'Best side won', admits Sean Dyche, but Burnley boss laments failure to award a penalty

But he was puzzled by the referee's failure to award a penalty for a foul by Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy on Ashley Barnes with the game goal-less.

Dyche accepted his side were not at the levels they showed against Spurs on Monday night, but was confused as to why referee David Coote ignored appeals for a spot kick.

Burnley remain winless, six games into the season, and have now failed to score in their opening three home league games for the first time since Chris Waddle's ill-fated season in charge in 1997/98.

Dyche saId: "The best side won, let's have that right, not that that will be a surprise to you.

"I think we started okay and we have a chance...I'm confused about penalties now, I don't know what is a penalty now.

"People get touched on their shoulder and their legs buckle and it's a penalty, and then someone is fouled pretty harshly, I would say, and it's not a penalty.

"The penalty thing now in the Premier League...I'm confused now what is and what isn't.

"I don't know how it's not a penalty, if he just toes it past him, and the keeper does that, it's a penalty. So I can only imagine the referee thinks he's lifted it too far, and therefore couldn't get it and it's not a penalty.

"The obvious thing is if it's in the middle of the pitch, what do you think happens? It's a foul, 100%.

"I've spoken to the powers that be about it, and they assure me we get treated the same as everybody else, but if you look at the facts, it's impossible we get treated the same.

"I'm not remotely suggesting if we get that and score it, we win the game, but it gives you a foothold very early in the game.

"Other than that, the better side showed their quality when they had to, clinical when they had to, but that sometimes happens against these sort of sides."

Dyche changed his system from the usual 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 to try and change the flow of the game late in the first half, and started the second half in that system, bringing on Jay Rodriguez for Dale Stephens.

Asked whether he would have started that way, in hindsight, he said: "We didn't get a grip of it first half, we changed it and it had an effect, and I wanted to explore the idea of whether we could get our three centre forwards on the pitch, and until the second goal, I thought it had an effect again.

"Without making loads of chances, we looked stronger and like we could effect them a little bit more.

"The second goal kills us - two in two games now (from corners) is not pleasing.

"There's a bit of luck involved, but after that it's really tough."

But a second Chelsea goal somewhat killed their momentum, as Burnley conceded from a corner for the second-successive game: "Goals change games, and if these sort of sides get their nose in front, it's difficult, and if they get too far in front, it's incredibly difficult.

"First half they were the better side, we managed to slow it down the last 10 minutes, changed it tactically and that had a good effect.

"Second half I was pleased up until the goal, without creating loads of chances, we kind of stemmed the flow of traffic and made it just a more even look to the game.

"But it's very difficult once they get the second, we had to open up to try to get something from the game, and we get punished for a mistake and the game is gone.

"Overall they were the stronger side, and part of you says they should be, with their investment and quality of players, but we've competed against these sides before and we will have to again."

Dyche isn't overly concerned just yet, despite taking one point from 18 available, with Ben Mee and Jack Cork close to a return: "We've had a heavy injury list and we have to get them fit, we're getting some fit and then we lose people again.

"There's no lack of effort, thye mentality has to stay strong and we've got to keep working on the training ground and keep believing in what we do, use the experienced we've had - all these things coming together to make sure we can look after ourselves.

"I was looking for more of a performance than we got, I thought we were very good against Tottenham, but we were off it slightly today against a top side, and you can't do that."