Erling Haaland scored two first half goals and Rodri added a third in the second half
season.
The Clarets staged the first top flight fixture of 2023/24, but it was City who romped to victory. Erling Haaland scored two ruthlessly taken first half
goals, before Rodri slammed home a third 15 minutes from time. Burnley’s night was soured by a late red card for Anass Zaroury, following a VAR
review.
Kompany was not too downbeat after the match though and felt there were encouraging moments from his side over the course of the 90 minutes.
The Belgian was keen to highlight the level of opponent his team ultimately came up short against, too.
“Of course, it could’ve gone worse,” said Kompany. “There were some good things in this performance and I have to focus on that, against the best
team in the world at the moment. I don’t want an emotional rollercoaster where you win one game and you’re on a high, then lose one and you think
it’s dramatic.
“It is progress again; working harder than every other team in the Premier League. That is our job: progress, progress progress. At this moment in
time, this team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season because you progress all the way through the season. You always say to the team
to get something out of the game.
“It’s a given you want to have a result, but there are other things in this game which set a foundation for the season: winning tackles, going at
defenders one-v-one, creating chances, moving the ball and pressing. I could tell you periods in the game where I wanted more, but I thought there
were a lot of periods where I thought they did themselves proud of course.
“The crowd has always been behind us and I wish we could’ve turned the momentum a little bit again, in the last 20 minutes of the game. Especially
with the red card, late on, as it happened the game kind of settled at the end.
“But, there are definitely things I look at and there are a lot of teams who go through a game with City, lose three nil and they don’t even have one of
these moments which we had. Today, we had enough to get something; I’m not saying a result but maybe get on the score sheet.
“But, they are the best team. Even when they defend the box, it looks like you have a big chance but they get back and do it so well that, for some of
them, it’s bread and butter really. You are trying, within the zone, to have the profile of players who can match the problems their players can cause
you.
“I feel we also didn’t have to compromise too much, in terms of how we manipulate the ball ourselves. We were flexible enough to switch in the
second half to what was essentially a back four. We adapted, they adapted, we adapted and they adapted again, but when you have seven years of
cohesion it gives you a bit of an advantage in those terms.”
Sander Berge, Zeki Amdouni, Luca Koleosho, Dara O’Shea and James Trafford all debuted for Burnley on the night, following their summer moves to
Turf Moor. Kompany was impressed by what he saw, on the whole.
“The first game, especially against them, you are always hoping that the game you envisaged for them actually comes off,” he said post-match. “I
thought Luca was extremely positive in the first half, then ran out of steam a little bit which you can expect.
“I thought Zeki had moments between the lines where he thought he could really do something, or power through and create a chance out of nothing
– which you need against these type of teams.
“Sander, I think looked like he had been here for a long time already. I am going to forget some, but in this sense me saying that the team is only
going to get stronger, I think it is fair. And that’s what we have to look for.”
And on substitute Zaroury’s sending off late on in the contest, for a foul on Kyle Walker, Kompany felt the decision was correct.
“It is a striker trying to make a tactical foul,” said Kompany. “But, tackling with the technique of a striker unfortunately. So, no complaints. The
technique was wrong. It could’ve been bad. I don’t think in the end he touched him too hard and it’s not a leg breaker, but it could’ve been a bad
tackle and you’ve got to accept the consequences.”
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