It seems it is just one top team after the other. In this little run we've played both Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Liverpool and, just for good measure, the next two are the two North London clubs.
I can only think someone with a warped sense of humour was responsible for this sequence of fixtures, but we have picked up four points from them and if we could get some more it would make up from the disappointing of that little run in January and February when we collected just one point from three games against Crystal Palace, Sunderland and West Brom.
With a Sunday game I've been casting an eye over Jeff Stelling and co. on Sky this afternoon. It can be a very difficult programme to watch when you are keenly hoping for goals from some teams and not from others.
We really could have done without those wins for QPR and Leicester, but at least there was good news from Old Trafford and the Liberty Stadium with both Aston Villa and Hull suffering defeats.
It's Spurs this week with Arsenal to follow next Saturday, both moved for live coverage on Sky and now very likely to be the last two games when we get such a wide audience via television with no further Burnley games currently scheduled.
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| David Jones is enjoying his central midfield partnership with Scott Arfield |
We know how tough Spurs is going to be. We played well down at White Hart Lane in December and really deserved better than a 2-1 defeat, and then came the cup tie, the 1-1 draw at home when neither side looked particularly bothered, certainly in the first half, before we went down 4-2 in the replay and after leading 2-0 after just eight minutes.
It seems an age since we last played on the Turf. Two weeks ago we were beaten at Southampton and one week before that we got our best result of the season so far with George Boyd scoring the winner against Man City on the Turf. Another day like that would go down very well tomorrow.
Sean Dyche has spoken about the positivity in the squad and his belief that we are going to avoid the drop. Midfielder David Jones is also positive. "It's another big game on Sunday that we're all looking forward to," he said.
He added: "It's a very positive environment around here, win, lose or draw, but there is nothing that can replicate that winning feeling and the belief that filters through the squad after that. You can put in good performances but it's the points on the board that we're looking for at this stage of the season.
"From the outside we're probably not favourites to win the game but there is belief in this squad."
Jones has missed just two games this season, both away at West Brom and Leicester. For much of that time he's partnered Dean Marney in the centre of midfield but, since Marney suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury in the home draw against West Brom, has found a new partner in Scott Arfield.
There were some concerns among supporters at the loss of Marney but Jones said of Arfield: "Scott's a very good player and he's got a good understanding of the game, especially in central midfield as he's played that role before.
"Obviously here he has had more of a role on the wing but I'm really enjoying playing with him and I think we've linked up well. We've developed a good understanding quite quickly and hopefully we can continue to have a good partnership until the end of the season."
There aren't many options to Arfield and Jones in the midfield right now. Besides Marney being out for much of the remainder of 2015, Matt Taylor has suffered a setback in his recovery from achilles surgery and is not under consideration tomorrow.
Stephen Ward, who came on as a late substitute against City but then missed the Southampton game, is expected to return to the squad.
I don't envisage much change to the side and it could be the one that has started the last two games with Michael Duff and Sam Vokes back in the squad.
If so we will line up: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, George Boyd, Scott Arfield, David Jones, Ashley Barnes, Danny Ings, Sam Vokes. Subs from: Matt Gilks, Steven Reid, Michael Keane, Stephen Ward, Ross Wallace, Michael Kightly, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Marvin Sordell.
Spurs will go into tomorrow's game in seventh place in table although their hopes of reaching the top four and a place in next season's Champions League have certainly diminished. Wins today for three of the top four have left them eight points behind Manchester City who now sit fourth and it is looking increasingly likely that they'll be looking to win the battle against Liverpool and Southampton for one of the Europa League places.
They arrive in decent form having lost only three of their last 16 Premier League games. All of those defeats have been on the road at Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Manchester United, but overall they do have a good away record having won seven times at West Ham, Aston Villa, Hull, Swansea, Leicester, West Brom and QPR.
Spurs are a team certainly capable of finding the net. Their 50 Premier League goals this season has been bettered only by the current top four. However, they have conceded 45 goals and only Newcastle and the bottom three have a higher number in the goals against column.
Only three players have scored more than twice in the league this season. Nacer Chadli, who scored in the AF Cup tie on the Turf, has got eight while Christian Eriksen can claim one more with nine.
I don't think it would take too many guesses to work out who the other one is. That's Harry Kane. He's scored 19 Premier League goals, a total even more remarkable for the fact that his first didn't come until he scored a last minute winner at Villa in November.
Add to that total of 19 another seven in the Europa League, three in the Capital One Cup and his debut goal for England last week. It takes his total to 45 in 30 games. No wonder Sean Dyche tried to bring him in last season on loan.
He came on at half time against us in the FA Cup tie at the Turf but didn't feature in the replay, and his one goal against us was their opener in the league at White Hart Lane although there were any number of reasons why it should have been disallowed long before he got the final touch.
Burnley fans will certainly be given another opportunity to see England's latest striker but out of the Spurs side is goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who gashed his knee last time out against Leicester and isn't fit to return. Michel Vorm will replace him in goal.
Vorm is looking to get a clean sheet in what will be his first league start for Spurs since arriving from Swansea last summer. He said: "We know that we have to be focused for 90 plus minutes against a team like Burnley, as they are going to give their all and could be a threat from set pieces or on the counter attack. We have to make sure we don't make the same mistakes City did.
"Sometimes we've been a bit sloppy and have given chances away from silly errors and that's something that we need to get rid of, because teams in the Premier League are always looking to capitalise on that."
Roberto Soldado has missed their last two games with a knee injury and remains doubtful, as does Danny Rose with hamstring and hip problems.
