Pope: We've Got To Be Happy

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Goalkeeper welcomes another clean sheet as Clarets dig deep to keep run going

2020-12-17T21:30:34.031Z

Pope: We've Got To Be Happy

Goalkeeper welcomes another clean sheet as Clarets dig deep to keep run going

2020-12-17T21:30:34.031Z

Dyche: A Foundation To Build From - Image 2

Nick Pope reflected on a good week’s work from the Clarets as he chalked up another clean sheet to bring a point back to Turf Moor.

Pope and his defensive colleagues shut out Aston Villa in a 0-0 draw in the Midlands to back up Burnley’s win at Arsenal last Sunday night.

And even though Sean Dyche’s men didn’t hit the heights of their performance at the Emirates Stadium, they made sure they would extend their unbeaten run to four games with a fourth clean sheet in five away from home to move back out of the Premier League’s bottom three.

“It’s tough to go back-to-back away from home with a small turn-around,” said Pope, whose five clean sheets this season put him joint second in the Premier League standings behind Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.

“Two away games in the Premier League are never going to be easy, so to come away from both unbeaten with two clean sheets and four points, we’ve got to be happy.

“It keeps the momentum going. To put that sort of run together of clean sheets and performances is something we’re happy with.

“We weren’t at our best on the ball tonight and didn’t create as much as we wanted to.

“We could have done things better on that side of the game but when you don’t play your best on the ball, to have that kind of performance defensively and off the ball with a clean sheet, you’re guaranteed a point which is a good trait to have.”

Pope made one outstanding first-half save to tip a free-kick from Anwar El Ghazi onto the cross bar.

But the Burnley keeper wasn’t overly stretched beyond that as Villa couldn’t find a way to avoid a first draw of the season thanks to a combination of poor finishing and some brilliant defending from the Clarets, who stretched every sinew to keep the hosts at bay.

“There was block after block, defensive clearances and tackles in and around the box, so defensively I thought we were first-class,” added Pope.

“The back four look after me well and all 10 in front of me. It starts from the front, the effort to keep a clean sheet and to keep the opposition away from me.

“It’s down to hard work, organisation and communication. Everything helps and we’re doing that well at the minute.”