Burnley 0 Huddersfield 0: Five things we learned

Arfield was unwanted by a Huddersfield side who finished 19th in the Championship at the end of the 2012/13 season.

On Saturday he faced his former employers as a Premier League veteran and a player who continues to find a way to force himself into this Clarets side, despite the big money arrivals.

It’s rare than Sean Dyche talks about individuals before a game, but he was fulsome in his praise for Arfield last week, labelling him a ‘fantastic servant’, and he’s a player who the manager clearly trusts, one of his on-pitch lieutenants.

Arfield showed his versatility on Saturday, moving back out wide to replace Johann Berg Gudmundsson and he was influential in the Clarets’ limited attacking play, taking up some intelligent positions as he drifted inside.

He may have some doubters amongst the fanbase, but Arfield remains a key member of this squad, and one who can be relied upon.

THE CLARETS TEMPLATE

Before this game David Wagner insisted Huddersfield had to find their own way to Premier League success after an unexpected promotion, but there are certainly similarities to the Clarets template for top flight survival.

His best mate Jurgen Klopp may have perfected the brand of swashbuckling Premier League football, with a wide open backdoor, but Wagner has shown plenty of promise in setting up a defence.

Only the two Manchester clubs have conceded less goals in the league this season and Huddersfield’s organisation and resilience at the back is a trait Burnley relied upon to build their success in this league. The signs are promising for the Terriers.

STEVEN DEFOUR REBORN

Saturday was another feather in the cap of Burnley’s brilliant Belgian, winning effusive praise from Dyche in what was an impressive display.

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Defour, who looked certain to depart Turf Moor in the summer. Instead he returned for pre-season reinvigorated and determined to make a go of his Clarets career, and that approach has been rewarded with faith from his boss.

His partnership with Jack Cork has looked promising this season and on Saturday it was Defour who stole the show, and crucially he did the defensive work diligently and energetically.

FOOTBALL IN THE NORTH

Some bigger picture thinking for a minute. There was a lot of column inches devoted to the slow death of football in the north, outside the big cities, last season.

The north east was the particular focus, with Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hull City suffering relegation, but there are signs that other clubs in the north are still finding ways to punch above their weight.

The north west may have been a Premier League hotbed a decade ago, but while many of those clubs outside of Manchester and Liverpool have since hit trouble, Burnley and Huddersfield have proved that small town clubs well away from the capital can still thrive at this level.

There may have been an effort to turn this fixture into some kind of derby, and it is of course a Roses battle, but these two clubs are continuing to do the region proud in the Premier League, and long may it continue.

PRESSURE TO WIN

Huddersfield’s approach to the game at Turf Moor might be something Burnley have to deal with fairly often this season.

Despite their outstanding home record last year teams were still pitching up in East Lancashire convinced they were the ones to put a stop to it, only to go back with their tail between their legs.

There were signs towards the end of the campaign, particularly in games against West Brom and West Ham, that teams were beginning to get a handle on how to frustrate Burnley at home and that has continued this season.

Burnley have adopted a more patient, probing approach this term and they might need to show plenty of the former at home.