Sean Dyche Plays Down Last Season's Crystal Palace Result Ahead of Return to Selhurst Park

Burnley manager Sean Dyche has mitigated claims that his side’s 2-0 over Crystal Palace last season was the turning point for Burnley’s eventual survival, ahead of returning to Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Dyche didn’t write the win off, but said it was ‘important but not defining’ for the Clarets.

The win in late April was Burnley’s first away win of that campaign and ended up making them virtually safe with three games to go.

Jordan Mansfield/GettyImages

The game also laid the foundations for Burnley’s stellar campaign this term, with four away wins under their belt and sitting in an impressive seventh place in the Premier League table.

"I don’t think you can define it like that. I think the group is different this season, I think we’ve gone up a notch on every level," the Clarets chief said, speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph.

"The biggest one is technical or tactical, technically we’re mixing the play even more than we did and more like what I want it to be.

Nigel Roddis/GettyImages

"That mental side of it and the approach to away games has changed. Your shoulders go back a little bit and it’s that word assured that I keep using.

"I did it as a player. When you’re going into the unknown you’re not sure if you’re ready or you can deliver. But year on year the more you do that the more you get that more assured feeling.

"The group had moved forward anyway, but it’s been enhanced by the results and the good run of results."

The min was a memorable day for the travelling Burnley fans, but Dyche didn’t want to highlight it in comparison to the club’s ten other wins that season.

"It was really important, but over a season there’s many markers," he said. "There’s talk that it’s the business end of the season but there’s been some good work done at the front end of the season already.

Steve Bardens/GettyImages

"We did well in their early part of last season, then we had a little challenge to it and we had that run away anyway. In that respect it was a really important game and a very good performance.

"I don’t think anyone in that stadium would have thought anything other than we deserved to win that day.

"It’s good memories of going down there but it’s a tough place. They’ve got what looks like a more settle situation now with a very experienced manager and someone who knows how his team wants to work.

"I’d be very surprised if he goes radically away from the ideas he’s had for a long time because he’s had such success with varying different teams."