Rooney back from cold to put heat on City
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC’S season is over – but Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney came in from the cold.
Even though Martial’s opening goal cost Manchester United £8.4m, boss Jose Mourinho will be delighted by the response of two forwards who have spent most of 2017 warming the bench.
The news that the talismanic Swedish striker is out for nine months with a knee ligament injury cast a shadow over the Reds’ tricky trip to Turf Moor.
But Martial and Rooney, two strikers at different ends of their United careers, bagged the goals that sets up a mouth-watering Manchester derby on Thursday.
Incredibly, given the number of points Mourinho’s side have thrown away in draws this season, a United win at the Etihad would lift them above City into the top four.
And they can thank Martial, who was criticised by Mourinho this week, and veteran Rooney for that.
Mugged
Martial, 21, turned in a man-ofthe-match display and started and finished a magnificent counterattack for the opener. The Frenchman mugged Joey Barton deep in his own half, sprinted forward and found Ander Herrera.
Martial kept running and collected Herrera’s superb return pass in his stride before taking a touch and beating Tom Heaton from six yards.
It was the 25th goal of his United career and the perfect response to Mourinho, who had questioned his attitude and work-rate.
That goal activated a bonus clause of L10m (£8.4m) which United must pay his former club Monaco, but if United clinch a Champions League place, it will be money well spent.
Rooney is heading towards the end of his glorious United career and, since breaking the club goalscoring record in mid-January, it looked like it was going to end with a whimper.
But the Ibrahimovic injury – plus Mourinho electing to rest Marcus Rashford ahead of the derby – earned the club skipper a recall.
Rooney responded to it on 38 minutes with his third league goal of the season. Paul Pogba’s neat footwork and pass put in Martial, whose effort was halfblocked by Heaton.
Rooney beat Michael Keane to the loose ball, forcing the rebound over the line off the defender’s leg.
Martial and Rooney, with the help of Herrera, had combined after nine minutes with the England forward’s shot blocked by Ben Mee.
Marouane Fellaini powered a header from Ashley Young’s corner goalwards for Heaton to catch on the line.
Rooney also side-footed a shot just over on the run following another promising counter attack.
All Burnley could muster in the first half was a far-post header by the unmarked Mee which cleared the bar.
There was not much improvement after the break from the Clarets and Heaton had to scurry low to his left to dive on a powerful Pogba blast.
Andre Gray managed to better Daley Blind for once down the right but his cross was dealt with well by the impressive Eric Bailly.
Rooney slipped, and handled for good measure, just as he appeared poised to pull the trigger at the end of another slick United attack.
But with Rashford brought on and giving Burnley more headaches, Keane’s 78th-minute header from a free-kick cleared the bar and ended hopes of a fight back. BURNLEY (4-4-2) : Heaton 6; LOWTON 7, Keane 6, Mee 5 (Tarkowski 46, 6), Boyd Ward 6; 5 (Gudmundsson 62, 6), Barton 6, Brady 5, Hendrick 6; Gray 6, Barnes 6 (Agyei 75, 5). Flanagan, Subs: Defour, Westwood, Pope. UP NEXT: Crystal Palace (a), Premier League, Saturday. MAN UNITED (4-3-3): De Gea 6; Young 7, Bailly 7, Blind 8, Darmian 6; Herrera 7, Pogba 6, Fellaini 7 (Carrick 90); Lingard 6 (Rashford MARTIAL 70, 6), 9 (Mkhitaryan 80, 6), Rooney 7. Romero, Subs: Fosu-Mensah, Tuanzebe, Shaw. UP NEXT: Manchester City (a), Premier League, Thursday. Referee: Anthony Taylor 7. YOUR TURN: Which United midfielder was sent off in their 0-0 draw with Burnley at Old Trafford earlier this season?