It is almost exactly 11 years since Eddie Howe resigned as Burnley’s manager following a brief spell in East Lancashire.
Although his return to Bournemouth was prompted by the death of his mother there was a widespread assumption that Howe could not cope outside his south-coast comfort zone. Back then no one could have envisaged him thriving as Newcastle’s manager let alone preparing his team for a long-awaited Champions League tie against PSG here on Wednesday.
Newcastle go into that match on the back of a third consecutive Premier League win thanks to a ruthlessly efficient performance in the face of an enterprising, attractive Burnley side whose appealing brand of football is definitely not reflected in the league table.
Burnley did not begin in the manner of a team that had collected only one point from their opening five games. Instead Luca Koleosho repeatedly sashayed down the right wing, discomfiting Dan Burn along the way.
When Burn stumbled in the face of the 19-year-old Italy Under-21 winger’s impressive change of pace, Koleosho advanced and squared for Zeki Amdouni to shoot low. Nick Pope, a former Burnley goalkeeper, did well to keep that one out but there remained the sense that Burnley’s habit of playing out from the back would present Newcastle with an opportunity at some stage.
When Kieran Trippier, another Turf Moor old boy, dispossessed Aaron Ramsey the ball fell at Miguel Almirón’s feet. The Paraguayan hesitated before sending a left footed, subtly curving, 20-yard shot beyond the helpless James Trafford and into the top corner.
Alexander Isak strokes the ball home from the penalty spot. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters
After that Pope remained pretty much untested until midway through the second half when Newcastle were disrupted by an injury to Joelinton. The Brazilian had only been on the pitch for three minutes after replacing Elliot Anderson when he went down injured and duly made way for Sandro Tonali.
One of Vincent Kompany’s substitutes, Wilson Odobert very nearly capitalised as he burst into the area, unhinging a home defence lacking the injured Sven Botman and forcing Newcastle into a couple of panicky clearances.
Newcastle need a second goal and it arrived when Alexander Isak beat Trafford from the penalty spot after Ameen Al-Dakhil’s felled Anthony Gordon in the area. Struck low and unerringly into the bottom right hand corner, Isak’s kick was unstoppable.
Kompany looked suitably dejected. Burnley’s manager sporadically became mildly irked with Thomas Bramall, the 33-year-old referee taking charge of only his 10th Premier League fixture, for his tendency to give Newcastle the benefit of the doubt but deep down he will have known that Newcastle were simply too strong.
Eleven years ago Kompany was the cornerstone of Manchester City’s defence; how Burnley fans must wish he could turn back time and serve as their team’s player manager.
