Burnley boss Vincent Kompany had no qualms about the lengthy delay to check an offside call late on in their 2-1 Premier League loss at Bournemouth, but was incensed by the decision not to review a handball in the final moments of the match.

The Clarets suffered an eighth defeat of the campaign after goals by Antoine Semenyo and Philip Billing cancelled out Charlie Taylor’s sweet strike in the 11th minute.

A controversial moment occurred after 89 minutes when Jay Rodriguez fired into the bottom corner and – although it was immediately ruled out for offside – video assistant referee David Coote at Stockley Park took six minutes to review the incident.

Initially a green line was drawn to signal it was onside before a new line was drawn, which showed red and it was eventually ruled out, but Kompany was left stunned that a supposed handball by Chris Mepham was not checked in the eighth minute of added time.

Mepham and Burnley substitute Sander Berge tangled from a Taylor cross which resulted in Bournemouth goalkeeper Andrei Radu making a close-range save that appeared to be from Berge’s head, but Kompany stated it was actually via Mepham’s hand.

“It’s obvious at this moment in time, I will not have anything other than disappointment,” Kompany said.

“I want to address the first thing for me now which is the last thing that happened in the game. The handball situation in the box.

“Games get played on a knife edge but I am trying still to wrap my head around what happened in that moment of time.

“We take five to seven minutes to review the offside or not offside. The line goes green which means goal, the line goes red which means it is not a goal.

“OK, I am a person who always believes in the fact they have taken their time because they want to make the right decision. And a decision gets given against us.

“Tough one to take but then when the situation happens in the last moment of the game and we don’t take time to review the handball?

“There is no call to the referee to delay play when the players have called for it and the staff on the bench, we could see with a wide angle that there was a handball.

“It is the hand that brings the ball down. And there is no check, no delay for the restart and the ball goes and we lose the game. I am trying to understand what is happening in that moment.”

Kompany revealed he did speak with referee Sam Barrott after the match.

He added: “Yeah, I think for the first time in my career since I have been a manager I have actually politely and calmly gone to ask for a word of explanation from the officials.

“They were very open with me and they seemed surprise by the fact we would have liked this (handball) to go to VAR, so it means no one from VAR has told them it was worth reviewing. When you look at it, it is as blatant as it can be.

“I’m fairly confident this one would have taken them 15 seconds (to review).”

While Kompany was flabbergasted, Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola was able to toast a first Premier League win at the 10th time of asking thanks to Semenyo’s fine solo goal and Billing’s 76th-minute lob from 40 yards.

“Obviously happy, relieved because I think it was a needed victory for us,” Iraola said.

“Probably when you are in this situation everything costs a lot more. It happened today. We really deserved to win today but with the last VAR decision of the offside, we had to suffer until the end.

“For sure we all were remembering the Brentford game in stoppage-time and thinking it cannot happen again, because we didn’t deserve – we deserved to win clearly the game.”

On the handball, Iraola admitted: “I haven’t seen it.”

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola claimed his maiden Premier League victory at the 10th time of asking with a 2-1 comeback win over Burnley thanks to a sensational 40-yard lob by Philip Billing and a lengthy video assistant referee call.

While internally Iraola had been under no pressure at Vitality Stadium, the noise externally was growing after the Cherries suffered a late defeat to Wolves last weekend, but they bounced back in style against a relegation rival.

It was actually Burnley who went ahead in the 11th minute when Charlie Taylor opened his account for the club on his 198th appearance with a sweet strike, but Antoine Semenyo’s fine solo effort ensured it was all square at half-time.

No winner appeared likely in the pouring rain with Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford impressive, but after the visitors gave away possession inside their own half, Billing spotted the England Under-21 international off his line and chipped the ball home from range.

Bournemouth did require VAR to intervene after Jay Rodriguez found the net late on but – after six minutes of deliberation by David Coote at Stockley Park – it was eventually ruled out for offside to give Bournemouth all three points.

With Cherries captain Neto out injured, a Premier League debut was given to on-loan Inter Milan goalkeeper Andrei Radu, but the majority of action early on was in the visitors’ half.

Poor passes by Billing and Marcus Tavernier halted dangerous Bournemouth attacks before the latter had a free-kick punched over by Clarets stopper Trafford.

It was a superb long-range pass by Trafford that helped get Vincent Kompany’s side on the front foot again and they took the lead through an unlikely source in the 11th minute.

From Burnley’s second corner in quick succession, Johann Gudmundsson’s delivery was only partially cleared by Illia Zabarnyi to Dara O’Shea, who cushioned a header into the path of Taylor and the left-back rifled home with a sweet strike from 22 yards to score for the first time since 2015.

