No team has yet gone to Turf Moor this season and failed to leave with all three points.
No team in the history of the English top-flight has made a poorer home start to a season than Burnley, who have lost six matches on the bounce.
Supreme in the Championship last season but, evidently, leagues below thus far among the elite, so bad has the side managed by Vincent Kompany been that even Everton, last week deducted 10 points for breaching financial rules, still do not prop up the table.
All of which ought to breed confidence for West Ham, who head to Turf Moor today looking to follow Aston Villa, Tottenham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and both Manchester clubs in finding the Lancashire hills fertile ground.
And yet, as every football fan will tell you, such runs are fraught with danger; luck destined at some point to change; and some visiting party, at some point, bound to be first: the underdog is overdue its day and, oh how typical, they have gone and pencilled it in against us.
Since the advent calendars have been on the shelves for weeks and Mariah Carey on the radio likewise, perhaps it is fair to declare an early start to West Ham’s hectic festive run, involvement in both the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and the final two rounds of Europa League group games meaning the Hammers play 11 times in 39 days from today.
Momentum, then, will be key, and while much is often made of the boost that comes with winning the final fixture before the international break, perhaps not enough is said for the importance of returning to form immediately afterwards.
A comeback success over Nottingham Forest in a rollercoaster affair saw West Ham sign off for the fortnight on a positive note but, given Burnley’s home discomforts, only three points today will be considered enough to have the ball rolling once more.
