BURNLEY have to find their clinical edge at both ends of the pitch to get back on track, according to midfielder Steven Defour.

The Clarets travel to West Ham United this weekend on the back of successive defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea in which they've conceded nine goals and scored none.

But while any point against a big six side can be considered a bonus, Defour insists it's games against the Hammers and Leicester City, who Burnley face in the week before the international break, that will make or break their season.

And the Belgium ace is hoping the return of that clinical edge, as well as a stroke of luck, will see the Clarets head into the break on the back of two positive results.

"For the moment it’s not really going for us," said Defour.

"If you look at last season it all went for us, now it’s going against us a little bit. We have small opportunities like Corky (Jack Cork) and Vokesy (Sam Vokes) last weekend, but then you see how clinical Chelsea were.

"We have to be more clinical at both ends of the pitch, we’ve got some of the good play from last year but we have to do it for a full 90 minutes like we did last year.

"We’re working on it, everybody is getting back now, people are getting fitter, it will work at some point."

It's been a chastening couple of weeks for the Clarets against two sides who remain unbeaten 10 games into the Premier League season.

But Defour believes the real test for Burnley is in the next couple of the weeks and how they respond.

"It’s not against them (City and Chelsea) we expect to get points, we don’t say we’re going to lose before the game, it’s more a case of if we win it’s going to be a bonus," the 30-year-old said.

"The Leicester and the West Ham games are really important for us.

"That’s our direct opponents, these are the games we have to get points from."

Facing the big six has become an increasingly challenging task for teams like Burnley, who haven't beaten one of those sides since the 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge on the opening day of last season.

They've lost 10 of their last 12 and Defour believes managers such as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Maurizio Sarri are having an impact on the Premier League, even if it is making the task harder.

"I think you have these managers now who are making a positive impact on English football. You see the way Manchester City and Chelsea playing, and every year they get more and more money," he said.

"Every year it gets more difficult, they have difficulties in some games, but unfortunately it wasn’t against us.

"When you start good and you concede you make it even more difficult. That’s the problem against these teams, you can’t concede.

"If you can get the first goal then it makes it easier for you, because they give space and you can profit from that."

One positive from the defeat to Chelsea was Defour completing his first 90 minutes of the season as he gets back up to full fitness having only recently returned to action from knee surgery in January.

"I think physically it was good, I had some good pockets of play, it was hard work as well," he said.

"The last 15 the gaffer said just get your fitness in and get the 90 minutes in the Premier League in and get ready for next week."