Burnley’s joy should have been shortlived when the recalled Semenyo was played in down the right and picked out Tavernier, but the left winger side-footed into the ground and over from six yards.

Semenyo had been Bournemouth’s brightest attacker though and it was no surprise when he conjured up the equaliser.

Taylor was at fault after Semenyo robbed the goalscorer of possession before he waltzed into the area and steered a left-footed shot through O’Shea’s legs to level after 22 minutes.

Buoyed by the equaliser, Bournemouth finished the half strongly with Chris Mepham’s header tipped over by Trafford, but it remained 1-1 at the break.

Kompany had seen enough and introduced Rodriguez for the anonymous Zeki Amdouni during the interval, although it failed to have the desired effect.

Trafford continued to be the busier of the two goalkeepers, but punched away another Tavernier cross before he blocked Semenyo’s close-range effort to keep his side in it.

Sander Berge was thrown on by Kompany on the hour mark with the match appearing to peter out to a draw, but Billing had other ideas.

After Vitinho gave away the ball under pressure by the halfway line, Billing controlled and lobbed over Trafford from 40 yards before he displayed a T-shirt which read ‘we are the children, we are the world’, in celebration.

The drama was not over there with Rodriguez able to find the net in the 89th minute although the assistant referee immediately put his flag up.

VAR reviewed the incident and after a six-minute check it was finally deemed offside before Bournemouth were indebted to Radu, who saved two efforts by Berge deep into stoppage-time to secure a priceless win for Iraola’s men.

Thomas Frank admitted his five-year anniversary celebration meal will taste a lot better after Brentford’s 3-0 Premier League win over 10-man Burnley.

The Bees had not won at home all season but goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Saman Ghoddos left Frank toasting half a decade in charge in style.

“It was very good performance, a completely well-deserved win,” said Frank.

“The first half was maybe our best performance this season. We should have probably been 3-0 up – that’s the only negative.

“That’s us at home, having attack after attack, high intensity. A very strong performance. In the second half, Burnley got a little bit into the game but 2-0 killed them off.”

Frank, who took charge of the Bees in October 2018, added: “I’m just privileged and happy to have been here almost seven years and five years as head coach.

“It’s definitely better to celebrate with a win. I will be having a good glass of red and a bit of tapas, I think.”

There was another VAR issue for fourth official Darren England to deal with after Neal Maupay had an early header ruled out.

Nathan Collins was clearly onside when he hooked Mbeumo’s free-kick back across goal, while his central-defensive partner Kristoffer Ajer was standing beyond him in an offside position.

But it was Collins who was given offside by VAR Stuart Attwell according to the big screen in the ground, leaving England – only just returning to Premier League duty after he oversaw the VAR fiasco at Tottenham against Liverpool last month – to face the wrath of Frank.

In fact it was subsequently explained by the PGMOL that Ajer had been given offside, as he was obstructing Lyle Foster.

Frank, who was later booked for another rant at England after a foul on Mbeumo, said: “I still think the goal is very borderline.

“But when I have a go at the fourth official, I am always disappointed in myself.”

For Burnley another week in the bottom three beckons, which will come as little surprise if Luca Koleosho’s late miss-of-the-season contender – he somehow sliced wide of an open goal from five yards out – is anything to go by.

Their miserable afternoon was complete when Connor Roberts was sent off late on for bringing down Wissa.

“Simple. Overall, not good enough,” was Clarets boss Vincent Kompany’s verdict.

“In the first half, losing 1-0 was flattering to us. In the second half, I thought we came out and looked like we should have done in the first half.

“We played really well for that spell, but moments we don’t take – and they did take – put the game past us. But you can’t have 45 minutes like that in the Premier League.”

Thomas Frank celebrated five years in charge at Brentford with a much-needed 3-0 Premier League win over 10-man Burnley.

But there was another VAR issue for Darren England to deal with after Neal Maupay had an early header ruled out.

Goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Saman Ghoddos secured a first home victory of the season for the Bees.

But earlier Brentford striker Maupay saw a first-half goal disallowed after he headed in a cross from Nathan Collins.

Collins was clearly onside when Mbeumo swung in the initial free-kick, while his central-defensive partner Kristoffer Ajer was standing beyond him in an offside position.

But it was Collins who was given offside by VAR Stuart Attwell according to the big screen in the ground, leaving fourth official England – only just returning to Premier League duty after he oversaw the VAR fiasco at Tottenham against Liverpool last month – to face the wrath of Frank.

In fact it was later explained by the PGMOL that Ajer had been given offside, as he was obstructing Lyle Foster.

