MAN UTD 3, BURNLEY 1
As Manchester City are starting to show signs of a possible wobble, neighbours United are turning the heat on their rivals in the race for the Premier League title.
This hard-earned with for the Reds against battling Burnley reduced City’s lead to eight points with six games remaining on an afternoon in which it emerged United are one of six Premier League clubs to have signed a pre-agreement to form a breakaway European super league.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had maintained the title race was far from over and United’s actions are sounding louder than words as they made it five straight Premier League wins, the first time they have achieved that since January 2019 when the Norwegian managed six in a row in his first month in charge.
Two goals from talented teenager Mason Greenwood and another strike from Edinson Cavani strengthened the Reds’ hold on second spot and kept them within range of City.
But it was far from a straightforward and routine victory as James Tarkowski made it 1-1 soon after Greenwood had broken the deadlock as they sensed they may extend their unbeaten run at Old Trafford to five games.
And it took later goals from Greenwood and substitute Edinson Cavani to seal victory leaving Burnley six points clear of the relegation places.
Embed from Getty ImagesAsked whether the title race was over, Greenwood said: “You can never be sure – they (City) might slip up. We have to concentrate on our next games.
“Anything’s possible, hopefully they drop some points, but we just have to keep focused on our games.”
On their latest victory, Greenwood added: “It was a hard game, we had good opportunities and their striker (Chris Wood) was a big threat today, so we had to adapt and we came out on top.
“They’ve got a few wins when they’ve come here to Old Trafford and it’s been difficult but when we’ve played them at Turf Moor we have comfortably beaten them. They were good here, but we’ve come out on top.”
Solskjaer said: “Very happy for him [Mason Greenwood]. He’s mixing up his game. He goes inside and outside, he’s maturing all the time. It’s lovely to see. He’s put the work in on the training ground and reaps the rewards.
“Last season he was young, now he’s had almost two seasons in the first team. Especially in the last three or four months I’ve seen how mature he is on the training ground and he plays with maturity and understanding. He’s very creative but plays simple when he has to.
“We will keep concentrating on what we’re doing and keep winning. Keep momentum going. Next game always.”
Burnley manager Sean Dyche was left to reflect on what might have been.
“Without being disrespectful as they are a top side, it was a closer affair than the score suggested. We defended very well as you have to do here,” he said.
United made five changes from the team that started Thursday’s Europa League win against Spanish side Granada.
Captain Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay all returned after suspension along with Dean Henderson while Marcus Rashford who was only on the bench through injury.
The players to lose out were David De Gea, Alex Telles, Axel Tuanzebe, Nemanja Vidic and Cavani.
There was one minute’s silence before kick off in memory of the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh.
United, notoriously slow starters, almost took that to new levels when Burnley had a goal disallowed from kick off after only 10 seconds.
Wood beat Henderson to a Matt Lowton cross and headed into an empty net only for the referee’s assistant to raise a flag for offside which was confirmed by VAR.
Wood would have become only the sixth opposition player to score in three straight Premier League matches at Old Trafford.
United responded as McTominay had a shot blocked, Paul Pogba’s header produced a fine fingertip save from Bailey Peacock-Farrell who was deputising for the injured Nick Pope and Bruno Fernandes curled an effort just wide.
Peacock-Farrell pulled off another acrobatic save just short of the half hour, this time to turn over a drive from Rashford.
Wood was continuing to be a problem forcing a save from Henderson and then seeing a flying header go wide.
United began to crank up the pressure as Rashford had a penalty shout rejected – replays showed Peacock-Farrell raised his arms to avoid contact – and Rashford then crossed low from the right but Mason Greenwood, sliding in, failed to convert from three yards.
The Reds, needing to break through Burnley’s mean defence, made a change at the break with Fred sacrificed for Cavani and another front man.
And it worked as United went ahead within three minutes of the restart after a super move.
Shaw and Rashford, moved out wide to accommodate Cavani, linked on the left – the latter nutmegged Lowton – and sent over a low cross with Bruno Fernandes’ step over releasing Greenwood who scored with a low angled shot from the right of the box, his eighth goal of the season with Rashford provided an eighth assist.
United were then rocked as the Clarets drew level within two minutes as James Tarkowski rose above Maguire to head home Ashley Westwood’s corner, his first goal of the season. It was also the 1,000th goal United have conceded in the Premier League.
Rashford and Shaw again combined down the left to set up Fernandes whose bullet header was well kept out by Peacock-Farrell.
United made a second change with seven minutes left when Rashford made way for Donny van de Beek.
And moments later United were ahead again when Greenwood struck for the second time.
The 19-year-old cut in from the right and his shot deflected off Charlie Taylor and Jack Cork and beat Peacock-Farrell at his near post as he became the Reds’ top scoring teenager in the Premier League era with 15 to eclipse Wayne Rooney.
With Burnley bringing on strikers Jay Rodriguez and Matej Vydra in pursuit of an equaliser, they left gaps at the back which previously didn’t exist.
And how United capitalised as Greenwood was denied a hat-trick by Peacock-Farrell and Fernandes by a goalline block by Tarkowski.
United sealed victory in the third of four added minutes when Cavani struck his ninth goal of the season and fourth from the bench.
The Uruguayan began a sweeping move with a raking pass out wide. The ball was played to Fernandes who released van de Beek who provided the assist with a low cross from the left for Cavani to slot home from three yards.