Scott Parker on the verge of history as Burnley can equal incredible 104-year record against Watford

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Burnley are on the verge of winning promotion back to the Premier League and can equal a remarkable 104-year record against Watford this weekend.

The Clarets head to Vicarage Road on the back of a 2-1 victory over Norwich City last weekend, cementing their place in the top two after Sheffield United lost against Plymouth Argyle.

Scott Parker’s men have been outrageously good in defence this term, shipping just 13 goals in 42 matches, with David Prutton predicting Burnley to beat Watford 1-0 on Friday.

Ahead of their clash against the Hornets, Parker had some positive news to deliver, revealing that Lyle Foster could return for the run-in after suffering a shoulder injury against Derby County.

All eyes will be on the team sheet come 2pm on Friday, and that isn’t the only thing of interest to supporters on what could be a historic day for the club.

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Burnley can equal 104-year club record against Watford

Burnley are predicted to struggle in the Premier League, should they complete promotion from their current position.

The gap between the Championship and Premier League is massive, as demonstrated by Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town all on the verge of coming down at the first time of asking.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	42	25	13	4	82	29	53	88
2	BurnleyBurnley	42	24	16	2	57	13	44	88
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	42	26	7	9	57	33	24	83

While clubs find it difficult after being promoted to the top-flight, Burnley are a team who have dominated throughout, coming close to equalling history.

Parker’s side are unbeaten in their last 29 league games, including 18 wins and 11 draws. On Friday, they could reach 30 games undefeated in the English Football League for the second time in their history after last doing so in March 1921, as per BBC Sport.

That would be a remarkable achievement from the Clarets, and one that can be broken if they go the rest of the campaign without tasting defeat.

What Burnley must do if they win promotion

Vincent Kompany led Burnley to their most recent promotion to the top-flight, and the Belgian was quickly found out with his possession-oriented style.

The Clarets were cut open at will as they attempted to progress play from defence, something newly-promoted sides can ill-afford to do against world-class opponents.

Gary Neville has already sent a warning to promoted clubs, urging teams to go more direct instead of playing out from defence, as the players aren’t good enough.

Roy Keane says promoted clubs must be harder to beat, and that is one thing Burnley have been this term, creating an incredibly watertight defence that is difficult to break down.

Their defensive trio of James Trafford, CJ Egan-Riley and Maxime Esteve have largely contributed to their solidity, and that is a platform to build from this summer.

Parker’s men already have solid foundations, but significant improvements will be needed in attack this summer, otherwise, it is difficult to see where the goals would come from in the top-flight.