Sean Dyche hopes to use Man City defeat as preparation for relegation fight

Sean Dyche hopes Saturday’s defeat by Manchester City proves the right preparation for Burnley’s crucial tests against relegation rivals Everton and Norwich in the next few days.

City struck twice in the opening 25 minutes at Turf Moor through Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan and had chances to add to that lead as they eased back to the top of the Premier League after briefly being leapfrogged by Liverpool after their 2-0 win over Watford at lunchtime.

It means Burnley have lost 10 in a row to Pep Guardiola’s side, and the aggregate score of 34-1 shows this was not a fixture by which to measure their chances of scrambling out of the hole they have dug themselves.

Instead, Wednesday’s visit of Everton and Sunday’s trip to Norwich should give a better indication of the chances of a great escape.

“I want (the game) to help,” Dyche said after Saturday’s defeat. “People were saying it was a bad time to play City but I thought it was a good time to play them.

“We had 11 games to go and we needed the players to get their eye in, get the international lads back.

“Actually I think it was a good time to play them because you want that game, of course you want a result, but if you can’t get a result it gives you that game time to get ready for the next one.”

Dyche shrugged off suggestions of a make-or-break week, but recognises time is running out to get points on the board.

“Every point counts wherever you get it from, the focus is on the next game,” he said. “They are all important, if you win the next one, it doesn’t make your season, you have to do a lot more than that.

“It is a truth of a team like Man City, they had three efforts on target in the first half and scored two. We haven’t done that all season. The biggest