Only a freakish set of results will now deny Burnley a place at the top table of English football against next season after a heroic night in West London took the Clarets to the 40-point mark.
With three games to go, Cardiff City – the club in the final relegation place – will need maximum points to draw level with Sean Dyche’s men, who extended their unbeaten run to four games.
And even with that unlikely scenario, the Welshmen would need to overcome a 17-goal deficit to threaten the Clarets’ position, which also sees them sit above Southampton and Brighton in 15th place.