Luckily there will be no calls to replay this one from Frank, whose side were full value for the win and would have been 4-0 up at half-time were it not for VAR and Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford.

Christian Norgaard saw a shot blocked on the line by Charlie Taylor and Mbeumo’s effort was held by Trafford before Brentford’s pressure told after 25 minutes when Sander Berge lost possession.

Maupay fed the ball out to Mbeumo, whose precise pass across goal was gleefully tapped in at the far post by Wissa.

Maupay’s quest for a goal – he has not scored in the Premier League in more than a year – continued when he found himself one-on-one with Trafford, who got a slight hand to the Frenchman’s shot.

The Brentford fans behind the goal were willing the ball to roll in, but Dara O’Shea got back to hook it off the line.

Trafford then produced a stunning save to deny Wissa from point-blank range before tipping Maupay’s drive over the crossbar.

Brentford have thrown away 11 points from winning positions this season, but there were to be no such jitters this time as they grabbed a second on the hour mark.

Frank Onyeka fed Ajer, who in turn gave Maupay the ball to lay back for Mbeumo, who finished superbly into the top corner from the edge of the area.

For Burnley another week in the bottom three beckons, which will come as little surprise if Luca Koleosho’s late miss-of-the-season contender – he somehow sliced wide of an open goal from five yards out – is anything to go by.

Their miserable afternoon was complete when Connor Roberts was sent off late on for bringing down Wissa before Ghaddos put the gloss on Brentford’s win with a long-range volley.

VARs Darren England and Daniel Cook will return to Premier League duty this weekend following their error in last month’s fixture between Tottenham and Liverpool.

England and Cook were the VAR and VAR assistant respectively when Liverpool forward Luis Diaz’s goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside in Tottenham’s 2-1 home win.

Both officials were stood down the following week, but England will be back as the fourth official for Brentford’s home game against Burnley on Saturday and Cook will return as assistant referee for Sheffield United’s home match against Manchester United.

Miscommunication between VAR England and referee Simon Hooper led to Diaz’s goal being wrongly ruled out on September 30, with the incident later described by referees’ chief Howard Webb as “a clear error”.

Hooper is the designated VAR for Newcastle’s home game against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

New VAR guidelines were introduced in the wake of the Diaz disallowed goal controversy, while audio of the incident was later released.

England mistakenly thought the on-field officials had ruled Diaz to be onside, which meant that when he told them ‘check complete’ they believed he had upheld their on-field decision and restarted play with a free-kick.

Once play had restarted, there was nothing the VARs could do to revisit the decision under existing protocols.

Referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said it would develop a new VAR communication protocol in an effort to avoid similar mistakes being made in future.

PGMOL said the protocol would “enhance the clarity of communication between the referee and the VAR team in relation to on-field decisions”.

VARs will now also confirm the outcome of the checking process with the assistant VAR before confirming the final decision to the on-field officials.

One of the talking points from the latest round of fixtures was referee Michael Oliver’s decision not to send off Manchester City’s Mateo Kovacic for a challenge on Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.

The City midfielder was shown a yellow card before avoiding another shortly afterwards and Webb later admitted Kovacic was “fortunate” to stay on the pitch.

Oliver will referee Sheffield United’s home game against Manchester United on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino believes Raheem Sterling can prove Gareth Southgate was wrong to leave him out of another England squad after the Chelsea forward inspired his side to a 4-1 come-from-behind win at Burnley.

Days after Southgate left him out of the squad for next week’s internationals, Sterling took his frustrations out on his old Manchester City team-mate Vincent Kompany and Burnley, having a hand in all four Chelsea goals, scoring one.

Sterling has not played for England since last year’s World Cup, and although fitness accounted for his absence in March and he asked not to play in June while he focused on getting fully back up to speed, Southgate has now chosen to leave him out of the last two squads.

But at Turf Moor he showed what England are missing as he was the man to open up Burnley after the Clarets had taken a surprise early lead through teenager Wilson Odobert.

Sterling’s cross deflected off Ameen Al Dakhil for the equaliser and he then won the penalty which Cole Palmer scored for his first Chelsea goal at the start of the second half. Sterling got his own goal in the 65th minute before having a hand in the fourth, finished by Nicolas Jackson.

“I think a player with his experience knows he needs to perform and to show the manager of the national team he was wrong in the decision,” Pochettino said. “Only with performances and scoring goals is he going to show he deserved to go.”

Although Sterling stole the headlines, Pochettino was keen to talk up the overall team performance as Chelsea made it back-to-back league wins for the first time since March, scoring four or more goals for the first time since thrashing Southampton 6-0 in April 2022.

“It was a fantastic performance, they deserve it and I’m happy for them to go into the national break with a different feeling,” Pochettino said.

