Burnley 1-3 Aston Villa: Wait for first point continues as Clarets are well beaten by impressive opponents

Just like their opening game against Manchester City, Vincent Kompany’s men gave themselves a mountain to climb, trailing 2-0 at the half-time break.

While Villa, like City, were in ruthless form in front of goal, the Clarets also posed their own problems and were cut open far too easily.

To their credit, the hosts improved ten-fold at the start of the second period and quickly pulled a goal back through Lyle Foster, who netted the club’s first goal of the season.

But Villa produced another devastating counter to restore their two-goal lead and make it 3-1 when Mo Diaby drilled home.

Kompany made two changes to his side from the opening day 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Hannes Delcroix, a recent addition from Belgian side Anderlecht, came in for his debut, while Manuel Benson was handed his first start of the season.

Jordan Beyer, who was left out of the squad completely, and Vitinho were the two names to make way.

Aaron Ramsey, who recently made the move to Turf Moor from Villa, was named among the substitutes.

Elsewhere, Anass Zaroury served the first game of his three-match suspension following the red card he was shown against City.

Darko Churlinov (health scare) and Michael Obafemi (hamstring) also missed out.

As for Villa, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was absent with a knock he picked up during the midweek thrashing of Hibernian in the first leg of their Europa Conference League qualifier.

Aaron Ramsey’s brother Jacob missed out with an ankle complaint, while Àlex Moreno (hamstring), Philippe Coutinho (hamstring), Leander Dendoncker (muscular), Tyrone Mings (knee) and Emiliano Buendía (knee) were also sidelined.

After a feeling out process during the opening exchanges, the game’s first opening came the way of Villa’s Mo Diaby, who saw his effort on the counter-attack well blocked by Josh Cullen.

The Clarets didn’t heed the warning, however, going a goal behind only two minutes later following another break.

This time it was the lightning-quick Ollie Watkins who was unleashed down the left. He lifted the ball over the onrushing James Trafford and wide of goal, but wing-back Matty Cash was there to stab home into the back of the empty net.

Luca Koleosho was Burnley’s biggest threat in the opening stages, driving one over the bar from just outside the box before delivering a dangerous ball into the middle which just eluded Lyle Foster.

Despite Burnley’s positive response, they soon fell two behind when Cash drilled home his second of the afternoon in the 20th minute.

It was another sloppy goal to concede from Burnley’s point of view after being undone and cut open far too easily. Diaby was set free in the box before pulling the ball back into the path of Cash, who beat Trafford once again with an emphatic first-time finish.

Kompany’s side thought they had created a decent opening to halve the deficit when Foster was sent free, but his touch was too heavy as he rounded the keeper and the linesman’s flag was belatedly raised in any case.

At the other end, debutant Delcroix made an all-important interception to thwart Diaby who would otherwise have been clear through on goal.

Believe it or not, Cash had a chance to seal a 35-minute hat-trick when the defender’s left-footed volley took a wicked deflection before nestling on the roof of Trafford’s net.

Burnley continued to cause their own problems, Koleosho gifting the ball to Villa down their right leading to a chance for Watkins inside the six-yard box - but thankfully the backline were able to crowd him out before the striker could prod home a third.

Two minutes before the break, Zeki Amdouni - who had otherwise been kept quiet during the opening 45 minutes - suddenly burst into life with a clever piece of skill before firing narrowly over from the edge of the box.

Kompany made a slight tweak at the break, introducing Johann Gudmundsson into the fold in place of Benson.

He made an instant impact too as Burnley made the perfect start to the second-half, pulling a goal back just two minutes after the restart.

Connor Roberts played a deep cross that Gudmundsson did well to keep alive, nodding the ball down into the path of Foster who showed superb strength to turn his man before firing the ball beyond Robin Olsen’s despairing dive.

This sprung Turf Moor into life and the Clarets sensed a quick leveller, Delcroix going close with a hooked effort from Gudmundsson’s corner.

Villa threatened for the first time 10 minutes into the second-half and once again it came from an incisive break on the counter, but this time Burnley were able to clear their lines before Cash was able to tap home his third of the game.

But it was the hosts who remained well on top, coming close through Delcroix whose header from a Gudmundsson corner was pushed around the post by Olsen.

But just as the Clarets sensed a way back into the game, Villa instantly restored their two-goal lead with another devastating counter.

This time it was Diaby who found the back of the net, beating Trafford with a low effort into the far corner after the hosts had been opened up once again.

Kompany looked to switch things up midway through the second-half, introducing Nathan Redmond off the bench alongside Aaron Ramsey, who only recently made the move to Turf Moor from Villa.

It was his former side that could and perhaps should have put the game to bed 15 minutes from time when Dara O’Shea denied substitute Nicolo Zaniolo, who eyed his first Villa goal after gliding through the centre of the pitch unopposed.

The visitors managed the remainder of the game in impressive fashion, keeping the ball with ease and carving open more openings on the break – Cash going close again with a drive that was well tipped over by Trafford before Zaniolo sent a rasping drive just over.

While Burnley weren’t really in the game or offering much in an attacking sense, they could have made things interesting five minutes from time when substitute Jay Rodriguez went close with an angled drive that flew just over.

The forward would then go on to glance a header just wide after the keeper had rushed off his line, leaving his goal wide open.

But it wasn’t to be for Kompany’s men, who succumbed to their second defeat in as many games to leave them pointless, having conceded six goals in the process.

TEAMS

Burnley: Trafford, Roberts, O’Shea, Al-Dakhil, Delcroix, Cullen, Berge (Ramsey), Benson (Gudmundsson), Koleosho (Redmond), Foster (Rodriguez), Amdouni (Bruun Larsen)

Subs not used: Muric, Vitinho, Brownhill, Cork

Aston Villa: Olsen, Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau, Digne (Traore), Cash, Kamara, Douglas Luiz (Tielemans), McGinn, Diaby (Zaniolo), Watkins (Duran)

Subs not used: Marschall, Zych, Chambers, Bailey

Referee: Michael Salisbury

Attendance: Not given