Burnley 0 Manchester United 1

Ten Hag's men stepped out energetically at the start of this Premier League clash, with Jonny Evans nearly taking home the dream gift to commemorate his 200th appearance for the Reds, only for his goal to be ruled out by a VAR decision. 

United didn’t dwell on that misfortune though, with the Northern Irish defender popping up again to pick out Bruno Fernandes with a crossfield pass over the Burnley defence. The captain struck the ball perfectly on the volley to bag what would prove to be the winner.

Hannibal, completing his first full 90 minutes of the season for the Reds, looked lively at both ends of the pitch throughout the game. 

It was a hard-fought win and Burnley certainly didn’t make it easy for us, but in the end they could not breach a solid and well-drilled United defence. 

FIRST HALF - VAR CAN'T KEEP US DOWN

Ten Hag's side came out fighting from the first moments in the game, pressing high and not giving Burnley a second on the ball. This led to a chance for Marcus Rashford within the first minute, as he latched onto a ball threaded through by Hannibal, but our no.10 could only find the side netting.  

Despite the early pressure from United, our opposition grew into the half. It started with a rapid charge down the left side from Luca Koleosho drawing Diogo Dalot into a late challenge and an early yellow card. Moments later, during their sustained attack, the Clarets produced their best chance of the opening 45 minutes. Josh Cullen poked a ball through our defence that arrived at the feet of Zeki Amdouni just outside the six-yard box, but while the Burnley forward managed to beat Andre Onana, he could only find the post. 

Against the run of play, Bruno Fernandes earned the Reds a corner in the 25th minute. Sergio Reguilon stepped up to take an in-swinging corner that met a rising Jonny Evans inside the box. It looked to be a goal for the defender on his 200th appearance, before a VAR call judged that an offside Rasmus Hojlund had impeded the sight of Burnley 'keeper James Trafford. 

Evans's luck changed just before the halfway point, as he floated a ball over the top of the Burnley defence that dropped perfectly onto the right foot of Fernandes. Not pausing to take a touch, our captain hit a searing volley past a stunned Trafford. The former Manchester City man could only watch the ball fly past him and into the bottom-left corner of his goal, giving the Reds the lead going into the interval at Turf Moor.

SECOND HALF - SEEING IT THROUGH

It was a markedly different start after the break, with neither side seeming able to build a consistent attack. This pattern was only interrupted in the first ten minutes by a brilliantly drilled cross by Diogo Dalot that just evaded the outstretched leg of Hojlund. Any contact from the Dane would surely have doubled our lead.

The Reds had the best of the chances in the opening 20 minutes of the half, but it was still waiting for one of the sides to truly put their stamp on the latter period.

With 15 minutes of regular time left, and Vincent Kompany ordering a triple substitution, it felt as though United needed a second goal to take all three points away from Turf Moor.

It looked like the second might come as Hannibal once again linked up with Rashford with an outside-of-the-boot through-ball to our no.10, who couldn’t get his shot around a packed Burnley defence.

The last action of the game was a dangerous free-kick for the Clarets from the right side of the box, but the resulting shot was solidly held by Onana as the referee blew the final whistle.

MATCH DETAILS

Burnley: Trafford; Roberts, Al Dakhil, Beyer, Taylor; Cullen, Brownhill (c) (Manuel Hedilazio 86); Gudmundsson (Tesor 19), Ramsey (Berge 73), Koleosho (Bruun Larsen 73); Amdouni (Rodriguez 73).

Subs not used: Muric, Cork, Delcroix, Zaroury.

Booked: Beyer.

United: Onana; Dalot, Evans (Amrabat 89), Lindelof, Reguilon (Varane 79); Casemiro, McTominay, Hannibal; Fernandes (c); Hojlund, Rashford.

Subs not used: Bayindir, Eriksen, Garnacho, Gore, Martial, Pellistri, Van de Beek.

Scorer: Fernandes 45.

Booked: Dalot, Reguilon.