Burnley

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Manager Scott Parker praised his players for their display in the 2-0 win at Sheffield United.

Goals from Josh Brownhill and Zian Flemming either side of half-time secured a fourth straight win on the road for the Clarets, condemning the Blades to a first home loss of the season.

Parker, whose side are now just one point behind Sheffield United, spoke of his pride in the performance.

"It was a brilliant away performance all round," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We've got a very young squad and as individuals and as a team, we are learning things.

"I'm immensely proud of the team for how they came through today's game.

"They quietened the stadium early; they had a control which we were very comfortable to give them. We score a brilliant goal in the first half and in the second half we had our moments. Overall, it was a really solid performance."

Parker also made a special mention of Flemming's all round game after he scored in the second half.

"Zian did very well today, he has been exceptional in the last two games," he added.

"We're a passing and progressive team, looking to play in a certain way. But in certain moments, you need to go top line a bit earlier. He gave us that platform."

A big one on Boxing Day as third-placed Burnley travel to Championship leaders Sheffield United.

Both come into this game off the back of some decent momentum, the Blades are unbeaten in their last 11 league matches and the Clarets have not lost in their past nine.

• Sheffield United have lost their last three league games against Burnley, conceding 11 goals in the process. It's their worst losing run against the Clarets in club history.

• Following their 4-1 win at Bramall Lane in April, Burnley are looking to win consecutive away league games at Sheffield United for the first time.

• This is Sheffield United's eighth consecutive Boxing Day match played at Bramall Lane (W4 D1 L2) since an away defeat at Port Vale in 2014.

• Burnley have lost six of their last eight league matches on Boxing Day (W1 D1), losing each of their last three, all in the Premier League between 2018 and 2023.

• Burnley manager Scott Parker has never lost a league game against Sheffield United in his managerial career, winning two and drawing two of four games.

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Burnley boss Scott Parker has confirmed his squad will train on Christmas Day before his side's trip to Championship leaders Sheffield United on Thursday.

Parker's side are on an impressive run of nine league matches unbeaten and, given that a win at Bramall Lane would put the Clarets just one point behind the Blades, the 44-year-old will not let his squad have time off during the festive period.

"We'll be in Christmas Day, we travel Christmas night," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We'll be in Christmas morning prepping and training. I realise it's difficult with families but we've got a job to do in this moment in time.

"It's a huge fixture for both teams really and we go there with a lot of confidence - we go there in a really good place and to go and try to get the three points.

"No doubt Chris [Wilder] and Sheffield [United] are in a similar place and they're going to be seeing it likewise but this is the reason we're in and around it- these big games."

Blackburn Rovers and Burnley want to sign former Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie from Spanish club Las Palmas, where the 28-year-old Scotland cap has spent just six months. (Sun)

Want more transfer news? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Burnley boss Scott Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire he could see his team adding attacking flair to defensive solidity in their win over Watford.

"Overall the performance was very good today and I thought we dominated for large parts.

"We get our noses in front, which is probably something we've been lacking a little bit, and were well worthy of our goal in the first half.

"The slight negative was we could have had a few more. The second half they changed their system, but credit to the boys, they recognised that fairly early and then caused them problems.

"Back end of the game after that goal goes in it's survival mode a little bit because there's no real tactics for that moment. You just need a group of men to manage the game and we did that very well.

"With this group there are loads that need improving, there are certain elements that don't.

"Defensively we've been pretty rock solid. Probably for the first time I looked at the team from the attacking phase of things that started to look like the team we want to be.

"At 2-0 up everything started to flow and everything looked very easy for us.

"The second goal was high-level technical ability and obviously it was a great finish from Browny (Josh Brownhill) as well."

Burnley are looking to extend their unbeaten run to nine games as they host seventh-placed Watford on Saturday.

The Clarets are third, four points behind leaders Sheffield United, and host a Hornets side who have taken just five points from their past nine away games, in stark contrast to their home record of 26 points from 10 matches.

• Burnley have lost just one of their past seven league games against Watford (W3 D3), never conceding more than one goal in any of those matches.

• Watford have won just three of their 23 away Football League games against Burnley (D7 L13), though all three wins have seen the Hornets score 3+ goals. In that time, Watford have managed to only keep two clean sheets.

• Burnley are unbeaten across their past 10 home league games (W5 D5), drawing each of their last two against Middlesbrough and Derby County. Not since August 2022 have the Clarets drawn three in succession at Turf Moor.

