Back on top:
AT this stage last season, Manchester United trailed Liverpool by 24 points. From also-rans to potential title contenders in the space of 12 months, it has been some turnaround, even if question marks still seem to hang over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
What might invite less debate, though, is the recognition that it is occasions such as this that tell us plenty about a team’s mettle.
It quickly became apparent this was not going to be a night for the feint of heart. Tackles flew in, tempers flared, referee Kevin Friend seemed to get it from all sides, not least Edinson Cavani and Harry Maguire, and Burnley unleashed a familiar aerial bombardment. Champions stand up in these moments. Could United?
Burnley had obviously done their homework and recognised Aaron Wan-Bissaka does not always defend his back post too well against the high balls they were eager to pump in his direction.
By contrast, Maguire relishes them. The England defender was a booking away from suspension but there was no chance of Solskjaer resting his captain for this one with Liverpool in mind, not with Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes to contend with.
Maguire offers a threat at the other end of the pitch too, and the second major controversy of the night reared its head seven minutes from the interval when Luke Shaw floated a fine cross to the far post.
Elevation
The ball stood up and was crying out to be met but to do so Maguire was going to need some elevation and it was hard to know what else he could do as he powered his way over Erik Pieters to thunder a superb header into the far top corner.
There was a small push in Pieters’ back in the process, however, and Friend deemed that sufficient enough to penalise the United man.
It’s fair to say Burnley would have kicked up a stink had the goal stood, not least as the man who fashioned it – Shaw – might have been fortunate to still be on the field.
Friend had allowed play to go on when Shaw challenged Johann Berg Gudmundsson just outside his penalty area from Pogba’s pass, even though the United left back appeared to get both ball and man. Bruno Fernandes picked up possession and pinged in a ball that Ben Mee missed. Cavani was the recipient and, as he went to cut inside, the Uruguayan was cleaned out by Robbie Brady.
Friend booked the Burnley midfielder but the incident went to VAR for review who, first up, had to look back at Shaw’s tackle.
The replays showed Shaw got some of the ball but may also have endangered Gudmundsson in the process, even if it was hard to establish if he had caught the Burnley winger’s ankle. Friend was encouraged to consult the pitchside monitor and opted to book Shaw and award Burnley a free-kick.
Boy, this was feisty.
Cavani, back in the team after serving a controversial three-match ban for his “Gracias negrito” Instagram post, looked like he was on a hair trigger in that first half, remonstrating with everyone.
At one point, Paul Pogba had to translate as Friend told Cavani – who speaks no English – to calm down. Maguire was in Friend’s ear at the interval, doubtless asking why his goal was ruled out.
Shaw was also unhappy after feeling he had been fouled in the penalty area after one surging run. It was certainly a frustrating night for Cavani. Nothing quite seemed to fall his way and, when it did, his shooting boots deserted him.
Soon after the restart, David De Gea threw the ball out to Pogba, who did superbly to ride Josh Brownhill’s challenge, keep his composure with a flurry of claret and blue bodies around him and find Fernandes.
It typified Pogba on the night – all sensible decisions, keeping his cool when others were losing their heads. All game he kept United tick
ing over. From there, Fernandes fed Martial tearing in off the left.
His cross wormed its way through to Cavani but he scuffed his shot and Burnley breathed a sigh of relief.
Nick Pope had made a good save to tip aside a curling Martial shot before then and Burnley’s best moment came when Fernandes lost possession and from Ashley Westwood’s pass, Barnes flicked the ball into the path of Wood, whose shot was blocked by the diving Eric Bailly.
As the second half wore on, Burnley began to drop deeper. United were hogging the ball but the question was whether they could find a way through such an organised, dogged defensive unit.
They needed some inspiration and, 19 minutes from time, Pogba, United’s best player, provided it.
Firstly, he won a header under pressure. Fernandes was then able to find Rashford on the right. Spotting Pogba on the edge of the penalty area, the England forward clipped a pass to him and from there Pogba met the ball with a sweet volley that zipped past Pope with the help of a deflection off Matt Lowton. (© Daily Telegraph, London)