Vincent Kompany calls for refereeing consistency following Burnley's controversial late defeat to Aston Villa

The 10-man Clarets lost 3-2 at Villa Park on Saturday despite pushing Unai Emery’s men all the way, only to succumb late on.

Sander Berge had previously been dismissed for two yellow cards while Diego Carlos also went unpunished for a clear handball as Lyle Foster attempted to run clear through on goal.

Burnley’s sense of injustice only heightened in the 89th minute when Villa were awarded a contentious late penalty, when Jhon Duran went to ground under minimal contact from Aaron Ramsey.

Douglas Luiz dispatched the spot kick to condemn Kompany’s men to a cruel last-gasp defeat, leaving them five points adrift of safety.

Kompany was highly critical of Stuart Attwell’s decisions after the game, but also questioned the lack of consistency across the board.

“When we came into the Premier League at the start of the season, the PGMOL was actually making a point that what sets the Premier League apart is that we allow more. We don’t reward players for diving, for being smart,” he said.

“I’m being really careful here. I’m not saying the player is wrong for trying. But if you understand the phase, and if it happened elsewhere on the pitch, would the player have gone to the floor?

“If we give all of them, then who am I to say anything about it? I don’t have an issue if this is what it is.

“But it can’t be within the same game where it’s all over the place. It’s a foul, it’s a yellow, it’s a penalty, it’s a handball, it’s not a handball.

“Imagine my missus when I come home!”

When asked if he felt the fine margins against Villa were influenced more by the officials than the players on the pitch, Kompany said: “I will wake up tomorrow only looking at what we can control, what we can do better, but my feeling right now you will have to allow me to feel that way.

“I would be lying if I said I don’t feel that way.”