FOOTBALL UNITED

Football paled into insignificance as Leicester City mourned their chairman and owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

In the first home game since the helicopter crash that killed the Thai businessman and four others a fortnight ago, there was a succession of tributes. They began with the 5000-1 Walk from the city centre to the ground, which thousands took part in, including many Burnley fans - a gesture which was appreciated by the Leicester City supporters.

There was also a video montage of Khun Vichai shown before kick-off on the big screens, which was watched throughout the ground, while the two-minute silence for the five victims was impeccably observed by all.

And while there was then a game to be contested, as Sean Dyche pointed out afterwards the day was about so much more than football.

BACK TO BASICS

Burnley boss Dyche said before the game that he had seen signs of his side retrieving last season’s resilience, despite a run of three defeats that had resulted in 13 goals conceded.

And on Saturday they proved it by earning their third clean sheet and first since late September.

Granted, grieving Leicester were perhaps not on top of their game having travelled to Bangkok for Khun Vichai’s funeral, which affected their usual schedule, in addition to the emotion of Saturday itself. But Burnley dealt with whatever the Foxes threw at them in the first half-hour and grew in confidence from that and got men behind the ball to protect the clean sheet.

TWO-PRONGED ATTACK

Two of Burnley’s three defeats came against Manchester City and Chelsea, so it’s unlikely formation would have been a factor in avoiding them. But it cannot go unnoticed that a return to 4-4-2 helped Burnley to their first point when they last lined up that way, in the 1-1 draw with Huddersfield.

The Clarets had a better balance and kept their shape better with and without the ball in their more familiar shape, which enabled Chris Wood to be rewarded for his goalscoring contribution at West Ham to partner Sam Vokes up front, and was all part of Dyche’s plan to get back in basics.

And Vokes looked more comfortable having someone to play alongside.

INJURIES

Just when Burnley were on the verge of getting a full complement back after a number of injuries, there is another queue for the treatment table.

James Tarkowski has had a second operation to repair a groin hernia, after Ben Gibson also went under the knife for a similar problem. In addition Steven Defour went off after straining the knee he had surgery on last season, although Dyche said his withdrawal was more as a precaution. Johann Berg Gudmundsson also left the field early with a calf problem, which again Dyche was hoping was not serious.

Stephen Ward (knee) and Nick Pope (shoulder) are continuing their recoveries.