Vincent Kompany hails a ‘professional performance’ from Burnley at Salford

Posted Wednesday, September 27, 2023 by PA

Vincent Kompany admitted his Burnley side had done nothing out of the ordinary in sweeping aside Sky Bet League Two Salford to reach the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.

The Clarets put their Premier League struggles to one side in a 4-0 victory at the Peninsula Stadium with all four scorers – Sander Berge, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Dara O’Shea and Wilson Odobert – getting their first goals for the club.

Kompany made 11 changes from the side that started Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United but saw Burnley put the result to bed early with the first three goals coming inside the opening half an hour.

“We can put this result in context,” Kompany said. “We know we’re the Premier League team, we’re supposed to win, we’re supposed to put in a performance but it’s easier said than done, especially when you have 11 changes.

“We showed good discipline, a professional performance. We got the goals, we got the clean sheet. We put it behind us now and focus on the Premier League and the next round…

“Eleven changes, some new players, some positional changes as well. You can always go back through it and say this and that could have been better but in the end we were disciplined, we created as many chances as we needed to win the game and we didn’t concede chances.

“Midweek, away from home, I’ve been in the game long enough to know it can be a different game and we kept it how it was supposed to be.”

In a season when Burnley, still winless in the Premier League, had only found the net five times in their previous six games, the goals and the fresh names scoring them will be a source of confidence.

“Goals (have been hard to come by), yes, but I think we’ve had chances,” Kompany said of his side’s season. “For a newly-promoted team you’re not going to go into the Premier League and all of a sudden start scoring two or three a game.

“We know that but we’re just delighted for the forwards to have scored some goals and for a lot of new players as well to be on the scoresheet. That’s something that’s going to matter this season.”

While the goalscorers were new the source was familiar, with Anass Zaroury having a hand in all four.

Berge headed in the Moroccan’s 12th-minute corner before Zaroury teed up Bruun Larsen’s lob. The winger then tried to beat Alex Cairns with a quick free-kick from a tight angle and when the goalkeeper could not hold it, O’Shea bundled home.

Nine minutes from time, Zaroury crossed for Odobert who cut back inside before finding the net.

It all added up to a sixth straight defeat for Salford as under-pressure Neil Wood deals with a lengthy injury list.

“Playing against a Premier League team, three levels above us, it’s always going to be difficult,” Wood said. “They’re very technical, very good players and tactically it’s a very good system that’s difficult to defend against.

“It’s disappointing to concede off two set pieces for us…All credit to them, they’re a very good team.

“It was a really difficult night but not a night that we weren’t expecting.”