“We need to be consistent. We have good competition, a very talented squad but at the moment for different reasons we cannot use all of the potential from the squad. But I think with time we are going to be in the position we want to be.

“With all the players fit there will be massive competition and that’s going to be good for the team to keep the level we need to fight for big things.”

Burnley’s worries are different. They have now equalled the record of five straight home defeats to start a top-flight campaign, joining Manchester United (1930-31), Portsmouth (2009-10), Bolton Wanderers (2011-12) and Newcastle United (2018-19) on the unwanted number.

Of the other four, only Newcastle avoided relegation in the same season.

“We had a very solid foundation defensively (last season), the best defence in the league but it’s a different level now and everybody has got to level up,” Kompany said.

“I wish there was a magic wand to solve everything but it’s a lot of work on the training ground to get the basics right. We’ve done it in games and done it well but it’s been spells and that’s our own mistake and we have to work on it.

“It’s extremely difficult against teams like this. We need a little bit of luck and we need to take chances…Performances have not been the issue, just the different calibre of players. A couple of them I’ve played with myself and I know what they can do to teams.”

Kompany, who was part of two title-winning City sides with Sterling, could only puff out his cheeks when asked about his old team-mate.

“He’s a top player,” he said.

Raheem Sterling made a point to Gareth Southgate as he sparked a Chelsea comeback in a 4-1 win at Burnley, who slumped to a fifth consecutive home defeat to start the Premier League season.

Burnley stunned Chelsea 15 minutes in when 18-year-old Wilson Odobert became the Clarets’ youngest Premier League scorer.

But Sterling, again snubbed by the England boss for next week’s internationals, helped turn the game around either side of half-time as Chelsea maintained their long unbeaten record at Turf Moor, where they have only once dropped points in nine visits in the Premier League era.

It was Sterling’s cross that deflected off Ameen Al Dakhil for a 42nd minute equaliser before he won the penalty dispatched by Cole Palmer early in the second half.

Sterling then capped a fine performance with Chelsea’s third in the 65th minute, hitting a confident strike into the bottom corner before substitute Nicolas Jackson added a fourth, with Sterling again involved in the build-up.

Coming off the back of Monday’s 2-0 win at Fulham, Chelsea have won back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time since March, but these remain baby steps for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, who were arguably second best for much of the first half.

Vincent Kompany showed no sentiment in making four changes to the Burnley side that took their first league win of the season at Luton on Tuesday night, and was rewarded with a surprise early lead.

Lyle Foster cut in from the right but as he saw his own angle to shoot rapidly closing, the South African unselfishly played in Odobert who threaded the ball between Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez.

Burnley were suddenly in buoyant mood. Fans might have been disappointed to see Luca Koleosho only on the bench but Odobert and Mike Tresor, both making their first starts, made them forget with some fearless attacking play.

The pair almost combined for a second in the 22nd minute as Odobert sent in a cross from the left and Tresor capitalised on a sleeping Chelsea defence to win the ball, then missed the target.

Chelsea, who had not won in their previous 19 Premier League games when conceding first, initially struggled to muster a response, but Sterling looked like Chelsea’s best way back into the match and so it proved.

He went close in the 37th minute, beating two defenders before trying to put the ball through the legs of James Trafford, who just about kept it out.

But there was nothing Trafford could do five minutes later when Sterling’s cross took a wicked deflection off Al Dakhil to loop into the net.

Two minutes into the second half, a sudden burst of speed from Sterling took him away from Vitinho, who clipped the Chelsea man on the edge of the box.

Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot and a lengthy check from VAR Darren Bond allowed Cole Palmer time to pick the spot for his first Chelsea goal as he sent England under-21 team-mate Trafford the wrong way.

Odobert saw a dipping, curling shot touched over by Sanchez, but it was Chelsea who scored a decisive third 10 minutes later.

Moises Caicedo won back possession with two challenges on the half-way line and Gallagher quickly picked out the run of Sterling, whose confident finish found the bottom right corner of the net.

Burnley fans started to head for the exits in the 74th minute when Sterling crossed to Palmer, who found Jackson, on as a substitute on his return from suspension, and he skipped away from Dara O’Shea in front of goal before applying the finish.

Odobert and substitute Koleosho both threatened for Burnley late on, but they became only the fifth side to start a season with five consecutive home defeats in top-flight history.

Luton boss Rob Edwards could not hide his disappointment following Burnley’s late winner, admitting his side should have got more from the game.

Jacob Bruun Larsen’s stunning strike made it 2-1 just one minute after Elijah Adebayo had drawn the Hatters level as the Clarets snatched a first win of the Premier League season.

