VICTORY over Stoke City at Turf Moor tonight would not only ease Burnley's fears of being dragged into a relegation battle but would take them past their Premier League points tally of two years ago, a significant staging post for Sean Dyche.

The Clarets recorded 33 points from 38 games in 2014/15 as they finished 18th in the league, but with eight games to go this season they are within one point of matching that tally already.

Although surviving in the top flight for the first time since 1974/75 is Burnley's ultimate aim this time, Dyche sees moving past that 33 point mark as a good sign for the club as they continue to progress under his stewardship.

"From my point of view as a manager that’s a really important thing to keep moving forwards all the time," he explained.

"That won’t be the final judgement of course, that comes at the end of the season, but to show continued growth year on year on year is a big part of what I believe is correct for the club and the team.

"To get where we are now this early in the games programme and be on the edge of what we’ve achieved before shows signs of growth and increased strength."

Burnley finished with 30 points in their first season in the Premier League back in 2009/10 but Dyche believes the improvements from his first season with the Clarets in the top flight two years ago are even more impressive given the quality in the league has risen.

"The league has moved on considerably from the last two years," he said.

"Last year was an anomaly year and a strange kind of season. This season it’s more or less back to normal so a tougher season than it was last season.

"There's definite improvements. The team, myself, the staff, and the understanding of the division, definitely, without a doubt (has improved)."

Moving on to 35 points with a win over Mark Hughes' side tonight (7.45pm) would ease a few nerves around Turf Moor.

The Clarets haven't won since beating Leicester City at home on January 31, a seven game run in the league that has seen their advantage over the bottom three cut to five points.

But the bottom 11 sides remain tightly bunched and a win tonight would lift Burnley to within of a point of their opponents, who currently sit ninth.

"It s a really tight league," said Dyche. "The lads down at Bournemouth had a really tough run after Christmas and yet pulled together eight points and all of a sudden it looks radically different.

"We had a spell earlier in the season. People forget that we had a spell where we took points from only three of the first six games and yet we won four of the next five.

"The division can be like that, it change can very quickly. Big clubs are only one, two points above us."

Of tonight's opponents Dyche added: "On their day they're as good as anyone, got some fine individuals and then they've had some quiet days.

"I think that's the nature of the Premier League. It's very difficult to find true consistency over a season. The real superpower clubs more or less do but even they've had runs."