Vincent Kompany urges Burnley to be as ‘relentless’ as Man City and to mimic the ‘mentality’ of the Treble winners ahead of his first visit to the Etihad as a Premier League manager

Vincent Kompany returns to Manchester City on Wednesday night with orders for his Burnley team to be as ‘relentless’ as the Treble winners.

Kompany is the most successful captain in City’s history and has a statue in his honour outside The Etihad. This is his first Premier League match there as opposition manager.

He says the trick will be for Burnley to replicate City’s attitude without being intimidated by the superstar names in the opposition line-up.

‘Obviously they are a great side with top players and a top manager. They are probably the best team in the world,’ said Kompany.

‘It is the way City is. I don’t foresee that changing in the future – I think it will remain.

Burnley face Manchester City on Wednesday night in Kompany’s first visit to the Etihad as a Premier League manager 

‘You can have this winning mentality in your culture, in the building. I don’t like to think there is any less relentlessness in what we are doing. We don’t have the same outcomes but it is something to aspire to, then good things could happen.

‘If I asked my players why they wanted to come into the Premier League, it is for these games. Guess what, it is going to be tough but the only guarantee is if you go in feeling defeated, you will be defeated.’

Burnley are in the bottom three and have City, Liverpool and Arsenal among their next four opponents.

The Clarets hope to sign £10million Montpellier defender Maxime Esteve before the window closes.

City beat Burnley 6-0 at the Etihad in the FA Cup quarter-finals last season in a brutal display

‘We are past the point where I can deny interest but he is not our player at the moment,’ said Kompany.

Conor Roberts and Manuel Benson may move out to get regular games while striker David Fofana should make his debut at The Etihad following his loan move from Chelsea. ‘He is ready to go,’ said Kompany.