Manchester United made it three straight Premier League wins courtesy of a 1-0 victory away to Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
Jose Mourinho’s side entered the match off the back of successes over Everton and Stoke City in the top flight, and beat the out-of-form Clarets at Turf Moor to consolidate second spot in the Premier League table.
Anthony Martial scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute.
Below are four talking points from the clash.
United manage to grind out ugly win
Sometimes it is not about pretty football. It cannot always be easy on the eye, and that is the best way to describe this game. The first 45 minutes were extremely poor as both sides struggled to show quality in the final third of the field.
Ashley Young had United’s best chance of the first period in the 42nd minute, but the returning left-back curled wide of the post from a dangerous area, before Martial missed Nick Pope’s goal in the final action of the half.
United took the lead in the 54th minute, however, when Martial found the back of the net via the crossbar after excellent hold-up play from Romelu Lukaku.
The tempo was much better either side of the hour mark, although Burnley did have a couple of good chances to level the scores entering the latter stages.
It was not a match that will live long in the memory, but it was absolutely vital that the visitors secured all three points as they chase down Manchester City at the summit.
Where will Sanchez slot in to this United team?
United boss Mourinho wanted Alexis Sanchez signed and registered by noon on Friday in order to make his debut for the club in this particular fixture.
That did not occur due to Henrikh Mkhitaryan – who is moving in the opposite direction - failing to agree personal terms in time, but the deal should be completed over the next 48 hours or so.
United will be signing a player that has scored 80 goals in 165 games for Arsenal, and one who is capable of operating in a number of different positions in the final third of the field.
Romelu Lukaku’s presence means that Sanchez will not play centre-forward unless there is an injury to the Belgian, while in-form Martial appears to have secured the attacking spot on the left following an excellent run of form.
That leaves two areas of the field – behind the striker, and on the left. Jesse Lingard again played in the hole against Burnley, while Juan Mata operated on the right. Both were disappointing on the afternoon, with the former replaced in the 72nd minute and the latter in the 80th.
Sanchez could make his United debut in the FA Cup against Yeovil Town on January 26, and it will be fascinating to see where the 29-year-old lines up.
Mourinho needs to sign a new midfielder this summer
With Michael Carrick retiring from football this summer and Marouane Fellaini expected to leave after failing to agree a new contract, United will need to invest in central midfield at the end of the season.
The popular Ander Herrera has struggled to justify a starting role this term, while Scott McTominay, for all of his promise, is not ready to be a regular Premier League player for a team of United’s ilk.
Nemanja Matic arrived for big money last summer to play alongside Paul Pogba, but there remain question marks over Pogba’s effectiveness in a midfield two. Indeed, the Frenchman has thrived in a more advanced role in recent weeks, and the Red Devils need a player that can slot in alongside Matic.
Matic was again impressive against Burnley as he controlled the tempo from a deeper position – allowing Pogba to press forward. Just one holding player is not a tactic that can be used against the better teams, however, and Mourinho must do all he can to get the best out of his star pupil Pogba.
Nice ace Jean-Michael Seri, who came close to joining Barcelona in the summer, is currently being linked with a move to Old Trafford, and a defensive-minded, energetic midfielder is a must for United in this summer’s transfer window.
Dyche must arrest poor run of form
It is difficult to be too critical of Burnley when considering that the Clarets have enjoyed a brilliant 2017-18 campaign to date.
Sean Dyche’s outfit have slipped below Leicester City into eighth position following results this afternoon, but 34 points from 24 matches is still very impressive for a side that have never finished higher than 16th in the Premier League.
Burnley are well on course to post their best finish at this level, but they are now eight matches without a win in all competitions. Not since December 12 – a 1-0 win over Stoke City – have the Clarets been victorious in the top flight, and they have now lost their last three in the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and now United have collected all three points from Turf Moor in recent weeks, and Dyche’s side have managed just eight goals in 12 games at Turf Moor, which is staggering for a team that is battling for a European spot at this stage of the campaign.
Ashley Barnes once again led the line for Burnley due to the absence of Chris Wood, but it was centre-back James Tarkowski that had the home side’s first clear chance – heading wide of the post from close range inside six minutes. The hosts had the best of the opportunities in the first 30 minutes or so, but neither team did enough to deserve to lead at the interval.
After falling behind to a super Martial finish, Johann Berg Gudmundsson hit the crossbar with a curling free kick as Burnley looked to level the scores. Tarkowski then came close to meeting a low cross from Gudmundsson 20 minutes from time.
Barnes was next to pass up a good opportunity as he headed wide from close range in the 77th minute. In the end, it was quite comfortable for United as Mourinho’s side kept the ball away from their own box to collect another three points on the road, leaving Burnley frustrated once again.