Edwards said the result hurt after Luton had got off the mark with a 2-1 win at Everton on Saturday.

“I’m obviously really disappointed with the result, we’re down, flat and hurting because of the manner of it (the loss),” Edwards said.

“We pushed, we had set-pieces, we went forward in numbers and were brave, aggressive and didn’t allow them the control they wanted.

“But we come away with nothing and that hurts.

“The lads gave everything. The fans were clapping at the end and if they’re doing that then we’re doing the right things, but everybody will be disappointed because we should have taken something from the game.”

Luton were left to rue missed chances, having taken just one of 18 attempts.

And Edwards admitted his side, who have scored six goals in seven matches, are struggling to find the back of the net.

“We had big chances and openings, so if we weren’t doing that I’d be more worried. But we did create and I think there are positives and we’re going in the right direction,” he added.

“It’s the hardest part of football, scoring a goal, we have to keep arriving, trying to create the chances, be there with good numbers, keep working on technique, which we can practice in training.

“But other than that it’s down to the players to find a way to put it in.

“I thought we pretty much dominated the second half.

“We’ve had 15 shots inside the box tonight and only scored one. That’s proving to be the difficult thing for us at the moment.”

Vincent Kompany was delighted after his side “battled” in the second half to pick up points on the road.

He said: “It was a complete performance in the first half and in the second half it was a battle and we showed character. From our defenders to our midfielders, coming in for second balls.

“Those who know us from the Championship will know we enjoy these type of games as well and it’s not something we shy away from.”

Jacob Bruun Larsen’s dramatic winner snatched Burnley their first Premier League win of the season – a 2-1 victory at Luton.

The Dane’s goal-of-the-season contender came after Lyle Foster’s opener had been cancelled out by Hatters striker Elijah Adebayo.

Rob Edwards’ side were left to rue missed chances once again as they failed to build on Saturday’s 2-1 win at Everton.

Carlton Morris set the tone in the opening seconds when he closed down goalkeeper James Trafford’s clearance and minutes later his strike from inside the box went narrowly wide as the hosts looked for an early opener.

Burnley were second-best for the first 20 minutes, but Vincent Kompany’s men rode the storm and began to enjoy some success.

Clarets forward Zeki Amdouni tested Thomas Kaminski with a header from a corner that forced an acrobatic save from the Belgian to keep the score level.

This came shortly before Josh Brownhill had fired a warning shot from distance which narrowly avoided Kaminski’s top corner.

The chance of the half came in the 33rd minute. Alfie Doughty found wing-back partner Issa Kabore and he sent over a cross in search of Morris but the ball fell kindly for Chiedozie Ogbene, whose diving header was inches away from nestling inside Trafford’s post.

However, it was Burnley who struck first in time added on in the first half.

Sander Berge did well to find Foster and he beat Tom Lockyer in a foot race to tuck his effort away.

The Hatters almost equalised when Doughty’s inch-perfect corner found the head of Morris and his glancing header went inches wide.

Substitute Adebayo found the head of Jacob Brown who was denied by Josh Cullen on the line as the tide began to turn with 25 minutes to go.

After Morris was denied a penalty, his header missed the target once again as it started to feel like it was not going to be the Hatters’ night.

But it was Adebayo who grabbed Luton the goal they deserved after 84 minutes.

Reece Burke got on the end of a deep cross and provided the knockdown to the striker, who sorted his feet out and tapped home to level.

But their joy was short-lived as Burnley scored a second a minute later to stun Kenilworth Road into silence.

Bruun Larsen cut inside and produced an outstanding curled effort which found the top corner in front of the away fans.

Luton searched for a second equaliser during seven added minutes but it was not to be and Burnley held on for the win to move up to 18th in the table.

Vincent Kompany is refusing to put any extra emphasis on Tuesday’s trip to face fellow Premier League new boys Luton as his side look to end their winless start to the season.

Kompany has spoken repeatedly about the tough start Burnley have faced – they have already suffered defeats against Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Tottenham, and Aston Villa – and many fans have been looking to the postponed trip to Kenilworth Road for a much-needed victory.

But the 37-year-old Kompany said it would do his side no good to treat this match differently to any other.

“It’s a mental exercise for me to really try and make no distinction,” he said. “It’s how I have been brought up, it’s how I know football.

“When you’re at the very top and you underestimate the small sides, you lose points. When you’re at the bottom and you overestimate the big sides…you don’t stand a chance.

“So I want to have consistency in every game, doing what it takes to get a result. I understand Luton is someone we faced last season so we’re looking forward to meeting our old friends again.”

This fixture was originally due to be played in the second week of the season but was postponed while Luton worked to upgrade their ground following promotion and Kompany said he felt the delay had benefited both sides in terms of their improvement since the campaign began.

