- Man Utd drop points at home to Burnley in Premier League clash
- Antony nets first goal of the season in low-scoring game
- Late penalty conceded by Andre Onana converted by Clarets
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley at home on Saturday afternoon, making it just one win from their last six Premier League games.
Antony’s first goal of the season with under 15 minutes to play looked like it might have been enough to beat the relegation-threatened Clarets, who were by no means second best on the day.
But an even later penalty converted by Burnley substitute Zeki Amdouni, the result of a regrettably clumsy challenge by Andre Onana, ensured the points would be shared.
How the game unfolded
Old Trafford held its collective breath when the first chance of the afternoon fell to the visitors inside the first minute. David Datro Fofana was the player with the opportunity, driving into the box but putting his low effort straight at Onana.
United managed to take a better handle on the game after that and early sights of goals came for Alejandro Garnacho, who missed the target, and Bruno Fernandes, who hit the ball straight at Arijanet Muric. Christian Eriksen was also off by inches after poor Burnley defending.
Red shirted momentum continued as Fernandes cracked one off the near post from a tight angle on the left, while Garnacho unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty when he danced his way into the box and felt he was tripped by an outstretched leg. But there was a reminder of Burnley’s threat as the clocked neared 30 minutes, with Onana palming over from Wilson Odobert’s 20-yard curler.
Onana was the hero again when his reflexes stopped Burnley getting the opener from Lyle Foster’s header, tipping the ball away from the goal with his fingertips. He denied the same player just moments later when Harry Maguire played Kobbie Mainoo into danger and Burnley’s counter resulted in Foster going through on goal. But the home keeper was there to smother.
Muric was called into action twice in quick succession early in the second half, denying Antony. The Brazilian should have scored the first, weakly diverting Garnacho’s cutback goalwards, while the second moments later saw quick reactions from the Burnley goalkeeper to close him down.
The next time Garnacho raced clear, he opted not to look for the unmarked run of Antony in the middle, instead keeping the ball for himself and curling a shot hat just missed the far post.
But the under-fire former Ajax winger eventually sniffed out another opportunity when Sander Berge’s square pass was ripe for intercepting, picking it off and bursting through on goal. With Berge trying to get back at him to atone for the error, Antony was off balance as he attempted the finish but managed to keep his composure and still just about found the far bottom corner.
The lead didn’t last, though. Onana was the guilty party, leaping to punch the ball clear but catching Amdouni in the face. It wasn’t penalised in real time, but VAR intervened and advised referee John Brooks to take a second look on the pitch-side monitor. He did and pointed to the spot, with Amdouni casually sending Onana the wrong way from the subsequent kick.
There was one last gasp chance for Amad Diallo to go back ahead at the death, jinking in from the right. But his shot, which looked to be covered by Muric, ended up striking Fernandes, as Antony put the rebound straight at the grateful Burnley goalkeeper just as time was about to expire.
Man Utd player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Andre Onana - 5/10 - Another rollercoaster performance for the United goalkeeper. He made two excellent saves in the first half, but conceding a penalty with a reckless attempted punch in the closing stages ended up costing his team two points.
RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 6/10 - Got into a really good position on the edge of Burnley's box, but he took too long to wind up for the shot and the ball was nicked away.
CB: Casemiro - 5/10 - Needs must, again. Stepped into midfield with the ball a few times to have long-range shots that were charged down. Mostly did well but his questionable header back led to Onana coming for the ball and conceding the penalty.
CB: Harry Maguire - 5/10 - His slack pass into midfield handed Burnley one of their many first half chances. Looked vulnerable against pace.
LB: Diogo Dalot - 6/10 - Didn't get forward with the ball as much as he would have liked.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo - 7/10 - Always looking to receive the ball in midfield, even in tight space, and keep things moving. His departure midway through the second half was audibly booed by some fans.
CM: Christian Eriksen - 6/10 - Struggled to move the ball quickly enough to beat Burnley's lines.
RM: Antony - 7/10 - Steadily involved throughout the game. It looked as though his hunt for a goal would continue after a weak finish from close-range, but his eventual strike was well taken.
AM: Bruno Fernandes (c) - 7/10 - Struck the post in the first and continued to be United's chief source of creativity after his form in recent weeks.
LM: Alejandro Garnacho - 7/10 - At his most dangerous running at defenders, who struggled to predict whether he would turn inside or out. Went close a few times.
ST: Rasmus Hojlund - 5/10 - A physical afternoon in which hardly saw the ball over 65 minutes.
Substitutes
SUB: Scott McTominay (65' for Mainoo) - 5/10
SUB: Amad Diallo (65' for Hojlund) - 6/10
SUB: Sofyan Amrabat (81' for Eriksen) - N/A
SUB: Mason Mount (90' for McTominay) - N/A
Subs not used: Altay Bayindir (GK), Harry Amass, Louis Jackson, Omari Forson, Ethan Wheatley
Manager
Erik ten Hag - 5/10 - Went for a different threat in the second half when he swapped Hojlund for Amad, but his choice of substitutions left fans scratching their heads.
Burnley player ratings (4-4-2)
GK: Arijanet Muric - 8/10 - Made important saves throughout the contest, proving crucial.
RB: Lorenz Assignon - 6/10 - Didn't have have an easy time of it against Garnacho but ultimately held his own.
CB: Dara O'Shea - 8/10 - Defended on the front foot. Stuck to Hojlund like glue, even when the striker tried to drop into midfield to receive the ball, and won the battle against the Dane.
CB: Maxime Esteve - 7/10 - Strong defensively and calm on the ball.
LB: Vitinho - 5/10 - Arguably the source of weakness in the Burnley back-line.
RM: Wilson Odobert - 7/10 - Forced Onana into a first half save with a decent effort. But also made sure not to neglect defensive duties.
CM: Sander Berge - 5/10 - Strong in the tackle and largely stopped United playing through Burnley. Yet he undid all of that great work with one sloppy pass that gifted Antony's goal.
CM: Josh Cullen (c) - 7/10 - Kept hold of the ball really well in midfield and wasn't just looking to play sideways or backwards either.
LM: Jacob Bruun Larsen - 6/10 - Put plenty of crosses into the box but few found their mark. Had a free-kick at the end of the first half comfortably saved by Onana.
ST: Lyle Foster - 6/10 - Being hyper critical, he gave Onana too much of an opportunity to deny him with clear cut chances.
ST: David Datro Fofana - 5/10 - A more clinical finish in the very first minute could have given the Clarets a dream start. Frustrating afternoon overall.
Substitutes
SUB: Zeki Amdouni (57' for Fofana) - 8/10 - Injected more qulaity into Burnley's play, won the penalty - albeit somewhat inadvertantly, and scored it under pressure.
SUB: Johann Berg Gudmundsson (72' for Larsen) - 6/10
Subs not used: James Trafford (GK), Charlie Taylor, Hjalmer Ekdal, Josh Brownhill, Manuel Benson, Mike Tresor, Jay Rodriguez
Manager
Vincent Kompany - 8/10 - Wanted to play down his Manchester City past during the pre-match buildup and focus solely on Burnley. The gameplan worked and better quality from his forwards could have made this an even sweeter day.