• Watford are unbeaten across their last six league games (W3 D3), last enjoying a longer run between March and April 2021 (eight games).

• Giorgi Chakvetadze has created more chances from open play than any other player in the Championship this season (40), while the Watford midfielder is second this term for dribbles completed (41).

Burnley are in advanced talks to sign Peru right-back Oliver Sonne, 24, from Silkeborg in a deal worth £2.5m. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Burnley boss Scott Parker says it is still too early in the season to be getting carried away with their impressive form and where they sit in the Championship table.

Sunday's 2-1 come-from-behind win at Norwich City made it eight games unbeaten in the league for the third-placed Clarets who are just one point short of the automatic promotion places.

With 21 games played, the Clarets are more than halfway through their league campaign but Parker is aware significant pitfalls could lie ahead, plus there is scope for his team to get better.

"It's a good platform but I don't take any notice of it, it's about us and the team we want to be," Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire

"We need to worry about and focus on ourselves - the second-half is a performance and a group that will put is in good stead."

Burnley's last defeat in the league was at Millwall at the start of November and they have since won five and drawn three of the subsequent eight matches.

"It's still really early and we're nudging away and we need to keep improving," added Parker.

Burnley host seventh placed Watford on Saturday before a Boxing Day trip to the leaders Sheffield United.

Norwich City will be seeking to get back on track as they welcome Burnley to Carrow Road on Sunday afternoon.

The Canaries sit 10th and have won just two of their past 11 in the Championship to fall off the pace in the play-off race.

The third-placed Clarets are unbeaten in seven but three draws in that run has seem them lose ground on leading duo Sheffield United and Leeds.

• Norwich have won just one of their past 10 league games against Burnley (D3 L6), failing to score in five of their past six matches against the Clarets.

• Burnley have won two of their past three away league games against Norwich (L1), as many as in their previous 16 visits (D3 L11).

• Norwich have already won 12 league games at Carrow Road in 2024, last winning more in a year in 2018 (13). They've scored at least three goals in five of their past seven league matches on home soil.

• Burnley are unbeaten in their past three away league games (W2 D1) and could equal a club record of four successive clean sheets in the league on the road, previously doing so in October 1980.

• Burnley have only conceded four goals in 10 away league games this season, becoming only the second side in Championship history (since 2004-05) to concede fewer than five goals in their first 10 away games of a season; the other was Reading in 2005-06 (three conceded).

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Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has been named the EFL's Championship manager of the month for November.

The Blades were unbeaten last month, taking 16 points from their six matches and climbing to the top of the table.

It is the second time this season Wilder has won the award having also been named the division's top manager in September.

"This award is recognition for a lot of hard work from the players and the staff in the opening months of the season," Wilder told the EFL website., external

"The rebuild of the squad has been talked about numerous times, what needs to be taken into consideration is that this is a new group, providing a new dynamic, which includes the lads who were here last season. There's still a lot of work to do but the signs are good."

Sheffield United have taken four points from their opening two games of December and host Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, Burnley's Scott Parker and outgoing Millwall head coach were also nominated for the award.

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Millwall's Neil Harris is among four bosses nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award for November, even though he will leave the club after Saturday's match at Middlesbrough.

Harris led the Lions on a five-match unbeaten run last month from which they took nine points and conceded only three goals.

Chris Wilder's Sheffield United collected 16 points from six unbeaten games in November during which time they went top of the Championship and beat rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby.

Although they lost two of their six league games last month, Middlesbrough went goal crazy under Michael Carrick as they recorded four wins by scorelines of 4-1, 5-1, 6-2 and 3-1.

Scott Parker watched his Burnley side pick up four wins and suffer just one defeat from their six games in November.

The Clarets also only conceded one goal.

The winner of the Championship's Manager of the Month award will be announced on Friday morning.

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Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri is ruled out of Tuesday's home match with Derby County after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.

The ex-Manchester United man is the only new absentee for the Clarets, who have the chance of going top of the league with a win over the struggling Rams.

Hannibal joins a list of long-term absentees that includes John Egan, Lyle Foster, Manuel Benson, Aaron Ramsey, Mike Tresor and Jordan Beyer.

However, Zian Flemming is in contention to start his first match in five games after returning to the side as a second-half substitute on Friday following a leg injury.

"I'm looking forward to having a fully fit squad," Burnley boss Scott Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It'll give us some headaches but they're the headaches I like, to be honest with you."