Adam Clarke
18 Mar 2024
Burnley FC have had a huge couple days on and off the pitch in regards to their survival bid.
Their three points on Saturday has now been followed by an announcement that Nottingham Forest will receive an immediate four point deduction.
On Saturday morning the Clarets were 10 points away from Premier League safety, but that gap has now been sliced in half. A 2-1 home win over fellow strugglers Brentford lifted spirits around Turf Moor, but optimism of survival was still very low considering it was just their fourth victory of the season.
However, fans will rejoice around the news that relegation rivals Forest have been docked four points for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
As a result of the verdict which can still yet be appealed, the Reds have dropped into the bottom three, promoting Luton Town up to 17th place in the league. The Hatters have 22 points, five more than Burnley’s 17 and one more than Forest’s 21.
Above them is Everton who have 25 points and Brentford who have 26. With nine games left for Burnley the task of staying up is still a large one.
They still have a whole host of tough fixtures such as; Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all on the road. However, they do play some of their rivals as well with trips to Everton and Sheffield United, before what now looks like a potential season decider when they host Forest on the Premier League’s final day.
If the Clarets can pull off the great escape and stay up by a couple of points then it will be a nervy few days after the conclusion of the campaign, given that the appeals process can continue up until five days after the season has finished.