"The best" - EFL pundit issues Burnley, Leeds United, Sheffield United comparison in promotion race | OneFootball

George Elek admits that the Clarets have stepped it up a gear of late as they seek a Premier League return

EFL pundit George Elek believes Burnley are looking like the strongest side in the Championship right now, as the race for automatic promotion from the second tier hots up.

Speaking on Not The Top 20 podcast alongside Ali Maxwell, the co-host claimed that the Clarets are performing the best out of the top three as it stands, with their 2-0 victory over Swansea City at the weekend underlining that fact.

With their record-breaking defensive line showing no signs of easing up, and a newfound attacking strength when going forward, Scott Parker’s side sit just two points off the automatic promotion places heading into the international break, with just eight matches of the season remaining.

With it still all to play for at the top of the division, Elek believe the Lancashire side could be hitting top gear at exactly the right time as they hunt down Leeds United and Sheffield United in the top two.

George Elek praises Burnley after dominant Swansea City victory

Burnley made light work of dispatching Swansea at the weekend, with Josh Brownhill’s opener after just four minutes setting the tone for the afternoon, before Jaidon Anthony made it two midway through the first-half.

The visitors then held firm to collect a 27th clean sheet of the Championship season in Wales, with the hosts restricted to just three shots on goal all game, and only one of those heading on target.

Keeping the ball out of their own net had never been a problem for the Turf Moor side, but the introduction of Marcus Edwards has added another dimension to the side going forward of late, and that balance between front and back had Elek waxing lyrical about them in his weekly Monday debrief.

Speaking on NTT20, Elek said: “This is the best that Burnley have been this season by miles.

“We have spoken a lot over the last season and poured cold water over their runs of form, been frustrated with their attacking output, and at times doubted the sustainability over their defensive numbers.

“But right now, Burnley are a side that restrict the opposition to very little, and carry a massive attacking threat, and that was the case against a Swansea side who have improved after the sacking of Luke Williams.

“Especially in away games, even when it is a team that are favourites to win it that go ahead within four minutes, you can expect the game state to turn massively.

“Even if the away team go on to win the game, it can often be the case - especially against a team like Swansea where they concede loads of territory - they attack in transition and pick off teams as they pull forward.

“But despite going ahead with the first shot of the game, they just kept their foot on the gas and were the better team throughout the whole game.

“Burnley’s press was really effective, and they moved the ball quickly and directly towards goal when in possession, creating decent goalscoring opportunities.

“This was a Burnley side just totally suffocating their hosts, and strangling the quality that they have. With relative ease they got ahead in the game and then defended that lead.”

George Elek makes Burnley, Sheffield United, Leeds United comparison amid Championship promotion race

As mentioned, Burnley have to make up two points on either Leeds or Sheffield United between now and the end of the season, and recent performances have proven they are more than capable of keeping their momentum going until May.

An unbeaten steak of 25 league matches has seen Parker’s side keep pace at the top of the table, with Millwall the last side to get the better of them all the way back on November 3.

Earlier in the campaign, it was a lack of cutting edge that saw the Clarets drop a number of points despite rarely being tested themselves, with eleven 0-0 draws a sign of a side who couldn’t break down the opposition on a regular basis.

But with a threat coming down both flanks, teams now don’t know how to stop the Lancashire outfit when the flood forward, as evidenced once again in the victory against the Swans last time out with Edwards and Anthony causing havoc whenever they got the opportunity.

With six wins from their last eight, Elek believes that Burnley are the most impressive of the top three right now, and that could well make the difference over the next eight games as promotion to the Premier League beckons.

Elek continued: “I feel like Burnley are going to have games between now and the end of the season where they concede more chances and concede goals, but finally we are seeing a side that are still posting those really good defensive numbers, but are now carrying a big attacking threat.

“That is in part to having Marcus Edwards on the right-hand side and Jaidon Anthony on the left, it feels like Swansea did try a lot to try and prevent Edwards from having a massive impact on the right, and that just allowed Antony to be the key attacking player.

“I think right now in the top three, who is playing the best? I still believe that Leeds are the best team in the league, but Burnley are the team that results and performances are both very strong.”