Fresh from a grim loss to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup 11-12 on penalties on Thursday night, United were on the front foot from the off but squandered chance after chance. In the second minute, visiting keeper Martin Dubravka had already made a save off Leny Yoro’s head from a corner.
Chance after chance, United still wouldn’t score until Burnley captain Josh Cullen allowed a ball to hit his knee after a Casemiro header rebounded off the bar into the net.
Again, Dubravka appeared to have made a save, but referee Sam Barrott’s watch vibrated, signalling the ball had crossed the line when the Slovak flicked it back into play in the 27th minute.
Just how the Brazilian was left alone just outside the small box to head in from a Bruno Fernandes free kick is unclear – the height of incompetence if you ask me.
United played some of their best football in years, opening up Scott Parker’s men at will – almost every corner by United found either the right head or a head.
From a corner off Burnley’s left, Bryan Mbuemo found Mason Mount’s head, but the flick at the near post kissed the top of the bar.
After a minute of added time in the first half, Italian winger Amad, who turns out for Ivory Coast, produced a moment of magic by meeting Fernandes’ low corner on the volley, but the strike was straight at Dubravka, who made a save.
Four minutes later, United put together what will probably be the move of the week.
From outside his own box, Amad went bravely to head the ball off Hannibal’s toes. The ball fell nicely onto the path of Joshua Zirkzee, who, in the role of playmaking centre-forward, sprayed one wide to Mbuemo. Hugging the touchline on the right, the Cameroonian played a delightful cross to Amad furthest on the left. One-on-one with Dubravka, Amad skied it.
Ten minutes after the restart, Lyle Foster turned in a Jacob Bruun Larsen cross to make it 1-all.
Off the kick-off, Casemiro played the ball to Altay Bayindir. The Turkish giant keeper lumped one up onto Zirkzee’s head. His flick found an overlapping Diogo Dalot to square centimetres before the ball crossed the goalline for Mbuemo to score.
Just as the Red Devils’ fans perhaps started to believe, Foster again scored, but he was ruled offside.
Evidence that United mentor Ruben Amorim is cooking something from the corners was clear in the 63rd minute when Mbuemo again found a foot – this time Fernandes’. The Portuguese’s volley off the right foot went wide.
Three minutes later, this ping-pong of a game produced another sweet moment for Burnley.
Winger Jaidon Anthony poked Burnley’s second after a deflection off substitute Kobie Mainoo.
United kept huffing – okay, sometimes it looked like good huffing.
It would have ended at huffing had Burnley hero Anthony not had a brain meltdown when he held Amad’s shirt into the box for a cheap United penalty, even though it was unclear the Italian would have gotten to the pass.
United captain Fernandes bravely grabbed the ball, having missed his last league penalty in the previous game.
This time, the Portuguese ace passed the ball past Dubravka to deflate a game Burnley.
It would be harsh to say United didn’t deserve the three points. After all, they finally managed to find the net for the first time in three games. The fans would hope it was only a start, and judging by the team’s – players and manager – celebration when Barrott blew the final whistle after 90+12 minutes, they are joined by all of Carrington in that hope.
Final score: United 3 Burnley 2.
Manchester United huff and huff but Lyle Foster’s Burnley refuse to be blown away
If one had regard for how the second half went, it’s clear that Burnley took courage from going into the break only a goal down in their third English Premier League outing against Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier.
