SIX games. Five teams. Four points. Three to go down. The battle to avoid the drop in the Premier League has reached a crucial juncture.

Burnley still have survival in their own hands, as they can bridge the two-point gap to Hull City when they play the Tigers at the KC Stadium on May 9.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The gap of five points between 16th and 20th is the closest the gap has been at this stage of the season since the 2010/11 season, when two of the bottom three after 32 games survived the drop.

With Aston Villa only six points clear of danger having played a game more than Burnley this survival fight is certain to go right down to the final day, when those two Claret and blue rivals face off at Villa Park.

With three mid-table teams and three relegation rivals left to play, Burnley boss Sean Dyche remains confident his side can stay up, and he is avoiding keeping too much of an eye on how his relegation rivals are doing.

“I am confident in what we do,” said Dyche.

“I don’t view what the others do. It’s not relevant to me. The results are, of course. If they go your way. But what they are trying to do is nothing to do with me. It’s what we do that’s important.

“I am absolutely confident, wholeheartedly confident.”

The last two Premier League weekends have seen Burnley play after most of their relegation rivals.

Despite the later starts against Tottenham and Arsenal, Dyche insists he has not found it difficult to concentrate on keeping his own team in order.

“Last year we were used to it,” he said. “As a player I never got involved.

“I rarely have taken that into my coaching and management. I just share that with the players.

“It shouldn’t affect what you are doing. You need clarity in how you work and that’s what we are looking for in our players.”

Having played all of the top eight in their last eight games, Burnley’s run-in would appear to get easier from here on in, although Dyche is still expecting difficult matches.

“Some of the teams are superpowers in this division but it doesn’t mean they (the next six) are not tough games, they’re just a different kind of toughness,” he said.

“I think we’ve measured ourselves well against the really top sides and now we have to use it in a different way against the other teams.”