But while Luton’s work was rewarded with a first win when they beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday, Burnley have taken only one point from their opening six games.

Results are needed now, but Kompany said there had been no loss of confidence within his squad despite the tough start.

“What we did is we went into this with eyes wide open,” he said. “We did a lot of work on managing expectations.

“I can draw a little bit on my own experience. When you get to a certain level, year one or the first three or four months might not feel straightaway when you feel you belong in a place.

“But they’ll battle themselves through it and then they’ll see soon enough that a lot of these players, most of these players, are good enough to play this at this level and actually enjoy success at this level. But you know you’ve to learn the tough way sometimes.”

Kompany insisted he has not been losing any sleep himself, other than during a brief illness last week.

“No chance, on the contrary,” he said when asked if his own confidence had been dented. “I’ve seen enough to believe in the squad.

“But to the point as well, like I’ve said, I’m conscious that it’s not the words ‘I’m happy’. I’m not happy but I’ve seen enough in terms of habits and how these guys approach it to know that they’ll come out stronger from this. They’ll come out a good team.”

Lyle Foster is likely to go straight back into the side after serving a three-match ban for his late red card at Forest and could bring a much-needed boost to a Burnley side who are the lowest scorers in the league.

Foster had scored two in five for Burnley, also netting for South Africa, before his ban.

“I think he was on a trajectory where he showed good signs to be a good player in this league,” Kompany said.

“I think the guys who filled in did well, but you know when you have someone with momentum, you want to keep him as much as you can involved.

“Hopefully tomorrow we can have the Lyle that we had before the suspension and and then everybody knows he is a threat and he scores goals as well.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is facing an injury crisis ahead of Wednesday night’s Champions League clash with Paris St Germain.

The 45-year-old oversaw a third successive Premier League win with a 2-0 defeat of Burnley at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon, but did so having lost Harvey Barnes for at least three months while facing up to the prospect of being without key defender Sven Botman, inspirational midfielder Joelinton and England striker Callum Wilson for the clash with the French champions.

Head coach Howe said: “You can add Joe Willock to that list, so it’s a difficult moment for us injury wise. It’s that kind of season for us, with the physical demands we’re going to face.

“You don’t want any injury and any injury really hurts us, but it is what it is and we have to deal with it. We have to be resilient and deal with the challenges that will come.

“We just hope we can get those players back really quickly.”

Botman and Wilson missed the Burnley game with knee and hamstring injuries respectively, while Joelinton damaged a hamstring four minutes after coming off the bench.

Howe said: “Callum’s got a very minor hamstring problem. We hope he will be back soon. We hope we will see him before the international break, but there’s no guarantee.

“Sven has a knee problem and I don’t think we’ll see him before the international break. Hopefully, we’ll see him very quickly afterwards.

“[Joelinton] looks like a hamstring. That would be a huge blow if we lose him, but we’ll wait and see.”

The injuries brought a sour note to an otherwise satisfactory afternoon on which the Magpies brushed aside the winless Clarets and might have won significantly more comfortably.

Miguel Almiron’s fine first-half finish and a penalty coolly converted by Alexander Isak 13 minutes from time secured a 2-0 win which was far more comfortable than the scoreline suggested.

Burnley might have gone ahead through Zeki Amdouni’s fourth-minute effort, which was blocked by keeper Nick Pope, but thereafter were decidedly second-best.

Howe said: “There’s no such thing as a regulation win.

“It was a tough game. You have to deliver your game plan well and I thought we did, probably after the first 10 minutes, when we were a little bit slow out of the blocks.

“I thought we recovered really well and I thought we deserved to win.”

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany was philosophical in defeat as his promoted side continues to come to terms with life in the top flight.

He said: “It was tough. We were playing against a very good side so it’s supposed to be tough. It’s not supposed to be easy, going to St James’ Park.

“But we started well, stayed in the game and then probably made a mistake that put the game a bit away from us. I can’t fault the team for the performance.

“I think there are plenty of managers who have come here, especially with promoted teams, who have said to win games here, to get a result, you need to have a little bit of luck on your side and to take your key moments, and I feel we were exactly the opposite there.”

Miguel Almiron’s second goal in a week set Newcastle on their way to a third-successive Premier League victory as Burnley’s wait for a first top-flight win of the campaign continued.

Almiron’s sweet 14th-minute strike and Alexander Isak’s late penalty were enough to secure a 2-0 success at St James’ Park and extend the Magpies’ unbeaten run to five games in all competitions on an afternoon when they were utterly dominant.

