THE remarkable thing about Burnley's Premier League survival this season has been the ease with which it has been achieved.

In fact, survival isn't the right word. The Clarets have never really been in a battle for survival this season.

As Sean Dyche often points out, they were generally written off at the start of the season. A better version than two years, but still not good enough to stay up.

Those views quickly changed though. After the first weekend of the season and an opening day defeat to Swansea City at Turf Moor that soon began to look like an anomaly for both sides Burnley were 18th. They would never see such territory again.

By the halfway stage of the campaign the Clarets were nine points clear of the bottom three. On a couple of occasions that gap was cut to five, but when they needed a result Dyche's side would invariably find one. There might have been the odd jitter from fans not used to such lofty heights in recent years, but outside the town nobody really thought Burnley were in a relegation battle from Christmas onwards.

The win at Crystal Palace on April 29 was probably the key result. It was the final hurdle, in more ways than one, ending the away day hoodoo at the same time as virtually guaranteeing safety.

But it's Turf Moor where the groundwork for this memorable season was laid. The reason that Swansea win in East Lancashire on the opening day now looks so out of place is because only Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United have won there in the league since.

The win over Liverpool a week after that Swans defeat got the ball rolling and between then and the visit of eventual champions Chelsea on February 12, 29 points from a possible 39 were gathered at Turf Moor. It was the key period.

While the Clarets were finding various ways to not win on the road, they were always finding a way to win at home. Everton and Palace were beaten in the last minute and the will of Middlesbrough, Southampton and Leicester City was broken late on.

By the end of January it was pretty much job done. The first Burnley side to secure back-to-back top flight seasons since staying up in 1974/75.

It's the back five who have taken many of the plaudits this season, and rightly so, they have all been excellent.

But the stats would suggest it's improvements at the other end of the pitch that have made the difference from 2014/15. Two years the Clarets kept 10 clean sheets and conceded 53 goals. Those records this season are identical with a game to go.

However they have scored 10 more goals than 14/15, going from 28 to 38 before today's game with West Ham, and it is those goals which has pushed the points tally from 33 to 40. They've had 14 different goalscorers in the league this season, compared to just seven two years ago. It is improvements in front of goal that have been decisive.

The challenge now is maintain this. Is there such a thing as second season syndrome? We will find out. It's going to be another big summer at Turf Moor. Michael Keane seems certain to go, while uncertainty surrounds Andre Gray's future. There will be holes to fill, but as long as Dyche remains in the dugout you would back Burnley to build on the success of this season.