Burnley

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Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley has been named the EFL's young player of the month for February.

The 22-year-old was part of the Clarets side which kept six clean sheets last month in their record 12-game run without conceding a goal in the Championship.

"I'm enjoying my football and we've got a goal here to get back to the Premier League," Egan-Riley told BBC Radio Lancashire in a recent interview.

Egan-Riley, who joined Burnley from Manchester City in 2022, has featured in 33 of their 38 league games this season, helping them to third place in the table.

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Burnley boss Scott Parker said he was only focused on his own side after they beat Swansea 2-0.

"Overall it was a really professional performance. We started the game really well in terms of our intensity, breaking out of certain areas and then executing with two goals," he said.

"Then we managed the game, a really professional performance, I felt the game was constantly in our hand.

"The most crucial thing [is winning games]. It's 25 unbeaten now. I don't really have any interest in what others are doing. We just need to keep chalking off the wins."

Burnley visit Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) in a bid to break into the top two.

The Clarets are two points shy of second placed Sheffield United and would find themselves in an automatic promotion spot should they defeat the Swans, with the Blades set for derby day in the Steel City on Sunday.

Defender CJ Egan-Riley is expected to be part of the match day action after his red card during Burnley's draw to West Bromwich Albion was successfully overturned upon appeal.

• Swansea City have lost each of their last three league games against Burnley. The Swans had won seven of their previous nine against the Clarets beforehand.

• Burnley won 2-1 on their last league visit to Swansea in January 2023. The Clarets haven't won consecutive visits to the Swans in their league history.

• Swansea have won their last two home league games, having lost three in a row before this. Both of these wins have been under caretaker Alan Sheehan, with the Irishman winning each of his last four at Liberty Stadium (also two wins in December and January last season in a previous caretaker spell).

• Burnley have conceded just six goals in 18 away league games this season, the lowest goals conceded per game (0.33) by a team away from home in a season in Football League history.

• Zian Flemming has been involved in eight goals in his last 12 away Championship appearances for Burnley (six goals, two assists).

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Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford has been named in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

The 22-year-old received his first call-up for international duty in 2024 but has yet to make his debut for the Three Lions' senior team.

England host Albania on Friday 21 March at Wembley, before welcoming Latvia the following Monday, in new boss Tuchel's first games in charge.

Clarets stopper Trafford has kept 25 league clean sheets this season, conceding just 11 goals, and is the only Championship player to feature in the 26-man squad.

Read the full squad list here.

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Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley's red card in Tuesday's draw with West Brom has been rescinded upon appeal.

Egan-Riley was dismissed at full-time after a foul on Albion forward Will Lankshear after the game had ended, but a Football Association panel reviewed the incident on Thursday and overturned the red card.

Scott Parker was also sent off at the end of the game but told the press at his briefing on Thursday that he was backing Egan-Riley.

"It is a trip, a technical foul," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It is a booking. I feel he's been harshly dealt with. It wasn't a brutal action, it was a trip. Players are on the knife edge and while the whistle had gone, I'm not sure CJ knew that."

Burnley travel to Swansea on Saturday for their next Championship match.

"What these little moments can do is bring the group together. It's a little spark point where you just say 'Let's all make sure we are all having each other's back', which certainly looked like that was the case, and creates that siege mentality."

Aaron Paul and former winger Jobi McAnuff break down a tumultuous end to Burnley's 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion that saw both Claret's boss Scott Parker and defender CJ Egan-Riley given red cards.

Could the controversy bring a silver lining?

You can listen to the full episode of 72+ and more on the Football Daily podcast.

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Burnley first-team coach Mike Jackson stood in for Scott Parker for post-match interviews as the Clarets boss was not allowed under league rules after his red card.

Asked about the incident at the end of the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion which saw referee Gavin Ward also show a red card to defender CJ Egan-Riley - a decision which the club will appeal - Jackson said: "I think there's a lot of emotion.

"I think both teams are going for it, both teams are at different stages of where they need to be.

"The detail of it is not something that I want to try and get involved in because that much has gone on at the end but from what I've seen, I don't think there's a lot in it.

"I think sometimes we just need to take a little bit of a step back, everybody involved, but we'll look at it as a club."

Burnley will look to go to top of the table as they host play-off hopefuls West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

The Clarets are just two points shy of league leaders Leeds United and have not been beaten at Turf Moor all season.

A win would at least place them in the top two come the end of the day, with second-placed Sheffield United facing Bristol City in the late kick-off.

