Match ends, Burnley 0, Manchester United 2.
BurnleyBurnley0Man UtdManchester United2
Manchester United recovered from back-to-back defeats to beat Burnley despite Paul Pogba missing a penalty and Marcus Rashford being sent off.
Romelu Lukaku scored twice in the first half as the Red Devils - beaten by Brighton and Tottenham in their previous two Premier League matches - were largely untroubled by their hosts.
Pogba had the chance to stretch United's lead midway through the second half but his penalty - after Aaron Lennon fouled Rashford - was saved by former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
And two minutes later the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Rashford was sent off for leaning into Burnley defender Phil Bardsley with his head.
That made the closing stages unnecessarily tense for Jose Mourinho's side, but the Clarets were unable to find a way through.
Victory took United up to 10th in the table - level on points with Everton in seventh.
United defenders keep it clean
The build-up to the match had been dominated by discussion of the Red Devils' stuttering start to the season. There had even been speculation Mourinho could be one game from being sacked.
And the club's executive vice-chairman was the target of a banner that flew over the ground before kick-off reading 'Ed Woodward: A specialist in failure'.
If the United players were feeling the pressure, they did not show it during a thoroughly professional first-half performance.
Lukaku looked back to his clinical best when he rose highest to power home Alexis Sanchez's clipped cross after 27 minutes.
And the Belgian reacted well for his second on the cusp of half-time, slamming the ball home after a series of kind deflections.
But, with the game stretched in the second half, he failed to complete a hat-trick - squandering the best chance after rounding Hart under pressure from Ben Mee.
Rashford, who had won the penalty shortly after coming on, then lost his cool in an altercation with Bardsley and was shown the first red card of his career.
More pleasingly for Mourinho, his defence - again changed from the previous match - looked solid, keeping United's first clean sheet of the season and a 10th in their past 11 visits to Turf Moor.
Burnley's poor start continues
A second home defeat of the season leaves Burnley 19th in the table with just one point taken from their opening four matches.
They offered little throughout, perhaps affected by their Europa League exit to Olympiakos on Thursday.
Even after going behind, Sean Dyche's men seemed reluctant to attack United, and teenage winger Dwight McNeil had their only shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
Dyche attempted to give his side more impetus by bringing on Sam Vokes on 58 minutes, and the Wales striker forced United goalkeeper David de Gea into two good saves.
But the Spaniard was not tested enough and Burnley are now without a league win in nine games, a run stretching back to April, meaning they are on the longest winless run of any side in the competition.
The international break gives them a chance to regroup, while their exit from the Europa League at least allows them to focus solely on domestic matters.
But Dyche will not be looking forward to January's return fixture - after eight attempts, he is yet to beat Mourinho in the Premier League.
Man of the match - Nemanja Matic
'Marcus is a naive boy' - what they said
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho speaking to BBC Sport: "Burnley played very well as a team, and there were very good individual performances and we should score many more goals. The result shouldn't have been open until the last minute."
On Pogba's penalty miss: "I never blame a player for missing penalties. I blame the ones who refuse to go up there. Paul's scored some good ones for us."
On Rashford's red card: "I don't know what happened. I would say it was naive. It was a kid and a very experienced man. Bardsley's been in the game for 20 years and Marcus is a naive boy."
Burnley boss Sean Dyche speaking to BBC Sport: "Disappointment is quickly thought about in the same process as the reality. Manchester United are a very good side - they started hard and fast with the ball and defended strong.
"Sometimes there is balance to the disappointment. We got about them - the goal on half-time is a sickener for us. I thought Lukaku was excellent. It's a strange one because we come out of a useful period for experience but a tough period."
Clarets struggle against United - the stats
- Burnley have won just one of their past 18 top-flight meetings with United (D8 L9), with that victory coming in their first Premier League meeting back in August 2009 (1-0).
- Mourinho has won each of his four Premier League games at Turf Moor (P4 W4), including all three in charge of the Red Devils.
- United have won each of their past 24 Premier League matches in which they have scored the opening goal.
- Lukaku scored his first Premier League double for United since August 2017, when he did so on his debut in the competition for the Red Devils (v West Ham in a 4-0 win).
