.

Burnley’s record at Turf Moor against sides outside the recognised ‘big six’ is highly impressive since Dyche led the Clarets back into the Premier League in 2016.

Dyche’s side has collected 34 wins and 11 draws from 58 such games in that period as the club approaches its 250th Premier League fixture.

And they will be looking to enhance that record further by stopping Brighton’s impressive run of form which has seen the Seagulls win three and draw one of their last four games, having matched Burnley’s recent win at Liverpool in their last outing on Wednesday night to go two points above the Clarets in the table.

“It will be huge confidence for them. We went and did it and we knew exactly how it felt after the game,” added Lowton, who helped keep a clean sheet at Brighton when the two sides shared the points in November.

“The changing room was buzzing afterwards and coming in the next day, building up to the next game, you’ve got that confidence behind you.

“We know full well that’s how they’ll be feeling, so it’s up to us to go out there and put it onto them and make sure they don’t add to their tally, but we do.”