Burnley

Matthew Howarth, BBC Sport

Burnley claimed their first league win of the season in their last away match - against Luton at the beginning of the month - but they were undone by familiar defensive frailties at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford could have been out of sight by half-time had it not been for James Trafford, who produced a string of fine saves to keep the Clarets in the game.

The 21-year-old did brilliantly to deny Christian Norgaard after the midfielder's shot had taken a wicked deflection off Yoane Wissa - scorer of Brentford's opener - before magnificently tipping Neal Maupay's goal-bound effort over the crossbar.

Burnley were their own worst enemy at times, with O'Shea having to slide Maupay's shot off the line after Ameen Al-Dakhil had carelessly given away possession deep inside the Clarets half.

There was little Trafford could do about either of the Bees' second-half efforts, which ended the visitors' hopes of getting anything from the game.

The result means Burnley have lost seven of their opening nine matches in a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1888-89.

• Brentford have won consecutive matches in all competitions against Burnley for the first time since December 1996, while it’s the first time they’ve ever done so without conceding (also 2-0 in the previous win).

• Burnley have lost seven of their opening nine matches (W1 D1) in a top-flight league campaign for the first time since 1888-89 (W2 L7).

• Brentford ended a run of six Premier League games without victory (D3 L3), gaining their first home win in the competition this season (D3 L1 before today).

• Brentford had 23 shots against Burnley, 10 of which were on target, their joint-most in a Premier League game (also 10 v West Ham in May).

Brentford claimed their first home win of the season as spectacular goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Saman Ghoddos helped the Bees to a valuable three points against struggling Burnley.

Mbeumo steered Neal Maupey's pass into the top corner just past the hour mark to double the hosts' lead after Yoana Wissa had broken the deadlock in the first half.

Ghoddos completed the scoring with three minutes remaining, arrowing a powerful shot into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Thomas Frank's team, who conceded two stoppage time goals at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, got the opener their early dominance deserved when Wissa turned in Mbeumo's low cross at the far post.

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There is lots of Premier League action on Saturday with eight games set to be played out, and we'll bring you every moment.

Follow all the action and reaction here

Live commentaries:

• Manchester City v Brighton - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Arsenal - BBC Radio 5 Live

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

His opponents for this weekend's fixtures are Joelah and Keke, the award-winning presenters of 1Xtra's Throwback Party on BBC Sounds.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Burnley's home record is awful, with five defeats out of five, so they need to pick something up on the road. I just don't see it happening though.

The Clarets always seem to look lively when they come forward, but I worry about them defensively and Brentford are probably a bit more streetwise.

The Bees have gone six league games without a win but, despite their poor run of results, I don't think they are doing too much wrong. They came so close to beating Manchester United at Old Trafford last time out and, even with Ivan Toney still out injured, they still carry a decent attacking threat.

Brentford are also without a home win this season, which is a surprise because they were so good there last time. Generally speaking, they are finding things more difficult than they did in the previous two seasons, but I am backing them to take the points here.

Joelah's prediction: 2-1

Keke's prediction: 0-0

Read the rest of their predictions here

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has confirmed that the television dates for this season's festive fixtures will be released early next week.

The TV selections for the whole of December were due to be released on Friday, but only the first weekend of matches, including Manchester City versus Tottenham in the Sunday 16:30 slot, have been confirmed.

The Premier League has been toying with the idea of moving a match – understood to be Wolves' home game against Chelsea - from Saturday, 23 December to Christmas Eve.

It would be the first time a game has been played on 24 December since 1995, when Leeds United beat Manchester United.

Image source, Getty Images

Vincent Kompany believes there is pressure on every team and is not flustered by Burnley being in the relegation zone.

The Clarets have had a tough start on their return to the Premier League and Kompany is focusing on getting his team ready to pull away from trouble, starting this Saturday at Brentford.

"I look back at even last season - what's pressure?" he said. "The pressure of having to go back up because you have just been relegated or pressure of staying in the best league in the world.

"It's around every corner everywhere and is part and parcel of the job. I think it is always about - as a team - just being ready on the day and making sure you are fighting for what you think you deserve."

