THE Clarets will have to display plenty of their familiar resilience when Premier League action resumes this Saturday.

Burnley took seven points from a possible nine in the three games before the international break to move themselves off the foot of the Premier League table.

If the performances weren't always convincing, particularly in the 2-1 win at Cardiff and the 1-1 Turf Moor draw with Huddersfield, there were some familiar traits on show from Sean Dyche's side.

Having put four without reply past Bournemouth to claim a first league win of the campaign Burnley had to dig in against the Bluebirds and the Terriers.

They will almost certainly have to do so again at the Etihad Stadium this weekend as they face champions Manchester City. The Clarets made two trips to face City last year - with one in the FA Cup third round - and suffered a collective 7-1 defeat.

But Dyche believes that resilience has always been an important part of his Burnley sides and he's been pleased to see it in operation of late.

"It’s been a marker of ours since the first summer I was here when I got my own group together," Dyche said of the trait instilled in pre-season of 2013/14.

"We are what we are, but all good teams, even some of the most offensive teams, have always had a strong resilience, a strong backbone and belief system.

"When times are going well it’s an easier situation, it’s when they’re not going so well that you sometimes see the true character of the group."

Times certainly weren't going so well for Burnley when they were beaten 1-0 at Wolves on their return to action from the October international break.

That defeat, which could easily have been by more than one goal, left Dyche's men bottom of the league and there was plenty of discussion that this could be the year they found themselves in a relegation battle.

But the Clarets chief was delighted with the response his side provided to the doubters.

"There was a bit of noise about us asking which way it was going and then we pulled out two wins. It guarantees the mindset and focus is there and the resilience is there," said Dyche.

"The belief from a win galvanises even better now because players get knocked so many times now. Some open themselves up to it but some it’s just the nature of football now, the Premier League is recognised world wide and there’s incredible amounts of media attention, whether that’s traditional media or whatever media streams they have going on.

"There’s a lot more to contend with, so a win doesn’t solve everything but it doesn’t half lighten the load with that.

"When you’re winning people let you get on with it and a bit more freedom comes into the performances."