Last time out, Spurs beat Leicester 4-3 at White Hart Lane. Their line up was: Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Ryan Mason, Nabil Bentaleb, Andros Townsend, Christian Eriksen, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane. Subs: Michel Vorm, Ben Davies, Vlad Chiriches, Erik Lamela, Emmanuel Adebayor, Mousa Dembele, Paulinho.
Last Time They Were Here
Our last home league game against Spurs brought the curtain down on what was our first ever Premier League season in May 2010. On the day the club celebrated the 50th anniversary of our title success of 1960 it was perhaps appropriate that they were our visitors given the rivalry between the clubs half a century earlier.
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| Wade Elliott scored the first goal |
We'd nothing but pride to play for having been relegated at the end of the previous home game against Liverpool, and we'd lost at Birmingham since then so went into the last game in 19th place.
Spurs, on the other hand, had secured a Champions League place with a midweek win at Manchester City. They could avoid the qualifiers should they win and Arsenal move, results that would see them end in third place.
Needless to say I'd been rambling on about Burnley v Spurs classics that I'd seen in the 60s, and this one all but matched it with six goals, a vibrant Turf Moor crowd and a comeback that suggested brighter days ahead.
Clarets Mad had held a brilliant dinner on the night before in the company of Jimmy McIlroy, Jimmy Robson, Trevor Meredith, Willie Irvine and Martin Dobson.
Andre Bikey came in to partner Steven Caldwell at the back in the absence of Michael Duff. Seeing him in defence was a reminder of the words of the manager who had signed him. "He won't play in midfield for Burnley," we were told by the man who suggested Fernando Guerrero would be the most fouled player in the Premier League.
"We could be in for a pasting," I was told just before kick off and it took Spurs less than three minutes to take the lead. Aaron Lennon got the better of Danny Fox far too easily and his cross was met by Gareth Bale who made no mistake.
We did eventually get some sort of foothold in the game but just past the half hour we saw a goal to match any we'd seen all season. The ball found its way to Luka Modric who beat Caldwell with some clever footwork before beating Brian Jensen on his near post.
Often when a goalkeeper is beaten on his near post you point the finger of blame at him. Not this time; it was a stunning strike that left Jensen without a prayer of getting close to it. This was surely one of the best goals we saw all season.
Only Arsenal had come from two behind to win a game all season. They'd done it twice, but that's what we would have to do to get three points from this one. Incredibly, that's exactly what we did.
Just before half time, Graham Alexander found Steven Fletcher whose brilliant through ball to Wade Elliott gave our Wembley goalscorer a goal with his left foot.
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| and Steven Thompson got the last |
Spurs hit the post at the start of the second half but then it all changed. Nine minutes in and Wade went on a run so reminiscent of the one that led to the goal at Wembley. This time, instead of playing the ball forward he found Martin Paterson on the right. Pato hit over a superb cross that was met by Jack Cork who headed home his first Burnley goal.
The Burnley crowd were now as loud as they'd been in the Manchester United win in August. Spurs did hit the woodwork again but by now we were the better side and with around twenty minutes to go we went in front.
Fletcher and Paterson were now leading Spurs a right merry dance and the two combined with Fletcher getting into the ball and playing it across for Pato to hit a first time shot past Ben Alnwick.
The Turf Moor crowd roared us on and incredibly there was to be a fourth. It came just a couple of minutes from the end. It looked as though Wade had got a second when he hit his shot from outside the box, but Steven Thompson, who had just come on as a substitute, got a touch to it and claimed our last goal of the season.
Down we were, but what a way to go out. What a performance it was. Harry Redknapp said he'd got the ump after the game. I don't think Brian Laws had too many good days as Burnley manager but this was definitely one of them.
For four of our players it was a farewell. Caldwell, Fletcher, David Nugent and Robbie Blake all played their last Burnley games. Unused substitutes Nicky Weaver and Stephen Jordan also left the club that summer.
The teams were;
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Andre Bikey, Steven Caldwell, Danny Fox, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Jack Cork, Martin Paterson (Chris Eagles 90), Steven Fletcher (Steven Thompson 86), David Nugent (Robbie Blake 79), Subs not used: Nicky Weaver, Michael Duff, Stephen Jordan, Kevin McDonald.
Tottenham Hotspur: Ben Alnwick, Younes Kaboul, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Benoit Asso-Ekotto, Aaron Lennon, Luka Modric, Tom Huddlestone (Wilson Palacios 64), Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe (Roman Pavlyuchenko 63), Peter Crouch (Eidur Gudjohnsen 85). Subs not used: Jimmy Walker, Sebastien Bassong, Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley.
Previous Games against Tottenham
| Last 20 Years | |||||
| Season | Comp | Ven | Res | Att | Scorers |
| 2002/03 | Carling Cup | h | 2-1 | 13,512 | Blake, Davis |
| 2004/05 | Carling Cup | h | 0-3 | 10,639 | |
| 2008/09 | Carling Cup | a | 1-4 | 31,377 | Paterson |
| h | 3-2 | 19,533 | Blake, McCann, Rodriguez | ||
| 2009/10 | Premier League | a | 0-5 | 35,462 | |
| h | 4-2 | 21,161 | Elliott, Cork, Paterson, Thompson | ||
| 2014/15 | Premier League | a | 1-2 | 35,681 | Barnes |
| FA Cup | h | 1-1 | 9,348 | Vokes | |
| a | 2-4 | 24,367 | Sordell, Wallace | ||
Click HERE to see all previous results against Tottenham