Burnley tries to fashion another Premier League fairy tale finish

Two seasons after Leicester’s improbable title triumph, another soccer fairy tale might be unfolding in the English Premier League.

They are unlikely to emulate Leicester in winning the league, but the players and coach of unfashionable northwest club Burnley are starting to dream of playing in the Champions League next season.

Burnley scored an 89th-minute goal to beat Stoke 1-0 on Tuesday and climb into the top four of England’s top flight for the first time since March 1975.

A supposed candidate for relegation after selling two of its best players in the off-season, Burnley has won nine of its 17 games, conceded just 12 goals, and sits above Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham with nearly half the season gone.

They’ve already beaten Chelsea away, and drawn at Tottenham and Liverpool.

“Leicester blew the roof off the dreams of football,” Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. “Now, no bold statements from me about that, by the way, I must make that clear. But there’s an open-mindedness to the group.

“If you are going to dream, you have to be prepared to make the dreams come true. That’s what we are trying to do.”

A founding member of the Football League in 1888 and the English champion in 1921 and 1960, Burnley hasn’t finished a season higher than sixth place since 1974. A downturn saw the club drop out of the top division for 33 years and, in 1987, almost fall out of the professional leagues.

Burnley is in its second season back in the top flight, having avoided relegation only because of its strong home form. Now it is hard to beat home or away.

Willian shines

The absence of Alvaro Morata because of a back injury allowed Chelsea manager Antonio Conte to shuffle his forward line. One of those to benefit was Willian.

The Brazil international scored in between setting up goals for Tiemoue Bakayoko and Pedro Rodriguez in Chelsea’s 3-1 win at Huddersfield.

Palace late show

Crystal Palace is out of the relegation zone for the first time this season thanks to a dramatic finale in a 2-1 home win over Watford.