Burnley are only inside the bottom three on goal difference behind fellow promoted side Luton and Kompany is hopeful they have taken some lessons from their opening eight games, including heavy defeats to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

"We get to take the learnings from this first period of games and hopefully move towards being good in all the matches," he said. "The biggest things for us is the fact that every moment matters in the Premier League.

"Every game will be tough but everybody knows that when you play Man City and these teams, they have something extremely special."

Image source, Getty Images

Vincent Kompany has revealed the extend of Burnley's concern for North Macedonia winger Darko Churlinov who has recovered from suspected blood poisoning.

Churlinov joined the Clarets in the summer of 2022 and made 12 appearances in all competitions last season, but is yet to feature this season after being hospitalised with suspected blood poisoning whilst in Serbia in June.

However, he returned to action over the international break, featuring from the bench for North Macedonia in a friendly against Armenia.

"His story was quite scary to be honest," Kompany said.

"We feared for him, he got poorly, he got ill, he lost weight and muscle. At some stage we feared he might have to take a season out, but he had the mindset and the help of treatments luck to recover really really quickly.

"To have him back on the pitch now I think for all of us it's a feeling of relief.

"I spoke to the captains because I felt they should know and get in touch. It happened in a period where the group wasn't really together so it was a different group at the time.

"There was a big period of fear but when pre-season started we became quite confident that he could recover and that was a turning point for us where we just focused on reintegration."

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game away to Brentford.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Kompany said that "there’s quite a few players coming back" but that decisions on whether Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Manuel Benson and Nathan Redmond will be involved on Saturday will have to made in the next 48 hours.

• On pressure on him after Burnley's tough start: "If (players feel pressure) you see it. It is about creating an environment where players feel supported. What's pressure? It is everywhere. It is part and parcel of the job."

• When asked about North Macedonia winger Darko Churlinov’s recovery from suspected blood poisoning which he contracted in June, Kompany said: "His story is scary. We feared for him, he got ill, he lost weight and muscle. We feared he might have to take a season out, but he had the mindset and luck to recover quickly. To have him back on the pitch is a relief."

• On reports the club are looking for a drummer at Turf Moor: "Are we in need of a drummer? That’s for the custodians of the club to make a decision. About the atmosphere, it has not been a secret that Turf Moor is a tough place to come."

• On players returning from the international break: "For a Premier League side, if nobody wants your players that’s a problem. They are doing well. We spoke about pressure, it is experience gained. That’s the positive if they don’t get injured."

• Kompany said he "does not know" if Saturday's opponents Brentford will be battling against relegation because the "picture is not yet clear" but he is "locked in" to focusing on beating them.

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The Africa Cup of Nations gets under way in January with potentially more than 40 Premier League players missing several weeks of the season as they head to the Ivory Coast.

Nottingham Forest will be the most affected as they could lose a league-high seven players who, so far, have played a significant amount of minutes this season.

Manchester United will lose three players including first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana, while Liverpool are set to lose star man Mohamed Salah.

Just two teams are likely to be unaffected, with defending champions Manchester City and Newcastle having no players involved at all as things stand.

Here's a full list of players who could be heading to next year's tournament, who have made at least one matchday squad for their respective clubs so far this season.

Read more on which Premier League players could be heading to the Africa Cup of Nations

• Brentford have won one game in the Premier League this season (D4 L3), away to Fulham. They are currently winless in six league games (D3 L3), last going on a longer run between January and February in 2022 (8 games).

• Burnley have lost six of their eight Premier League games this season (W1 D1); their most defeats from their opening nine matches of any league campaign is seven, doing so in 1888-89 (top-flight), 1904-05 (second tier), and 1977-78 (second tier).

• Brentford have completed 2,756 passes in open play in the Premier League this season, with 8.6% of these being progressive passes (236), the third-highest such percentage, after Luton (11.4%) and Everton (8.7%).

• Meanwhile, only 4.9% of Burnley’s successful open play passes have been progressive, the second-lowest rate of any side this term (Man City 4.8%).

• Burnley have conceded 20 goals in the Premier League this season, but only four of those have come in away games (20%). Only Arsenal have conceded a lower proportion of their goals in away games in this season’s competition (0% - 0/6).

• Among all goalkeepers to have started at least five games in the Premier League since the 2003-04 campaign, Burnley’s James Trafford (37.3) and Brentford’s Mark Flekken (33.6) rank first and second for passes completed per 90 minutes.

