Sean Dyche left fuming after Burnley are denied penalty v Chelsea for Mendy challenge on Barnes

Sean Dyche was left fuming after Burnley were denied a penalty after a rash challenge by Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the opening minutes of Saturday’s game at Turf Moor.

Mendy caught Ashley Barnes as he raced out to meet the Burnley player who was clean through on goal following a mistake by Kurt Zouma – but the follow-through went unpunished because the contact came after the striker had already lobbed over the goal.

It didn’t wash with Dyche. ‘This penalty thing in the Premier League. I am confused by what is and what isn’t,’ he said after his side’s 3-0 defeat.

Burnley’s Sean Dyche was open-mouthed as his side were denied a penalty at home to Chelsea

Striker Ashley Barnes was involved in an early tangle with visiting goalkeeper Edouard Mendy

‘I don’t know how that’s not a penalty. If he just toes it past him and the ‘keeper does that, it’s a penalty. If it’s the middle of the pitch, it is a foul 100 per cent.’

Ironically, referee David Coote was the VAR official at Anfield a fortnight ago when Jordan Pickford was also let off for a challenge on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk which left the Liverpool defender with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Though Mendy’s tackle was not as high and didn’t injure Barnes, Burnley felt there may have been a similarity in a challenge not being penalised becuase the ball was effectively out of play.

Dyche felt that Burnley should have had a spot kick for the incident in the match at Turf Moor

Dyche, who did concede the decision would not have affected the outcome of the game, has long complained that Burnley don’t get major decisions because of their size.

He said last night: ‘The powers that be assure me we get treated the same as everybody else. But look at the stats.’