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Sean Dyche: 'There's still work to be done' at Burnley despite strong start

Burnley moved up to seventh in the Premier League table by beating Newcastle, yet Sean Dyche remains reluctant to consider his team an established top-flight outfit.

Jeff Hendrick's 74th-minute winner on Monday night meant the fifth anniversary of Dyche's tenure at Turf Moor was marked with a seventh 1-0 victory since the start of last season.

Having avoided relegation as Premier League newcomers last season, only the consensus "big six" are above Burnley in the standings 10 games into this term -- highlighting the job Dyche has done since assuming control of a team in the Championship's bottom half.

Dyche acknowledges that Burnley are gaining respect across the division, which was evident in the defensive approach Newcastle adopted at Turf Moor, yet he is not getting comfortable with their current position.

"It just says we continue to work hard to progress -- myself, my staff and the team," Dyche said. "We're not the market leaders, we have to earn the right for everything we get. I've been really pleased with the constant mentality of continuing to move forward, it's important for me and the staff.

"People talk about this idea of being a recognised Premier League club, we're not a recognised Premier League club yet, you have to earn that, that takes some doing, it's not a couple of seasons. There's no number on it, but you have to deliver constantly season after season.

"We are earning respect, a side that feels like it can do what the Premier League needs, but there's still work to be done. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon, we've made a good start but there's a long race to go."

Their performance against Newcastle was indicative of Dyche's reign at Turf Moor -- his team typically dogged and determined in grinding out three points.

The hosts' goal stemmed from Steven Defour and Jack Cork harrying Ayoze Perez out of possession before Johann Berg Gudmundsson produced the back-post cross which Hendrick cushioned down and tucked away.

"The Premier League is a difficult place to be," Dyche added. "You have to get wins however you can. We've had wins where we've had to work tremendously hard. When you're us, you can't just go out and play fantastic every week, you have to fight for a win, get a set piece for a win, sometimes you have to play really well - you have to do all of those things.

"We're still earning the right somewhat. We're learning."

Newcastle had started the night above Burnley but did little to trouble their opponents until after the goal, which boss Rafael Benitez saw as preventable.

"I think it was an even game -- we could have won, we could have lost," he said. "It's one mistake and then the goal happens. Afterwards we pushed and had chances but not enough.

"We made a mistake and after we were out of position. I don't like to name anyone but we didn't do what we had to do."

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