A late comeback from Manchester United preserved Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's unbeaten start at Old Trafford as Paul Pogba and Victor Lindelof ensured the Red Devils nicked a late point in a brilliant game against a spirited and organised Burnley on Tuesday night.
United failed to register a shot on target in the first half as the visitors frustrated their hosts and Burnley soon took a shock lead when Jack Cork robbed Andreas Pereira in midfield and fed Ashley Barnes, who slammed into the roof of the net.
Solskjaer's side pressed for an equaliser in the second half but came up against a brilliantly organised Burnley, who doubled their lead when Chris Wood glanced in Ashley Westwood's lofted cross.
It ends in a draw but what a finish to the game at Old Trafford! #MUFC #MUNBUR pic.twitter.com/fVPQYp4kV1
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2019
Pogba clawed one back from the penalty spot and forced Tom Heaton into a smart stop late on before Lindelof slammed home on the rebound in the 91st minute to earn the hosts an unlikely point.
Check out our roundup of the game below.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Key Talking Point
United have had plenty of tests since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed caretaker manager, but they showed a special resolve to earn a point from a dire position.
The decision to play Romelu Lukaku up front, shifting Marcus Rashford onto the wing, ultimately backfired as the Belgian struggled to impose himself on the game, eventually getting substituted for Alexis Sanchez in the 67th minute.
Solskjaer faces a defining month in his hunt to secure the job on a full time basis with some difficult fixtures on the horizon, but the Norwegian will be pleased to see his side show such fight from such a dismal position.
Player Ratings
Starting XI: De Gea (5); Young (6), Jones (6), Lindelof (7), Shaw (6); Pogba (7), Matic (6), Pereira (4); Rashford (6), Lukaku (5), Mata (6).
Substitute: Lingard (6), Sanchez (6).
STAR MAN - Pogba has returned to form since Mourinho left the club and while he wasn't at his showboating best on Tuesday, the World Cup winner kept charging forward and gave his side a lifeline with a cooly slotted penalty.
GOAL! @PaulPogba dispatches the spot-kick into the roof of the net! KEEP GOING, REDS! #MUFC #MUNBUR pic.twitter.com/jNL0x41kRe
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2019
WORST PLAYER - Given a third Premier League start of the season, Pereira had his pocket picked by Cork in midfield for Burnley's first goal and was hauled off in the 63rd minute. Not a great night's work for the Brazil international.
BURNLEY
Key Talking Point
For all their issues so far this season, Burnley were brilliantly organised as they put in a performance reminiscent of their surprising 2017/18 campaign.
Defensively, the Clarets were organised at the back, with Ben Mee and James Tarkowski dominating the aerial battles, while forwards Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes won fouls to give their side intermittent breathers from the constant pressure United applied in the second half.
Player Ratings
Starting XI: Heaton (8); Bardsley (7), Tarkowski (7), Mee (7), Taylor (7); Hendrick (6), Westwood (7), Cork (7), McNeil (7); Barnes (9), Wood (9).
Substitutes:
STAR MAN -
WORST PLAYER - Similarly, it's single out a poor Burnley performer. Jeff Hendrick was rugged and committed on the right and J
Looking Ahead
United have a trip to Leicester to look forward to at the weekend before they host Fulham. They resume their Champions League campaign in mid February against Paris Saint-Germain.
Burnley have a huge clash with Southampton up next before an away game at Brighton.
Source : 90min