5 talking points as Bruno Fernandes brilliance ends Man Utd's miserable run
Manchester United's run of three successive defeats has come to an end after a hard-fought 1-0 win at Burnley.
United swapped a cold night in Bavaria for a cold night in Burnle y and looked significantly more resilient at Turf Moor than they did during the 4-3 defeat at Bayern Munich last Wednesday. With that being said, t was the Clarets who forged the first real chance of the game, with Zeki Amdouni's header forcing Andre Onana into a smart save.
Shortly after, Burnley struck the United upright after some neat work from Aaron Ramsey put Amdouni clean through. The hosts were slowly but surely getting a stronger foothold on the tie.
And yet, it was United who delivered the first blow. Jonny Evans found Bruno Fernandes with the kind of pass more befitting of the recipient and the Portugal international fired beyond James Trafford with a Robin van Persie-esque volley.
Down the years, many have associated an away game against Burnley as one that would be a physical battle, one where you may come away battered and bruised. This Clarets side have more than enough skill and flare to beat sides with their football.
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Were they to put in a performance like this one against one of their relegation rivals, a team lesser than Ten Hag's United, they would surely have more to show for their efforts than they have after this clash.
Two minutes from time, United introduced deadline day signing Sofyan Amrabat. However, it was far too late in the day for the Morocco international to weave his influence.
With that being said, Mirror Football has taken a look at five of the game's main talking points.
Fernandes steps up
Bruno Fernandes was Manchester United's match-winnerOn nights like this, away from home at a cold Turf Moor, visiting sides need their big players to stand up and be counted. Fernandes did exactly that with his wonderful first-half goal.
It was a game that was starved of quality inside both penalty boxes, but Fernandes' made a captain's contribution that proved the difference and helped halt the rut at United. Until next weekend, the pressure exerted on everyone at Old Trafford can be eased.
He didn't do much else in truth, but that won't be a concern to Ten Hag or anyone of a United persuasion. Fernandes has proven plenty of times he can dictate games, but for now, winning one is more than enough.
Jonny Evans starts and shines
Jonny Evans enjoyed a stellar performance in what was his first league start for Man Utd in eight yearsYes folks, you read that right. In September 2023, eight years after his last one for the club, Jonny Evans started a Premier League game for Manchester United. This level of shock is meant as no disrespect to the Northern Ireland international, but it is a damning indictment of where the Red Devils are at.
Ahead of the game, Ten Hag defended his decision to name Evans in the line-up and implied his hand was forced due to Lisandro Martinez's injury. "Martinez is injured, another one. He had an issue in the spring but he’s suffered another one. We have to do it with the player available to us, that’s ultimately it," he told TNT Sports.
Playing as part of a back four that also contained Victor Lindelof, Sergio Reguilon and Diogo Dalot, Evans by no means disgraced himself. Quite the opposite - he nearly put United in front, had it not been for Rasmus Hojlund standing in an offside position.
Evans was the creator for the opening goal, finding Fernandes with a perfectly weighted lofted pass, which the Portugal international finished off with aplomb.
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Wider selection woes
Erik ten Hag named a second-string defenceWhile Ten Hag is hardly blameless for United's poor start to the season, missing all four of your first-choice back-four is not exactly ideal. With Martinez, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bisska all nursing knocks, the Red Devils boss had to think of a makeshift defence.
The one he chose sparked widespread ridicule from fans of both United and opposition clubs ahead of kick-off. One fan made it clear that they were less than impressed with the team by posting on social media: "Worst lineup i’ve seen in my lifetime". Another described the selection as an: "Embarrassing and disgraceful lineup".
As a collective, United's defensive efforts have been less than impressive in recent weeks. Ten Hag's side came into this clash having conceded three or more in their last three games. They could have shipped two early on here.
Going forward, United seemed out of ideas early on, lacking the kind of creativity required. Their only major breakthrough came through Evans, which will impressive, is hardly sustainable. With that being said, it will come as a great comfort to Ten Hag that he can brainstorm next week's plan with a rare away win under his belt.
Positives for Kompany
Vincent Kompany could take positives from his Burnley side's performance (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Burnley came into this game without a Premier League win so far this season. That remains the case, but plenty of postives can be taken from that performance.
Kompany's men started the better of the two sides on the night, dominating possession and creating the clearer chances. There was an overriding feeling of justice had been restored when Evans' goal was chalked off, given it was so against the run of play.
The phrase 'too good to go down' is often coined for a number of clubs, but Burnley do seem to have far too much talent and technique within their ranks to not avoid the drop this term. The likes of Ramsey, Amdouni, Luca Koleosho, and Mike Tresor Ndayishimiye all gave United plenty to think about.
With that being said, Kompany must acknowledge that his players need to turn those periods of positive intent and prolonged possession into goals sooner rather than later. Burnley's lack of a prolific goalscorer could be their biggest issue until January.
United's away jitters over
Man Utd earned a rare win on the roadUnited fans could have been forgiven for their pre-match nerves given the last Red Devils league away win came all the way back in May. Ten Hag had overseen four defeats from the club's last five league games on the road.
That miserable run is now over and United make the trip back to Manchester with all three points in tow. Whether they deserved it is not exactly irrelevant to Ten Hag, but the win was always the priority, performance would have been a bonus.
United were made to work for it, but their makeshift backline - slightly eased by the return of Varane late on, did enough to cling on and secure an important victory.
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