Burnley move up to fourth
Burnley's Ashley Barnes fired a last-gasp winner as his off-colour side climbed to the heady heights of fourth in the Premier League with a fortuitous 1-0 win over struggling Stoke City on Tuesday.
There was little to warm the home crowd on a wet and windy night but those who braved the weather were celebrating in the 89th minute as Barnes seized on a ricochet off team mate Scott Arfield and fired past Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland.
Burnley moved above Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool -- all of whom play on Wednesday -- and are the highest they have been in the top flight since 1975.
Sean Dyche's side have exceeded expectations this season and despite managing only two shots on target against the team with the worst defence in the league, they found a way to get a ninth win from 17 games.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche said he was "the proudest man in Proudsville".
"I'm very proud, I'm super proud, I'm the proudest man in Proudsville," Dyche, who took over in 2012, told reporters.
Burnley have conceded just 12 league goals this season, behind only the top two, Manchester City and Manchester United, and Dyche's side have won four of their last six games.
While the prospect of ending the season in a Champions League spot might be pushing the boundaries of credibility, Dyche was quick to point out that Burnley would not be the first unfancied club to ruffle the feathers of the big boys.
"Football is about realities but also about dreams. It's a tough task for us winning games at this level but Leicester blew the roof off dreams in football -- there's no bold statement from me on that," Dyche said of the surprise 2016 champions.
"We've got an aligned thinking here, there's no superstars, no favourites from me. I believe in all of them."
Meanwhile Chelsea manager Antonio Conte denied he was being negative when he said the club were not in the Premier League title race and insisted, after Tuesday's 3-1 win at Huddersfield Town, that he was simply being realistic.
Although a comfortable victory leaves Chelsea 11 points behind Manchester City, Conte does not believe it is realistic to talk of catching Pep Guardiola's side.
"This is the truth. Manchester City in 16 games they have won 15 and drawn one. In 17 games, we have lost four games," said the Italian.
"When you have a competitor like Manchester City that every game they are winning, it is very difficult to think that you can fight for the title. You can say it's negative or this is positive but its bullshit," said Conte.
"We must be realistic and to tell always the truth. I prefer to tell the truth rather than a good lie. I am this way," he said.
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