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Ashley Barnes: 'Burnley are better than league position suggests'

Ashley Barnes: 'Burnley are better than league position suggests'
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The 31-year-old's late penalty ended Liverpool's 68-match unbeaten home league record and secured the Clarets' first win at the ground since 1974.

Burnley's historic match-winner Ashley Barnes insists they are better than their current league position suggests and victory at Anfield helps reinforce that view.

The 31-year-old's late penalty ended Liverpool's 68-match unbeaten home league record and secured the Clarets' first win at the ground since 1974.

It made it 18 points from their last 12 games, having taken one from their first six, and moved Burnley seven clear of the bottom three.

"We knew it was going to be a massive win if we could get it and luckily enough we did," Barnes told the club's official website.

"We know we're better than where we are in the league. A couple of the teams around us have won lately so we knew it was vital for us to get something.

"It's the team performance that stood out and everyone deserves credit.

"I believe in every one of my team-mates. You know they're right behind you and the reaction I had in the changing room when I walked back in was something special."

It was a double celebration for Barnes as the penalty brought up his 100th senior club goal but only his second of the season.

"It should have been here a long time ago. I'm disappointed not to have got it sooner but as a striker you've always got to be confident in front of goal and luckily enough it's paid off," he added.

"I'm always going to back myself to score. It's a big achievement to get to 100 goals but more importantly we did the job and got the three points.

"Their record speaks for itself and to come to the champions and do that is something special."

Burnley's recent uplift has been built on a defensive resilience which has seen them concede just five goals in their last nine league matches since shipping five against Manchester City.

That has been important as, incredibly, the club have scored just 10 goals in 18 matches but they have helped accumulate 19 points.

Manager Sean Dyche has a reputation for putting out hard-to-beat teams but he believes they can obviously improve up front.

"I still think we can offer more in the attacking third," he said.

"We spoke to the strikers the other day; they've not been firing and there's been a few question marks, but I believe in the strikers – there are four by the way.

"I stuck with the two (Barnes and Chris Wood) who historically have done well for us and I think they have both got goals in them, but I think the other two (Jay Rodriguez and Matej Vydra) have as well."

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd27176438172155
2Leeds UnitedLeeds26158348192953
3Burnley27141123192253
4Sunderland27149439221751
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn2712693124742
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom27914433221141
7Middlesbrough27118844341041
8Watford27125103837141
9Bristol City2791083331237
10Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds2610793840-237
11Norwich CityNorwich279994339436
12Queens Park RangersQPR2781183034-435
13Swansea CitySwansea2797113033-334
14Coventry CityCoventry2788113537-232
15Oxford UnitedOxford Utd2788113041-1132
16Preston North EndPreston2761382834-631
17Millwall2679102424030
18Stoke CityStoke27610112533-828
19Derby CountyDerby2776143137-627
20Cardiff CityCardiff2769122941-1227
21Hull City2768132636-1026
22Portsmouth2668123245-1326
23Luton TownLuton2775152744-1726
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth2749142555-3021


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