Burnley Cruise Into Carabao Cup 4th Round

Burnley advanced to the Carabao Cup fourth round after breezing past Salford City.

Though Kompany made 11 changes to the team that had lost 1-0 to Manchester United last Saturday, the gulf in class between Burnley and their League Two opponents was staggering.

Sander Berge opened the scoring in the 12th minute, heading in a corner from Anass Zaroury – the first of three assists. Jacob Bruun Larsen doubled the advantage shortly after, a lovely finish after latching onto a fine through ball, before Dara O’Shea bundled in a third.

Salford, who have lost their last five games, were desperate and never threatened to recreate last month’s heroics when they knocked Leeds out. The fizz in the air that evening, when they triumphed after a draining penalty shootout, was nowhere to be seen as Burnley put the game in a stranglehold.

Jack Cork, similarly, was authoritative playing, unusually, as a central defender. Kompany wants his team to always be in control and the club captain’s rhythmic passing enabled Burnley to move quickly forward on the rare occasions Salford reached their final third.

The only surprise, after establishing such a commanding advantage, was the fact the goals dried up afterwards and they didn’t really threaten until Wilson Odobert wriggled clear in the box in the 67th minute before shooting straight at Alex Cairns.

This was an important night for Odobert, a player for whom Burnley has high hopes, and the summer signing from Troyes got his reward when rifling in, on an angle, from 12 yards following a cross from Zaroury.