Burnley FC: Vincent Kompany shares praise for Manuel Benson as he reflects on the victory over Bristol City

Vincent Kompany has challenged Manuel Benson to replicate his trademark finish for a fifth consecutive game.
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The attacker was on hand with a superb goal for the opener in Burnley’s 2-1 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate, while Jay Rodriguez scored in the second half- immediately after Tommy Conway’s equaliser.

Kompany states he’s still pushing Benson to improve his game further, but is delighted with what he is producing.

“He’s got to score five in a row,” he said.

Vincent Kompany (Credit: Dave Howarth/CameraSport)Vincent Kompany (Credit: Dave Howarth/CameraSport)
Vincent Kompany (Credit: Dave Howarth/CameraSport)

“It’s not a coincidence; it’s a skill he’s got.

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“It’s the same as a striker being able to peel off to the back post and head it in.

“I can’t be handing solutions of how to deal with him, but it’s just the things he’s been doing since he was a kid.

“I’m still pushing him for tap ins- I want tap ins.

“In the end it’s something he’s comfortable doing and he will get goals that way.

“What he’s done for us is fantastic and from our side, that’s all we want.

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“He’s doing well and we’re pushing him to keep doing well and I'm very happy to have him with us.”

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Kompany was pleased with the fight the title winners demonstrated throughout the game, as they edged closer to the 100 point mark in the Championship table.

“I thought it was a very good performance- we started really well,” he added.

“For long spells we looked threatening.

“Maybe that end product was a little bit less, but how we created our chances was really good.

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“Towards the end of the game it became cagey. Bristol got momentum off us and they were on top.

“If you look at the last 20 minutes it’s fair to say it was a difficult game, but we did what we had to well- defending crosses, heading the ball, getting up the pitch.

“It’s a side of our game that’s been necessary at moments and we did it today.

“It’s something I’ll never hide away from- I’m happy with that side.

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“We were one of the few teams to get a result away to Luton Town, and we do what the game demands.

“If we have the ball then we will make the team work as hard as we can, but when we don’t we still feel like we can be a threat.

“The second goal we score is from a high pressing situation.

“It doesn’t always have to be with the ball, it was similar against Blackburn.

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“The higher the level the more difficult it is to dictate the opposition, but you’ve always got to provide a goal threat.

“You don’t concede momentum in advance, so if you don’t have the ball you’ve got to do everything you can to take it away from the opposition.

“At the moment, I’m just saying ‘focus on winning the game.

“The 100 points would be for the fans and the record books, but the mindset can never be on that, it has to be on winning the next game.”

Ahead of the game, Burnley received a guard of honour from Bristol City.

“I think it’s always credit to the club who does it,” Kompany stated.

“I think it takes a lot. We’re always a little bit in fight mode towards each other, you have to because you want to win football matches, but then to be able to take a moment and do this.

“I think it’s all credit to Bristol City and from our side, it was just making sure that they understood that the guard of honour stopped the moment that the whistle was blown. If I was giving a guard of honour to someone, I’d want to score as soon as the whistle goes and that was a bit of the nature of the game.”