CHANGING THE GAME

Swansea’s threat had been minimal for 70 minutes but it was Carlos Carvalhal who went for the jugular from the bench and he was rewarded.

Earlier in the season these were the games Burnley were sneaking 1-0. Sean Dyche has always insisted the margins are fine and now we are finding out just how thin they are.

Dyche’s options from the bench have been limited through injuries but Carvalhal was able to call on significant attacking weapons in Andre Ayew and Tammy Abraham.

Their introduction lifted the Liberty Stadium and gave the impression of a team going for the jugular. Swansea responded with a strong finish and their bravery resulted in a late winner.

It was just the way Burnley were snatching wins earlier in the season.

SWITCHING WINGS

Against Manchester City the decision to swap Aaron Lennon and Johann Berg Gudmundsson at half-time had worked a treat.

Lennon looked more threatening and more comfortable down the right, a position he has played more often in his career, while Gudmundsson scored the goal coming in on the left.

They started in those roles at Swansea and both troubled the hosts in the first half. Gudmundsson’s direct run early on created a chance for Jeff Hendrick while Lennon did well late in the half to tee up Gudmundsson at the back post.

It was, therefore, strange to see them swapped again after the break. After a bright 45 minutes Lennon drifted out of the game and was eventually replaced by Scott Arfield.

Lennon did well at one point on the left, cutting inside into a dangerous area, but he looked unsure whether to shoot or pass and was eventually crowded out. It’s a role he doesn’t look all that comfortable in.

A BREAK

With no game next weekend after their FA Cup exit at Manchester City Sean Dyche and his players head to Portugal for a spot of warm-weather training and team bonding.

It’s not the way they would have wanted to head to the continent. The players might insist that spirits remain high and Dyche rarely lets his squad get too high in victory or too low in defeat, but this run will be hurting them.

The chance to put it right now won’t come for two weeks but it will allow some weary bodies to recover and hopefully a few of the injured players to put themselves back in the frame.

If the Clarets can return fit and fresh then they have the perfect opportunity to turn their fortunes around against Southampton on February 24.

STAYING SEVENTH

One of the more remarkable aspects of Burnley’s recent run in the league is that they haven’t really been punished for it in terms of the league table.

The Clarets ended gameweek 17 in sixth and were always likely to eventually be hauled in by Arsenal. But two months and 10 winless games later and Sean Dyche’s side are still seventh.

The likes of Leicester, Everton and Bournemouth have closed the gap to varying degrees but none of them have gone past Burnley.

It highlights how well Burnley started the season but also the lack of quality in the teams chasing them, with none able to put together a strong run.

A seventh-place finish remains in the Clarets’ grasp if they can turn their form around, but crucially they will want to make sure this good start isn’t wasted with a slide down the table.

WELLS’ IMPACT

The deadline day signing of Nahki Wells in the summer filled a hole in the Clarets squad. A striker with the pace to break an offside trap, to play on the shoulder of the last man and to try and stretch the play.

After an operation on a foot injury Burnley had to wait to see the £5million in action but his chances to influence games have been limited all the same.

He came off the bench for his debut on December 23 but had played just 32 minutes of Premier League football in six appearances as a sub. It’s difficult to make judgements on Wells in that time, but at the same time it’s difficult for him to make an impact on games when his time on the pitch is so limited.