Burnley vs Manchester United LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight
Relive all the action from Turf Moor
Manchester United dropped out of the top four as Jay Rodriguez’s 100th career league goal - and first in 50 games - earned relegation-battling Burnley a well-deserved 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.
United dominated the first half as Paul Pogba, making his first Premier League start since his red card in the 5-0 capitulation to Liverpool in October, showed flashes of his brilliant best and fired the visitors in front with 18 minutes gone.
It was one of three times United had the ball in the Burnley net in the first half, with the other two ruled out, but momentum shifted radically in the second half after Rodriguez levelled in the 47th minute with the hosts then squandering chances to win it.
Sean Dyche will see it as a hugely encouraging point but will also know his side must soon find a way to accumulate them in threes if they are to survive - Newcastle’s win over Everton meant the gap to safety increased on the night to four points.
Ralf Rangnick left Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench in favour of Edinson Cavani, and pointedly said the decision was made because of the need to chase down Burnley and battle for second balls.
Dyche had promised to make it awkward for the visitors but, on the night that Burnley celebrated their 5,000th professional league game, they struggled to keep his word in the first half - allowing United too much time and space while gifting them possession.
The visitors had the ball in the net with 12 minutes gone at Turf Moor. Mike Dean blew for what was a soft foul at best on Pogba, and Bruno Fernandes whipped in the ball for Raphael Varane to head in at the far post.
United celebrated what they thought was a first goal from a set-piece this season but Dean was advised to check the pitch-side monitor. Though Varane was on, the goal was eventually ruled out as a clearly offside Harry Maguire had barged into Rodriguez as the ball came in.
It was only a temporary reprieve for Burnley. Six minutes later, Pogba left no room for debate as he thumped the ball high into the net from Luke Shaw’s pull-back after Burnley had allowed Marcus Rashford far too much space down the left.
The ball was in Burnley’s net again moments later as Ashley Westwood inadvertently poked home Rashford’s low cross, but it was quickly ruled out for a foul by Pogba on Erik Pieters in the build-up.
Burnley were left exposed down the right time after time, but United could not capitalise as the best of the chances was headed straight at Pope by Cavani.
Everything changed after the break. Burnley, whose last home league goal against United came back in 2009, did not have a shot in the first half but needed only two minutes of the second to level.
Weghorst did well to wriggle free of two defenders before turning and playing in Rodriguez, who held off Maguire before firing under David De Gea for his first league goal in 360 days.
The atmosphere changed in a moment, and Weghorst brought a fine save out of De Gea with a powerful strike from 20 yards before Pieters flashed a volley narrowly wide from the resulting corner.
United’s problems continued as Rodriguez span around Maguire, who hauled him back and was grateful to see only a yellow card.
After seeing Connor Roberts blaze over another decent chance, Rangnick sent for Ronaldo in the 67th minute.
United slowly regained some initiative - Varane’s cute drag-back was blocked by Mee in the 79th minute before Ronaldo headed over - but Burnley defended doggedly, roared on by Turf Moor, as they restored some faith after Saturday’s drab goalless draw with Watford.
Relive all the action from Turf Moor below:
Burnley vs Man Utd: Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick warns players to settle disputes in private
Ralf Rangnick has admitted that he would prefer his Manchester United players to address disagreements in private rather than social media after public disputes with two players in the space of a month.
Jesse Lingard last week contradicted the United manager’s claim that the 29-year-old had asked for time to “clear his mind” after a proposed loan move to Newcastle United broke down.
Lingard’s comments followed those of team-mate Anthony Martial, who hit back last month when Rangnick suggested that the France international had refused to to join up with the squad for a trip to play Aston Villa.
Ralf Rangnick tells Manchester United players to settle disputes in private
Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial have publicly disputed manager’s comments in past month
Burnley vs Man Utd
Burnley are unbeaten in five Premier League home fixtures but have won just once in 18 matches at Turf Moor.
