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Manchester United resumed their Premier League campaign after the international break on Tuesday as they played out a 1-1 draw at Burnley.
Paul Pogba scored the opening goal of the game with a brilliant first-time finish. The hosts then restored parity early in the second half with Jay Rodriguez scoring his first league goal of the campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo was benched once again in this game and the visiting side's attack suffered as a consequence. Although they got off to a good start, their attacking flair fizzled out as the game progressed.
As Ralf Rangnick's side fall out of the top four with the draw, we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Burnley bag their first goal at home against United since 2009
A third draw in a row in the English top-flight didn't do much good for the hosts. However, they will be happy to have broken their 13-year goal-scoring drought against the visiting side at home. Rodriguez's goal was the first time the Clarets had scored at home against the Red Devils across all competitions since the 2009-10 campaign.
The goal was created by Burnley's January signing Wout Weghorst, who turned around Harry Maguire smartly before threading a pass to Rodriguez. The Englishman dribbled past his markers and chipped the ball in over David De Gea.
This goal also helped Burnley secure their first point at home against the Red Devils since their goalless draw in 2014.
#4 Manchester United's momentum faded away in the second half
Manchester United started the game with a high intensity, looking to secure a favorable result following their shock exit from the FA Cup over the weekend. They had a goal ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR check in the 13th minute but got on the scoresheet in the 18th minute.
Burnley struggled to contain United's fast-paced game with Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford providing width. It was Shaw's well-timed sprint that allowed him to pick up an assist for Pogba's goal.
They conceded an equalizing goal just minutes into the second half and did not manage to regain momentum since. They failed to record a single shot on target in the second half as they failed to make the most of their dominance in terms of possession and pace.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo benched again as United struggled in the final third
Cristiano Ronaldo is Manchester United's top scorer across all competitions this season but did not find a place in the starting XI against Burnley. It made sense to rest key players against the last-placed side in the league. But Rangnick should've brought Ronaldo on a bit earlier after Burnley's early equalizer in the second half.
United did not record a single shot on target in the second half and Ronaldo, who played for just 22 minutes in the game, could not make a difference. Having failed to score here, he is now on the longest goal-scoring drought since 2010.
While failing to score in five games is not a big deal, Ronaldo's consistency and goal-scoring prowess makes it look like a big number. The 37-year-old will likely start in the game against Southampton and return to goal-scoring ways soon.
#2 Paul Pogba scores his first goal in over a year
Paul Pogba scored his first Premier League goal in 384 days to give Manchester United a lead in the 18th minute. It was a sublime finish from the Frenchman, reminding everyone of his technical abilities.
He received the ball from a smart cutback from Shaw inside the box. Rather than taking a couple of touches to get in a better goalscoring position, he produced a first-time finish from his right foot into the top-right corner. This was the Frenchman's first goal across all competitions, having assisted seven goals so far.
#1 Manchester United denied two goals in the first half
Manchester United thought they had bagged an early goal in the 13th minute when Raphael Varane headed in his effort following a free-kick. While the Frenchman was onside going into his header his defensive partner Maguire was adjudged offside and interfering with play as he blocked Rodriguez in the buildup.
A lengthy VAR consultation resulted in the goal being ruled out much to the joy of the home fans before Pogba scored just five minutes later. Just when the Red Devils thought they had doubled their advantage, Josh Brownhill's deflected own goal was ruled out. The decision came after officials deemed Pogba's challenge on Ben Mee as a foul.
It also did not help their cause as Edinson Cavani missed from close range and the creativity took a hit after the break. Rangnick needs to improve upon the attacking output heading into the last leg of the 2021-22 campaign
