'The mindset you need to have': Vincent Kompany’s message to his Burnley players ahead of Manchester City return

The Clarets return from their 19-day winter break with a trip to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.

While City are in the mix for a fourth straight title, Burnley find themselves mired in trouble at the other end of the table, sitting 19th and seven points adrift of safety.

While Burnley’s recent record playing City away has been miserable, conceding 40 goals in their last 11 visits, Kompany insists his players must maintain their belief.

He said: “If I ask my players, some of the players who signed and joined us, some of them were with us in the Championship, why do you want to go into the Premier League? It’s because you get to play these games. You get to see what you can do against the best players in the world.

“Guess what? It’s going to be tough. But every now and then someone does something. That’s the mindset you need to have.

“The only guarantee is that if you go with the mindset of being defeated, you will be defeated.

“It doesn’t happen at the first try or the second try, but eventually these things happen so you have to keep the consistency of your belief.”

As someone who boasts a statue of himself outside the Etihad, Kompany knows better than anyone just how special a team City are.

But while the results might show a different story, the Clarets boss sees some similar traits between the two clubs.

“It’s been like this for the last six or seven years, it’s the way the club is. I don’t really foresee that changing in the future. It’s still there, it’s going to remain,” Kompany said of City’s success.

“I’d like to think, and winning is the side that everyone sees, but you can have this in your culture and in your building. I wouldn’t like to think there’s any less relentlessness with anything we’re doing.

“We don’t have the same outcome at the moment, but there’s something to always aspire to if you have that kind of culture and environment and eventually good things will happen.”

As if Burnley’s challenge of facing last season’s treble winners isn’t big enough, they could also face the returning Erling Haaland, who is expected to feature despite missing the last two months with a foot injury.

The prospect of Haaland facing his side doesn’t faze Kompany, however, with the Belgian well aware of the threats City already possess without the prolific Norwegian striker.

“We can throw names about and the list goes on, but what is it? It’s a Premier League game,” he said.

“Nobody is ever going to doubt the quality they have, they’re a phenomenal team. But you can’t start these games defeated.

“I know the rest of the world will, rightly so, have an idea that this is what the outcome will be. But from our side no, we are going there with every desire to get the most out of the game. We have to.”

Another name Burnley are likely to face is Kompany’s compatriot and former teammate Kevin De Bruyne, who has made a return of his own in recent weeks.

Ironically, the midfielder’s last outing for City was at Turf Moor on the opening day of the season, where he suffered a hamstring injury during his side’s 3-0 win.

While Kompany is among De Bruyne’s biggest fans, his focus is very much on his Burnley team and what they can accomplish.

“Kev will always have an impact,” he said. “If you are able to distribute the ball like he can, you can be in many positions and still have an impact in the game.

“These guys are also in one way friends, so I want to be positive on them but at the same time, my focus is on Burnley right now.

“As much as every single game of the season I wish him to do so well, at this moment I want Brownhill to do better. That’s my focus and nothing more.

“He’s a wonderful person and a friend, but I want my players to do better on the day.”