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Former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam says Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has offered him a "brilliant" insight into coaching whilst working under him at the club.

Adam is currently loans manager for the Clarets but is given opportunities to learn from and observe the first-team coaching staff.

"He [Kompany] has been amazing for me," he told the Sacked in the Morning podcast.

"Part of our remit as coaches is next week I go in with the first team for a week.

"I'll stay with the first-team go with go to the game on the Saturday, so they'll travel to Brentford and I'll go and be part of that team.

"I'll be in every meeting discussing how they're going to set up against Brentford, watch the analysis, and get that education that way through the first-team and that's something he's allowed the more senior staff in the academy team to go into. It's been brilliant.

"The doors open. I've become a link between the first-team and the academy. It's been great for me and it's an open door policy if you want to ask him [questions].

"Results for the first team have not been what they would want and they've had a tough start but seeing the day-to-day work - this football club's going to a good place, in a good direction, and hopefully they can climb up the league."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Darren England has been named as fourth official for Saturday’s Premier League game between Brentford and Burnley.

Dan Cook has been confirmed as assistant referee for Sheffield United’s home match against Manchester United.

It is their first appointments since making the incorrect decision around Luis Diaz disallowed goal in Liverpool's game at Tottenham on 30 September.

Image source, PA Media

West Ham forward Michail Antonio says he would not be surprised to see Vincent Kompany chosen as the manager to succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City when the Spaniard eventually leaves his role with the Premier League champions.

Kompany led the Clarets to the Championship title in fine style last season, having enjoyed a stellar career as a player and captain at City.

Antonio told the Footballers' Football Podcast: "What he's been doing there [at Burnley] has been quality, I think he'll stay for another couple of years to try to build something even greater before he takes the next step away.

"Honestly, I believe he'll probably be the next Manchester City manager. That's what I think anyway, if Pep ever steps down and he keeps doing well at Burnley, I feel it's the next step for him."

It was put to Antonio that, when Guardiola departs, there could potentially be parallels with Manchester United's struggles following Sir Alex Ferguson's exit in 2013.

But Antonio added: "The difference between David Moyes at Manchester United and Kompany at City is that he's got good stead himself there. He should be able to speak to them and say 'I'm not Pep, I'm coming in and I want to do my own philosophy'.

"As long as he can have that conversation, which I feel he should be able to because he's a Manchester City legend himself, I feel like he could go in there and give himself a good opportunity."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Burnley, Arsenal and Manchester City want to sign New England Revolution and England Under-19 midfielder Noel Buck, 18. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

From high-flying Tottenham to a Sheffield United side facing quite the task, the early Premier League stories are compelling.

The Football News Show has dug into the data on the season so far.

Watch it in full here

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Shamoon Hafez, BBC Sport

Burnley will be enduring a miserable international break after being thumped 4-1 by Chelsea at the weekend.

Vincent Kompany's side have lost five straight games at Turf Moor this season and will need to fix their home form if they want to have any chance of staying up.

There are problems to be resolved particularly in defence, where the team has conceded 20 goals in just eight games - only bottom side Sheffield United have let in more, mainly due to their 8-0 hammering by Newcastle.

Alongside the Blades, Burnley are in a mini-league with Bournemouth and Luton and the club which finishes highest among that quartet will certainly stave off relegation.

There were sparks of optimism for the Clarets on Saturday, with an impressive showing by teenager Wilson Odobert, who scored on his first Premier League start.

Odobert is a highly-rated 18-year-old France youth international and, along with Luca Koleosho, is another highly-rated player plucked out of obscurity by Kompany.

But the youngsters will need to grow up fast if they are to survive this season, with key games coming up against Brentford, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace over the next few weeks.

Those fixtures will go a long way to determining the outcome of the season for Kompany and his men.

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BBC Sport statistician Chris Collinson looks at who is exceeding expectations and those underperforming in the Premier League.

Tottenham are "running hot" and does the data show we may get more of a competitive title race than we expected?

Watch The Football News Show in full on BBC iPlayer

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BBC Sport statistician Chris Collinson looks at how the promoted sides are getting on.

You can watch more on the subject on The Football News Show here

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