Burnley vs Man Utd: Manchester United under Rangnick
Manchester United have taken 21 points from their last 10 league fixtures since the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They’ve won six, drawn three and lost just once.
United have also won 34 of their 56 Premier League games played on Tuesdays, more than any other side.
Burnley vs Man Utd: Rangnick on Pogba’s return
Paul Pogba returned from a lenghty spell on the sidelines to start against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup last Friday and although he didn’t last the whole game Ralf Rangnick was impressed with what he saw from the midfielder. He said:
Yes, I think he did well. Originally, I didn’t intend to let him play 80 minutes but, due to the chronology of the game, we decided to have him on the pitch until 10 minutes from time, before being replaced by Fred.
“I think he did well. He hasn’t played for two and half, almost three months, it was his first performance after such a pretty long time. I think he did really well. We are all happy to have him on board for the upcoming games.”
Burnley vs Man Utd: Stuggling Clarets
It has been nine Premier League matches without a win for Burnley, who have only scored two goals in their last seven games. Their solitary victory in 22 league games came against Brentford in October.
During that run they’ve drawn 10 and lost 11 games.
Burnley vs Man Utd: Manchester United’s Ralf Rangnick urges wantaway stars to aid top-four bid
Ralf Rangnick has told any players looking to leave Manchester United it is in their interests to perform well for the remainder the season.
And the German, who has been appointed as interim manager until the end of the campaign, admits he would be happy if the knock-on effect of that is finishing fourth in the Premier League.
Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata are all in the final months of their contracts and could move on in the summer.
Ralf Rangnick urges wantaway Manchester United stars to aid top-four bid
The United boss hopes to lead the club to a top-four place
Burnley vs Man Utd: Head-to-head
Burnley have lost their last five Premier League home matches against Manchester United without scoring. United’s solitary defeat in this fixture, home or away, in the last 14 meetings came at Old Trafford in January 2020 (they’ve won nine and drawn four during that run).
Manchester United have picked up more points at Turf Moor than they have at Old Trafford in Premier League games against the Clarets. Only one of Burnley’s 10 Premier League goals against United has been scored at home, a Robbie Blake winner in August 2009.
Burnley vs Man Utd: Team changes
Sean Dyche makes two changes to the Burnley team that drew with Watford at the weekend. Jay Rodriguez and Josh Brownhill both return to the XI with Aaron Lennon and Dale Stephens dropping out.
Ralf Rangnick has benched Cristiano Ronaldo in one of two changes from the team that lost to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup last Friday. Also out is goalkeeper Dean Henderson, replaced with the returning David De Gea. Edinson Cavani starts in favour of Ronaldo.
Burnley vs Man Utd: Line-ups
Burnley XI: Pope, Roberts, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters, McNeil, Brownhill, Westwood, Cornet, Weghorst, Rodriguez
Man Utd XI: De Gea, Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Shaw, McTominay, Pogba, Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford, Cavani
Burnley vs Man Utd: Manchester United’s luck runs out to leave Ralf Rangnick with mixed bag of results and performances
You hit the woodwork. You miss a penalty. You score, but the opposition score a controversial equaliser. You have an open goal to aim at and somehow hit the woodwork again. After two hours of football, you’ve had 30 shots on goal and limited the opposition to six. You’ve put up 4.2 xG and conceded 1.5 xG going the other way, if that’s your sort of thing. You’ve done all that, then you lose on penalties.
That is one way of breaking down Manchester United’s FA Cup fourth round exit to Middlesbrough, which should be considered at least a little unfortunate. This was one of the better displays under Ralf Rangnick to date. The slick, direct transition play that he wants to implement was in evidence, certainly up until Duncan Watmore’s debatable handball and Matt Crooks’s contentious leveller.
Manchester United’s luck runs out to leave Ralf Rangnick with mixed bag of results
Rangnick’s side did enough to beat Middlesbrough but their recent touch of fortune deserted them
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