But for the efforts of goalkeeper James Trafford and some sub-standard finishing as they failed to scale the heights they reached to put eight past Sheffield United last Sunday, the margin of victory would have been significantly more substantial.

For their part, the Clarets might have taken an early lead through Zeki Amdouni had it not been for Nick Pope, but they otherwise struggled to put the England goalkeeper’s goal under genuine pressure.

A Newcastle side with one eye on Wednesday evening’s mouthwatering Champions League showdown with Paris St Germain on Tyneside might have been behind within four minutes.

Full-back Dan Burn slipped as he attempted to collected the ball under little pressure and allowed Luca Koleosho to race away and square for striker Amdouni, only for Pope to make a fine save to keep his side level.

Koleosho was proving a real handful down the Clarets’ right in the early stages with the Magpies struggling for coherence, although Trafford needed two attempts to collect Isak’s skidding 11th-minute strike after Bruno Guimaraes had intercepted Connor Roberts’ ill-judged square ball.

Trafford was beaten, however, three minutes later when, after Kieran Trippier had dispossessed Aaron Ramsey, Almiron cut inside before curling an unstoppable shot across the keeper.

With the home side hunting in packs, Burnley were struggling to cope with their high press and Sean Longstaff fired just wide of the far post after Elliot Anderson and Isak had combined to wrestle the ball back.

The Sweden international should have doubled their advantage with 27 minutes gone after running on to Guimaraes’ first-time pass, but he took a heavy touch and although he forced the ball past the advancing Trafford, the off-balance frontman was unable to finish at the second time of asking.

Trafford kept Burnley in it 10 minutes before the break when he somehow managed to keep out the unmarked Anderson’s diving header and had to atone for his own error by denying the same man in stoppage time after his wayward pass had been picked off by Guimaraes.

Newcastle went close within seconds of the restart when Tripper’s powerfully-struck shot was deflected wide with Trafford having gone the other way and the visitors found themselves camped deep inside their own territory once again as the second half unfolded.

Anthony Gordon was enjoying the space afforded to him down the Magpies’ left, but it was Almiron and Trippier who caused problems down the opposite flank with 57 minutes gone, although Isak was unable to make contact with the England full-back’s teasing cross.

Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen saw a shot from distance blocked by Guimaraes 20 minutes from time, but Trafford had to field Gordon’s snapshot and then found himself staring down the barrel after the home side were awarded a 77th-minute penalty for Ameed Al-Dakhil’s clumsy challenge on Gordon.

Isak expertly sent Trafford the wrong way from 12 yards to seal the win with the minimum of fuss.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has told summer signing Harvey Barnes he will still have a key role this season despite seeing him ruled out until the new year.

The 25-year-old is facing at least three months on the sidelines with the foot injury he suffered during Sunday’s 8-0 Premier League win at Sheffield United, an absence which will rule him out of the group stage of the club’s first Champions League campaign for 20 years.

However, head coach Howe is confident his £38million summer signing from Leicester will still have a significant part to play as the Magpies attempt to cope with a congested fixture schedule.

Asked how England international Barnes had taken the news, Howe said: “He’s a very stable, level lad; he’s a great character.

“Yes, he’s hugely disappointed and frustrated because he wanted to show everybody what he could do here and wanted to contribute.

“He’s very recently a new dad, which is a great moment in his life.

“I always say when these things happen you have to try and draw the positives, and he’ll have the chance to be with his family maybe a bit more than he would have been.

“Things will settle down and then when he comes back, which will quickly be around the corner, he’ll have a big part to play for the rest of the season.”

Barnes was sent for a scan after going down just 12 minutes into the game at Bramall Lane – just his second start for the club – and although that examination confirmed there is no fracture and that surgery is not required to repair damage under his toe, his foot has been placed in a protective boot and his recovery will take some time.

Howe said: “It’s not a fracture. I don’t actually know the right term to use, but it is an unusual injury and they’re a little bit baffled as to how it’s come about and why it’s come about.

“Sometimes as much as you try to find a reason, sometimes there is no reason, it’s just one of those things that happens.

“I think he knew straight away. You could see him go down on the pitch – it’s very unusual to see that. He said he knew straight away that he had a problem.

“It’s come at a shocking time for Harvey because he was just beginning to find his rhythm. He had a good pre-season and was getting to know his team-mates and what’s expected here.

“With so many games coming up, to lose any player is a huge blow for us. We have to deal with it, accept it and wish him a speedy recovery.”

Vincent Kompany is excited about Wilson Odobert’s potential after watching the teenager score on his full debut for Burnley in a 4-0 Carabao Cup win over League Two Salford.