- Rashford became the first substitute to be sent off for the Red Devils in the Premier League since Marouane Fellaini against Hull City in May 2015.
- At the age of 18 years and 284 days, McNeil became the first teenager to start a Premier League game for the Clarets.
- Fellaini made his 250th Premier League appearance in this game. The only other Belgian to make as many is Vincent Kompany (251).
What's next
After the international break, United travel to Vicarage Road to face Watford on Saturday, 15 September (17:30 BST). Burnley face Wolves at Molineux the following day (13:30 BST).
Line-ups
Burnley
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 20Hart
- 26BardsleyBooked at 71mins
- 5Tarkowski
- 6Mee
- 3Taylor
- 25Lennon
- 18Westwood
- 4Cork
- 31McNeilBooked at 52minsSubstituted forBarnesat 80'minutes
- 13HendrickSubstituted forVokesat 58'minutes
- 11WoodSubstituted forVydraat 84'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Heaton
- 2Lowton
- 9Vokes
- 10Barnes
- 23Ward
- 27Vydra
- 28Long
Man Utd
Formation 4-3-3
- 1De Gea
- 25A Valencia
- 12Smalling
- 2Lindelöf
- 23ShawBooked at 74mins
- 6PogbaSubstituted forBaillyat 90+2'minutes
- 27Fellaini
- 31Matic
- 14LingardSubstituted forHerreraat 76'minutes
- 9LukakuBooked at 74mins
- 7SánchezBooked at 18minsSubstituted forRashfordat 61'minutesBooked at 71mins
Substitutes
- 3Bailly
- 10Rashford
- 11Martial
- 13Grant
- 17Fred
- 18Young
- 21Herrera
- Referee:
- Jonathan Moss
- Attendance:
- 21,525
Match Stats
Home TeamBurnleyAway TeamMan Utd
- Possession
- Home47%
- Away53%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away21
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away9
- Corners
- Home2
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Burnley 0, Manchester United 2.
Post update
Attempt saved. Ander Herrera (Manchester United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Romelu Lukaku with a headed pass.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Eric Bailly replaces Paul Pogba.
Post update
Attempt missed. Matej Vydra (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ashley Westwood with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Attempt saved. Sam Vokes (Burnley) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Phil Bardsley with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Victor Lindelöf.
Post update
Foul by Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United).
Post update
Ben Mee (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Sam Vokes.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ander Herrera (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Post update
Paul Pogba (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Phil Bardsley (Burnley).
Post update
Hand ball by Paul Pogba (Manchester United).
Substitution
Substitution, Burnley. Matej Vydra replaces Chris Wood.
Post update
Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Sam Vokes (Burnley).
Post update
Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right. Assisted by Romelu Lukaku with a cross.
Post update
Attempt saved. Sam Vokes (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ashley Barnes with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Charlie Taylor.
Comments
Join the conversation
Amazing that people still defend someone found guilty of racism by the FA.
Who will finish 5th?
Arsenal - UP VOTE
Man United - DOWN VOTE
Their agenda is embarrassing. BBC is just as bad with their daily reports on 'how long before Jose gets sacked'
Saturday, article about united game obviously
Sunday, united match report and cream off as they won for a change
Monday, Mourinho article
Tuesday, article about why Pogba was crap again
Wednesday, what’s going on at united article
Thursday, ex united player article
Friday, united play again tomorrow so will write about that
... and repeat!
Has Dyche lost the dressing room?
Burnley rift between board and manager?
Pottechino in trouble. One loss away from the sack?
Daniel Levy not backing his manager. Statement of mistrust?
Quick. You only have until publishing time to find a sensational story!
Mid table £900M squad climbs from 14th to 10th by beating one of the weakest teams in the league.
Hold tight...
Figures.
The bias against Utd is just staggeringly stupid. BOTH teams put in some tasty challenges, for example, not one upvoted comment here has mentioned that Bardsley kicked Rashford off the ball.
Burnley were poor today, Utd were half decent. Nothing more or less.
Posted by
Klopp of the Kop
A post from a Liverpool fan about league title boasts. You couldn't make it up, they've been saying it's "our year" for the last 30 years. And the comment about Utd cheats...from the team that brought you Suarez, Torres, Gerrard, Souness, Case, Smith etc etc etc. Laughable really.