Manchester United 3 Burnley 1
Manchester United overcame the Burnley curse as Mason Greenwood’s double and a late Edinson Cavani strike gave the Reds a thrilling 3-1 victory.
The visitors have been a thorn in United’s side at Old Trafford since 2015 and beat the Reds last season here.
Sean Dyche's side made it difficult again and after Greenwood scored early in the second half, they equalised through James Tarkowski.
But Greenwood was back on the scoresheet again with six minutes to go and half-time substitute Cavani wrapped it up in the added-on minutes.
Sean Dyche's side made it difficult again and after Greenwood scored early in the second half, they equalised through James Tarkowski.
But Greenwood was back on the scoresheet again with six minutes to go and half-time substitute Cavani wrapped it up in the added-on minutes.
Battling with Burnley
GallerySee the best snaps from the thick of the action in our Premier League encounter with the Clarets.
FIRST HALF - EARLY SCARE, THEN STALEMATE
Burnley’s recent Premier League record at Old Trafford dominated pre-match talk with the visitors having won one and drawn three in their last four visits. United hadn’t won at home against the Clarets since February 2015 and the attempt to end that six-year run almost started in calamity when Chris Wood headed home at the Stretford End after just 25 seconds.
However, the Reds' fears were immediately quelled when the referee's assistant raised his flag for offside against Wood and VAR was in agreement.
United showed composure after that and Scott McTominay had a shot blocked while Paul Pogba went close with a header that Burnley goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell turned aside. Bruno Fernandes also sent a bending attempt wide, with all of these moments coming in the first 15 minutes.
The Reds then went quiet, however, until Marcus Rashford thundered a shot towards goal in the 29th minute that was tipped over and a minute later, Pogba had another header that he couldn’t connect cleanly with.
A superb long ball from Victor Lindelof found Rashford in the 34th minute and our striker went down as Peacock-Farrell came rushing out. But the goalkeeper was rightly adjudged not to have given away a penalty.
It was a lively period for United and a volleyed Rashford cross found Mason Greenwood just unable to turn it home. Had he done so, there would certainly have been a VAR decision to make.
Wood, who’d been involved in that early scare for United, was just off target with a close-range volley, concluding a half that was typical of United’s uncomfortable times against Burnley at home.
Burnley’s recent Premier League record at Old Trafford dominated pre-match talk with the visitors having won one and drawn three in their last four visits. United hadn’t won at home against the Clarets since February 2015 and the attempt to end that six-year run almost started in calamity when Chris Wood headed home at the Stretford End after just 25 seconds.
However, the Reds' fears were immediately quelled when the referee's assistant raised his flag for offside against Wood and VAR was in agreement.
United showed composure after that and Scott McTominay had a shot blocked while Paul Pogba went close with a header that Burnley goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell turned aside. Bruno Fernandes also sent a bending attempt wide, with all of these moments coming in the first 15 minutes.
The Reds then went quiet, however, until Marcus Rashford thundered a shot towards goal in the 29th minute that was tipped over and a minute later, Pogba had another header that he couldn’t connect cleanly with.
A superb long ball from Victor Lindelof found Rashford in the 34th minute and our striker went down as Peacock-Farrell came rushing out. But the goalkeeper was rightly adjudged not to have given away a penalty.
It was a lively period for United and a volleyed Rashford cross found Mason Greenwood just unable to turn it home. Had he done so, there would certainly have been a VAR decision to make.
Wood, who’d been involved in that early scare for United, was just off target with a close-range volley, concluding a half that was typical of United’s uncomfortable times against Burnley at home.
SECOND HALF - GREENWOOD AND CAVANI ON TARGET
It was bitter sweet at the opening to the second half as the first-half stalemate was finally broken. The Reds went ahead with a brilliant goal after 48 minutes, when fleet-footed Rashford swept past Lowton superbly down the left and crossed low into the box where Fernandes’s step over the ball foxed the Burnley defence and Greenwood rammed home.
But all the joy was sucked out of United two minutes later when Burnley equalised. If the Reds' opener was an eyecatching goal-of-the-month candidate, the visitors' answer was simple and direct with a corner from Ashley Westwood and James Tarkowski powerfully shrugging off the aerial attention from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire to head in the leveller.
It was a struggle for the Reds to regain control of the proceedings against the dogged and stubborn visitors and we didn’t come close to attempting to get our noses in front again until the 70th minute.
It was bitter sweet at the opening to the second half as the first-half stalemate was finally broken. The Reds went ahead with a brilliant goal after 48 minutes, when fleet-footed Rashford swept past Lowton superbly down the left and crossed low into the box where Fernandes’s step over the ball foxed the Burnley defence and Greenwood rammed home.
But all the joy was sucked out of United two minutes later when Burnley equalised. If the Reds' opener was an eyecatching goal-of-the-month candidate, the visitors' answer was simple and direct with a corner from Ashley Westwood and James Tarkowski powerfully shrugging off the aerial attention from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire to head in the leveller.
It was a struggle for the Reds to regain control of the proceedings against the dogged and stubborn visitors and we didn’t come close to attempting to get our noses in front again until the 70th minute.
Shaw raced on to a Rashford pass and crossed for Fernandes to steer a header towards goal where keeper Peacock-Farrell was well positioned to save. But the Reds stuck at it and finally broke Burnley's resistance for a second time after 84 minutes.
It was Greenwood again who was on the end of a spell of United power play, to fire a left-footed shot that deflected off Cork to wrong foot the goalkeeper and make it 2-1.
Burnley went all out for another equaliser but the Reds made them pay on the break with Cavani finishing off Donny van de Beek’s cross for a tap in to complete a battling win.
It was Greenwood again who was on the end of a spell of United power play, to fire a left-footed shot that deflected off Cork to wrong foot the goalkeeper and make it 2-1.
Burnley went all out for another equaliser but the Reds made them pay on the break with Cavani finishing off Donny van de Beek’s cross for a tap in to complete a battling win.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Fred (Cavani 45), McTominay; Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Rashford (van de Beek 84).
Substitutes not used: De Gea, Telles, Tuanzebe, Williams, James, Mata, Matic.
Goals: Greenwood (48, 84), Cavani (93).
Booked: Wan-Bissaka.
Burnley: Peacock-Farrell,Tarkowski, Taylor, Lowton, Mee (c), Gudmundsson (Rodriguez 88), Cork, Brownhill (Vydra 88), McNeil, Westwood, Wood.
Substitutes not used: Nartey, Dunne, Bardsley, Norris, Stephens
Goal: Tarkowski (50).
Booked: Westwood, Tarkowski.
United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Fred (Cavani 45), McTominay; Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Rashford (van de Beek 84).
Substitutes not used: De Gea, Telles, Tuanzebe, Williams, James, Mata, Matic.
Goals: Greenwood (48, 84), Cavani (93).
Booked: Wan-Bissaka.
Burnley: Peacock-Farrell,Tarkowski, Taylor, Lowton, Mee (c), Gudmundsson (Rodriguez 88), Cork, Brownhill (Vydra 88), McNeil, Westwood, Wood.
Substitutes not used: Nartey, Dunne, Bardsley, Norris, Stephens
Goal: Tarkowski (50).
Booked: Westwood, Tarkowski.