Ronaldo Shines As Man Utd Move Up To Sixth
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his eighth goal of the season and made another for Scott McTominay as Manchester United beat Burnley 3-1 at Old Trafford, climbing to sixth.
Burnley’s Chris Wood headed a good chance wide on four minutes and that miss proved costly just four minutes later as Ronaldo teed up McTominay, who swept Man Utd ahead with his first strike of the campaign.
The hosts doubled their advantage after 27 minutes when Jadon Sancho’s low shot flicked off the boot of Burnley’s Ben Mee and nestled in the far corner for an own goal.
Ronaldo then coolly scored a third on 35 minutes, reacting when Wayne Hennessey brilliantly parried McTominay’s drive on to the post.
Aaron Lennon’s first Premier League goal since 2018 reduced the deficit three minutes later but Burnley were unable to close the gap any further.
Indeed, they needed Hennessey to prevent Man Utd adding further goals, with the busy debutant goalkeeper denying Mason Greenwood before producing another flying save to tip over McTominay’s drive.
The Red Devils now have 31 points, leaving them four behind fourth-placed Arsenal and with a match in hand. Burnley remain 18th on 11 points, two points from safety but also with at least one
match in hand on the teams above them.
Leicester versus Norwich fixture postponed
Match due to be played on New
Year’s Day is called off because of Norwich’s COVID-19 cases and injuries
Following a request from Norwich City, the Premier League Board met today and regrettably agreed to postpone the club’s fixture at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium, due to be played at 15:00 GMT on Saturday 1 January.
The Board accepted Norwich’s application as the club do not have the required number of players available for the match (13 outfield players and one goalkeeper), due to COVID-19 cases and injuries.
The decision by the Board was
able to be made in advance of the fixture to give clarity to the affected clubs and their fans. We apologise for the inconvenience and disruption caused to supporters’ festive plans.
The League is aware that the recent decisions to postpone matches will disappoint supporters, and understands their frustrations at a special time of year when fans look forward to attending and watching football games.
The League aims to provide as much clarity as possible, but unfortunately postponements sometimes have to be made at short notice, as safety is our priority. Where possible, the League will endeavour to keep supporters updated if games become at risk on a matchday.