THEY say there is no place like home, and if Burnley are to survive in the Premier League this season they need to make sure that rings true of Turf Moor.

When you’re at the wrong end of the table, and you’re sole intention is to survive for another year in the top flight, then home form is absolutely critical.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The Clarets may have been relegated from the top division five years ago, but Turf Moor was no easy place to visit. Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham and West Ham were all beaten in East Lancashire.

They finished the season with seven home wins, and took 26 points at Turf Moor, and no side since has been relegated having secured as many home wins and home points as Burnley did that season.

They took only four points away from home of course, but the 2014/15 vintage are already halfway to that total from just four road trips.

It will all come down to that Turf Moor record. Last season the Turf was a fortress, Burnley were beaten just twice in 23 league games, by eventual champions Leicester City and then by Middlesbrough, a game which the home side completely dominated.

If they can find seven wins from 18 at home this season then they will almost certainly stay up, but two golden opportunities, against Sunderland, and then West Ham on Saturday, have already come and gone.

A point against Manchester United is never to be turned down, but Sunderland should have been beaten, their away form is woeful, for proof of that see their capitulation at Southampton at the weekend.

Burnley started quickly against the Hammers, and in the vibrancy of their play you could see the foundations which had served them well last season.

They created chances in the first half, it was probably the best 45 minutes of the season for the number of good opportunities created, but they weren’t taken.

Ings, Boyd and Jutkiewicz all had presentable chances to break the deadlock, but when they went in 0-0 at half time you got the feeling that West Ham wouldn’t allow them such control of the match in the second 45 minutes.

It was a similar story against Sunderland, chances came and went and they had to settle for a home point.

Had they got the first half goal that their play merited on Saturday then it would have been a different game, and you could quite easily have been looking at six points from the last two home games. Instead it’s just the one.

Two of the next three league fixtures are at home, as Everton and Hull City visit. Failure to win either of those would see the Clarets winless from six at home, with just 12 matches to come at Turf Moor.

From that position it would be a huge ask to stay in the Premier League. Turf Moor needs to be a fortress again, starting on Sunday, before it is too late.