The Baggies could fall out of the top six should they lose and the Robins prevail at Bramall Lane.

• Burnley are unbeaten across their last six league games against West Bromwich Albion (W2 D4), since a 1-0 defeat in August 2017.

• West Bromwich Albion have won just two of their last 18 away league games against Burnley (D9 L7), winning just one of their last eight games (D4 L3).

• Burnley are unbeaten in each of their last 12 midweek league games (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), winning seven of them (D5), including each of their last four.

• West Brom are winless in their last 10 away league games (D6 L4), their longest run outside the top-flight since February 2000 (11 games).

• Burnley manager Scott Parker has drawn six of his eight previous managerial encounters with West Brom in the top four tiers (W1 L1), with his only victory coming with Fulham in the Premier League in November 2020 (2-0).

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Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill says getting promoted to the Premier League is the aim for this season, not playing entertaining football.

The Clarets won 4-0 against Luton to maintain their promotion push, but they have made headlines for their strong defence, conceding just 10 goals in the league all season.

Brownhill says winning is their main focus, regardless of how it happens.

"We just worry about what we do on the pitch, no matter how we play, winning is the main thing," he told BBC Radio Lancashire, external.

"Our goal is our goal. We want to be out of this league; if we look back at the end of the season and we are promoted, it doesn't matter how you win."

Third-placed Burnley host West Brom in sixth at Turf Moor on Tuesday and Brownhill expects a tough evening.

"It will be a difficult game," he added. "They are in good form and a good position in the table, so are we. If we are on it the way we've been all season, hopefully we get the three points.

"I'm sure we'll have a good game plan. It can [be a really special night]."

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Burnley boss Scott Parker hailed his side's "rock solid" display as they extended their amazing unbeaten run with victory over Luton Town.

The Clarets boosted their goal tally with a 4-0 win after the visitors lost defender Kal Naismith, who was sent off with the game less than 20 minutes old.

They remain third but have a superior goal difference to Sheffield United, who are second and are just two points behind the Blades and leaders Leeds.

"Our performance was rock solid, showed our quality. Of course they got a man sent off pretty early in the game but sometimes that can prove pretty difficult (to play against)," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"They're a difficult side. I know where they are in the division but they're fighting for their lives and we never gave them any oxygen today.

"We managed every scenario, nullified anything they could produce, defensively as a unit we were very good and in our moments (in attack), we were deadly and executed really well.

"They came here with a back five. Earlier on in the season playing against a stubborn team, we didn't move the ball or create the angles, our movement wasn't as precise as we'd like, but that was very different today."

Burnley are at home to West Brom on Tuesday, when they will look to further extend their unbeaten record this season at Turf Moor.

Dan Jewell
BBC Radio Lancashire sport

Burnley's Ashley Barnes wants to reward supporters and staff for the way they have welcomed him back to the club with another promotion to the Premier League.

The striker returned for a second spell in the January transfer window after a previous stint of nine years which saw him win two Championship titles and finish second once.

The Clarets are currently third in the second tier, two points behind second-placed Sheffield United.

Barnes has seen starting chances limited since his free transfer from Norwich but has come off the bench four times so far in the league.

"It's a special place to me and my family," said the 35-year-old.

"The pure passion of football that they live and die for; it's just amazing. I love that you go to the ground and it's not very nice. That's how we make it feel for other teams. You make it a fortress.

"I love everything about the club and always have done. I think it's just the love that everyone shows for each other.

"That's what this town has. Over the years you see so many players come and go but players do need to realise the fans are everything to a club.

"To be honest I never thought I would be back. Maybe one day in the future in a different kind of role but as a player, no, never.

"I would always dream it, of course, but I didn't think it could ever be possible.

"To do it again (and win promotion) would be phenomenal. It would be extra special because you know that it might be the last.

"That's something that I really hope that I can do and help the lads get over the line."

"I think, in a weird kind of way, it will be a little bit of a relief to everybody there.

"They're still going to be defensively very solid but it's almost like that is the main thing going into a game - not to concede.

"I think there was a time where that superseded the will to go and win a game of football."

Former Reading winger Jobi McAnuff gives his thoughts on Burnley finally letting a goal in to Aaron Paul on this week's 72+: The EFL Podcast.

The pair are joined by West Bromwich Albion winger Jed Wallace to discuss, among other things, the end of the Clarets' record of 12 successive clean sheets and how it could help the Clarets open up to a more attacking mindset.

You can listen to the full episode and more on the Football Daily podcast.