The 18-year-old had already tested home goalkeeper Alex Cairns on a couple of occasions before crowning a comfortable win for Burnley with his 81st-minute strike, collecting a cross from the impressive Anass Zaroury and cutting back inside before firing home.

It was only Odobert’s second appearance in a Burnley shirt following his summer move from Troyes and while Kompany will not rush the young Frenchman, the manager wants him to be making a regular contribution soon as the Clarets look to turn around their Premier League form.

“We talk about the team settling and stuff and as I’ve told you, some of the guys who will be the heroes for us this season, you don’t see them but I see them in training and we have to be prepared for them to come into the team,” Kompany said.

“Guys like Wilson are these type of guys. You can see the talent. It’s a matter of time. Is it tomorrow? Is it in a week or a month’s time? We don’t know. We’ll go with them.

“Just like Luca Koleosho, we’ve some exciting players and hopefully they’ll be able to show it very soon for us. We’ll need it.”

Kompany made 11 changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Manchester United on Saturday as he continues to marshal a 34-strong squad and figure out his best combinations.

But even with so many changes, it still felt like a strong selection. Vitinho returned from injury, Odobert made his first start and Jack Cork got only his second run out of the campaign, starting in defence, but most of those involved have already featured regularly this term.

After bringing in 13 new faces this summer, Burnley still need time to gel, as has been reflected by their winless start to the Premier League season. A cup win over a side struggling near the bottom of League Two is only a small step forward, but progress all the same.

“We’ve got a lot of players still gelling together and I don’t think players would have played together as a team,” Kompany said. “Seeing a collective performance is more important than just seeing the individuals for me.”

He added of that gelling process: “It’s not something that’s abnormal. We knew it was part of something that was going to happen and we had it last year. In that sense, it’s not different.

“The level of opposition of course is different but you work hard on the training ground and after every game to make sure the team gets to the level it needs to be at as quickly as possible. You also enjoy that side of it. That’s why we’re coaches…

“It’s still early days for a lot of these guys but in the end, if the collective is robust then you can make adaptations. We prioritised game time – Corky played at centre back as if he had played there for the last 10 years.

“But when you look after the ball and when you have strikers and wingers who can be dangerous, it always gives you a chance to spread the load across the team.”

Vincent Kompany admitted his Burnley side had done nothing out of the ordinary in sweeping aside Sky Bet League Two Salford to reach the last 16 of the Carabao Cup.

The Clarets put their Premier League struggles to one side in a 4-0 victory at the Peninsula Stadium with all four scorers – Sander Berge, Jacob Bruun Larsen, Dara O’Shea and Wilson Odobert – getting their first goals for the club.

Kompany made 11 changes from the side that started Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United but saw Burnley put the result to bed early with the first three goals coming inside the opening half an hour.

“We can put this result in context,” Kompany said. “We know we’re the Premier League team, we’re supposed to win, we’re supposed to put in a performance but it’s easier said than done, especially when you have 11 changes.

“We showed good discipline, a professional performance. We got the goals, we got the clean sheet. We put it behind us now and focus on the Premier League and the next round…

“Eleven changes, some new players, some positional changes as well. You can always go back through it and say this and that could have been better but in the end we were disciplined, we created as many chances as we needed to win the game and we didn’t concede chances.

“Midweek, away from home, I’ve been in the game long enough to know it can be a different game and we kept it how it was supposed to be.”

In a season when Burnley, still winless in the Premier League, had only found the net five times in their previous six games, the goals and the fresh names scoring them will be a source of confidence.

“Goals (have been hard to come by), yes, but I think we’ve had chances,” Kompany said of his side’s season. “For a newly-promoted team you’re not going to go into the Premier League and all of a sudden start scoring two or three a game.

“We know that but we’re just delighted for the forwards to have scored some goals and for a lot of new players as well to be on the scoresheet. That’s something that’s going to matter this season.”

While the goalscorers were new the source was familiar, with Anass Zaroury having a hand in all four.

Berge headed in the Moroccan’s 12th-minute corner before Zaroury teed up Bruun Larsen’s lob. The winger then tried to beat Alex Cairns with a quick free-kick from a tight angle and when the goalkeeper could not hold it, O’Shea bundled home.

Nine minutes from time, Zaroury crossed for Odobert who cut back inside before finding the net.

It all added up to a sixth straight defeat for Salford as under-pressure Neil Wood deals with a lengthy injury list.

“Playing against a Premier League team, three levels above us, it’s always going to be difficult,” Wood said. “They’re very technical, very good players and tactically it’s a very good system that’s difficult to defend against.

“It’s disappointing to concede off two set pieces for us…All credit to them, they’re a very good team.

“It was a really difficult night but not a night that we weren’t expecting.”