Good afternoon and welcome along to our live coverage of the Premier League clash between Burnley and Manchester United from Turf Moor.
After back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Tottenham, Jose Mourinho has come under increasing pressure and his side are in desperate need of a positive performance and result this afternoon, as they already sit nine points behind the early pace-setters.
Burnley, meanwhile, have picked up just one point from their opening three games and come into this one having missed out on a place in the Europa League group stages after Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Olympiakos.
The action gets underway at 4pm, and you can follow it all right here.
The teams have arrived at Turf Moor.
TEAM NEWS: Jose Mourinho has made three changes to his starting XI, with Lindelof, Fellaini and Sanchez the players coming in.
Here's your #MUFC starting XI for #BURMUN... pic.twitter.com/RY8sTS69ZR
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 2, 2018
TEAM NEWS: And this is how the hosts will line out. Joe Hart starts in goal as Sean Dyche makes four changes to his side. Jeff Hendrick is deployed in a five-man midfield, with his Ireland team-mates Stephen Ward and Kevin Long named on the Burnley bench.
TEAM NEWS: Here's the Clarets side to face @ManUtd in the @premierleague at Turf Moor.
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) September 2, 2018
A full Premier League debut for @dwight_mcneil99 👊 pic.twitter.com/gTPbaacNCC
So, Mourinho has opted to make three changes to his side, with Phil Jones’ injury forcing a slight defensive reshuffle. Lindelof comes in, while Ander Herrera and Fred are the players to drop to the bench to make way for Fellaini and Sanchez.
Which way do you see this one going? Can Mourinho and United get a much-needed win or will Burnley heap the press on the Portuguese boss?
Poll Results:
In the day’s early game, Alexandre Lacazette provided the killer blow as Unai Emery’s Arsenal won a dramatic five-goal thriller at the Cardiff City Stadium.
At 4pm, there’s a London derby as Tottenham look to continue their 100% start to the campaign and move level on points with Liverpool and Chelsea at the summit when they face Watford at Vicarage Road.
A group of Manchester United fans have organised a plane to fly over Turf Moor with a banner protesting against the club’s chief executive Ed Woodward — and we’re just four games into the new season.
Via TV monitor on desk pic.twitter.com/hFNde0PDND
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) September 2, 2018
We’re minutes away from kick-off at Turf Moor. Here’s a quick reminder of the teams…
Burnley XI: Hart, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Lennon, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Hendrick, Wood.
Man United XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, Fellaini, Matic, Pogba, Lingard, Sanchez, Lukaku.
KICK OFF! We’re underway at Turf Moor. United, in their new away strip, set the ball rolling, playing from right to left as we look in this first period. That plane with the anti-Woodward banner continues to circle over the ground.
‘Ed Woodward – a specialist in failure’
2 mins — Close! United have made an excellent start and Jesse Lingard comes within inches of giving them an early lead, but his curling effort from the edge of the area sails just wide.
3 mins – It has been a purposeful start from the visitors and they’ve dominated all the possession in the opening exchanges, with Luke Shaw testing the handling of Joe Hart in the Burnley goal with a low effort from range.
5 mins – Burnley are struggling to get their foot on the ball and have started the game very deep, with Chris Wood cutting an isolated figure up top.
8 mins – Save! Valencia is given acres of space down the right and his low cross finds the unmarked Lingard, who flicks it goalwards but Hart is equal to the task to parry away to safety.
While there are plenty of encouraging signs for the visitors in the opening 10 minutes, the amount of space the United forwards are finding is a real concern for Sean Dyche and his side need to tighten up or else they’ll be in for a long afternoon.
11 mins – United are playing with real tempo and the exchange play between Lingard, Pogba, Sanchez and Lukaku is causing the Burnley defence real problems. On this occasion, Valencia bombs down the right again and forces Hart to get down low to avert the danger.
Luke Shaw has just clattered into Aaron Lennon after an aerial challenge between the two, and Burnley have the chance to relieve the pressure on their back four.
16 mins – Burnley have settled into the contest now and are starting to string a few passes together, with Lindelof required to make an important intervention as Lennon looked to pick Wood out.
18 mins – Much better from Burnley. Ex-Man United defender Bardlsey links with Lennon down this right hand side, and the former is hauled down by Sanchez as he charged towards the area. The Chilean is correctly shown a yellow card.
But, from the resulting free-kick, teenager Dwight McNeil over-hits the cross and the chance is gone.
26 mins — GOAL! Burnley 0-1 Man United (Lukaku)
United find the breakthrough, and it’s no more than they deserve. Sanchez stands up a delightful cross to the back-post, where Lukaku gets above his man to power home a header from close range for his second Premier League goal of the season.
28 mins – Mourinho’s side are well worth their lead having made a bright start to this game. It’s a surprising system the visitors are playing, with Fellaini operating at the base of midfield and Matic being deployed a little further forward. It’s working well so far.
32 mins – Sean Dyche isn’t happy on the touchline, but it’s not because his side have allowed United time and space, but because he feels his striker, Chris Wood, is being fouled every time the ball is played up to him. It has been a physical encounter so far.
