Burnley face test of champions
Vincent Kompany’s old club provide a litmus test for his current one for the second time in six months. Burnley were storming towards the Championship title and unbeaten in 18 matches when pitted away at Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals in March. Club officials, as the new Mission to Burnley documentary reveals, viewed the tie as a gauge of Burnley’s Premier League credentials while Kompany fired up his players with talk of Wembley. They were swatted aside 6-0. There is no shame in a sound beating at the home of soon-to-be treble winners but Kompany will expect a more competitive display in the Premier League curtain raiser at Turf Moor. Burnley, who have made it nine summer signings with Sander Berge’s arrival from Sheffield United, have had players back in training since 5 June – five days before City won the Champions League in Istanbul. They will hope the extra work at least reduces the gap on an all-conquering team that is already airing complaints about fatigue. Andy Hunter
