Manchester United held on to a 1-0 lead on a nervous night at Turf Moor as Sean Dyche’s men, who were the better side for most of the game, came out with nothing to show for. Both teams cancelled each other out in the first half, as they went into the break all squad. French star Anthony Martial opened the scoring for the visitors, less than 10 minutes into the second half.
The hosts turned it on late in the game but the Red Devils kept their calm and stole all three points from yet another unconvincing performance. They are temporarily just 9 points off Manchester City, who play later today. Here are the player’s ratings for the visitors in this tie:
Manchester United Players Rated and Slated:
David de Gea (6):
Had very little to do most game but did what he had to, pretty well, helping himself to yet another clean sheet.
Antonio Valencia (6):
Was solid at the back, giving Burnley no room on the flank to attack but failed to add enough in the attack, leaving his teammates struggling at the other end of the field.
Chris Smalling (5):
Was harassed all night by Ashley Barnes and often lost out on the battle but will consider himself lucky to have not conceded.
Phil Jones (6):
Won his duels with Barnes pretty well and was pro-active, nicking the ball away and setting his side into the attack for most of the game.
Ashley Young (6):
An industrious performance on the flank, where he constantly added numbers to the attack and shielded his side of the backline with ease.
Nemanja Matic (6):
Was quick to win the loose ball in the midfield and his positioning allowed Paul Pogba to have more of an effect in the attack.
Paul Pogba (5):
His flicks and passes in the midfield opened Burnley up but he was just not ruthless enough to win his side the game more comfortably.
Juan Mata (5):
Struggled to create chances for his side on the flank and also slowed down the United attacks on more than one occasion.
Jesse Lingard (6):
Added some pace to the visitor’s attack but looked off colour and out of confidence in front of goal.
Anthony Martial (8):
Looked in a completely different level as he tormented the Burnley defence, cutting in and testing Pope time and again before sealing the game with a smart finish.
Romelu Lukaku (6):
Played a role in the buildup to Martial’s goal, where he picked up an assist but apart from that, he was more effective in his box than in the final third.
Substitutes:
Marcus Rashford (6):
Got a couple of chances late in the game, which could have allowed United to see all three points more comfortably.
Marouane Fellaini (5):
Lost the ball a couple of times in the midfield and will be relieved that it did not cost his side anything.
Ander Herrera (N/A):