34 mins – The travelling supporters away to the right are making plenty of noise, and have been singing the name of their manager all afternoon. They’ll be pleased at what they’ve seen so far.
36 mins — Chance! United are moving it with pace and precision, and Sanchez slips a perfectly-weighted ball down the side of the Burnley defence for Lukaku, who attempts to lift it over the advancing Hart only for the former City ‘keeper to stand tall and make a smart save.
In the other 4pm game, it remains Watford 0-0 Tottenham at Vicarage Road. There’s not a lot happening in that one.
42 mins – Burnley just haven’t got going at all and are fortunate not to be further behind. After their Europa League qualifying adventure, this is the Clarets’ ninth match of the season already and they’ve been second best here so far.
43 mins — GOAL! Burnley 0-2 Man United (Lukaku)
United have two, Lukaku has two — and it’s all too easy for the visitors. Sanchez sets Shaw away with a delightful back-heel and when Lingard’s initial effort is blocked, it falls for Lukaku to sweep it home from eight yards out.
23 - Manchester United have won each of their last 23 Premier League matches in which they've scored the opening goal. Stronghold. pic.twitter.com/aPKe4DWhiE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 2, 2018
Half-time! Burnley 0-2 Man United
Well, this has been a stroll for United so far, and they head into the break in complete control courtesy of Lukaku’s first-half brace.
Mourinho’s side have dominated in every facet and found the breakthrough when Lukaku powered home Sanchez’s cross, before the Belgian striker doubled the visitors’ advantage on the stroke of half-time.
KICK OFF! We’re back underway at Turf Moor.
46 mins – No changes on either side at the start of this second half.
49 mins – Burnley were so static and insipid in defence in that first half, allowing the pink shirts time and space to pick them off all too easily. Not a lot has changed since the break, either, as United continue to stream forward.
52 mins – At the other end, Burnley are showing more creativity but there’s no real cutting edge to cause Smalling and Lindelof problems. Their latest move breaks down and as Lingard looks to break, Dwight McNeil clips his heels and is booked.
58 mins – Sanchez gets in behind the Burnley defence but loses his balance as he tries to finish past Hart, with the Chilean kicking the turf instead as he fell over.
59 mins – Sean Dyche has made his first change with Jeff Hendrick making way just short of the hour mark. Sam Vokes is the man on to support Wood up top.
60 mins – And now Mourinho looks to his bench, with Sanchez — who had become increasingly involved in this second half — replaced by Marcus Rashford.
67 mins – Burnley pushing and probing in search of a way back into the game but have yet to register a shot on target. McNeil just delivered a lovely cross for Wood, but his header lacks the power necessary to trouble de Gea.
Penalty! The ball comes across the box to Marcus Rashford, who goes down under the clumsy challenge of Aaron Lennon and referee Jon Moss points to the spot. Paul Pogba steps up…
Saved! Pogba’s stuttered run-up doesn’t work this time, as Hart dives away to his right to make a fine stop. It stays Burnley 0-2 Man United.
72 mins — Red card! Rashford looks to get away from Bardlsey, but the Burnley defender does well to stick with him and make the challenge. The pair then clash and a melee ensues with players from both sides involved, before the referee sends Rashford off. He was only on eight minutes!
74 mins – Bardlsey appeared to kick out at Rashford after he had made the challenge, and the United forward retaliated as the pair clashed on the byline. The referee booked the Burnley defender, before showing Rashford red for a headbutt of sorts.
1 - Marcus Rashford is the first substitute to be sent off for Manchester United in the Premier League since Marouane Fellaini against Hull City in May 2015. Red.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 2, 2018
78 mins – After a madcap couple of minutes, Mourinho looks to consolidate by bringing Ander Herrera on for Jesse Lingard. United still in control of the game but that red card has just given Burnley a glimmer of hope heading into the final 12 minutes.
79 mins — Chance! As Burnley push forward, they leave themselves exposed at the back and Lukaku bears down on goal, before going around Hart to complete his hat-trick — but Ben Mee makes good ground to get back and force the United forward to shoot wide!
Lukaku felt he was fouled as he went down but the referee wasn’t interested.
81 mins — Chances at both ends. Ashley Barnes, who has just come on, glances a header goalwards but de Gea is alert and gets down low to his left to save comfortably in the end. And then Pogba flashes just wide from a tight angle as United looked to kill the game off.
86 mins – There’s an upset on the cards at Vicarage Road, where Watford have just taken the lead against Tottenham thanks to Craig Cathcart. The hosts lead 2-1 with a couple of minutes remaining.
90 mins – Four minutes of added time. United have done well to take the sting out of any potential Burnley fightback and they’re coasting towards the points.
90 + 1 mins – Mourinho makes his final change as Bailly comes on to shore things up for the final few minutes, with Pogba the man to make way.
Full-time! Burnley 0-2 Man United
A comfortable victory for United in the end despite Paul Pogba’s penalty miss and the second-half dismissal of Marcus Rashford.
Burnley never got going and the visitors were purposeful from the off, taking a deserved 2-0 lead into the break courtesy of Romelu Lukaku’s first-half double.
A much-needed win for Jose Mourinho, as Burnley remain in the bottom three with just one point from their opening four games.
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