Burnley vs Manchester United; 5 Key Talking Points

Score: Burnley 0-1 Manchester United

Goalscorer: Anthony Martial with a sublime finish off Romelu Lukaku's superb assist

Manchester United went to Turf Moor and did to their denizens what they so often do to others, squeeze the life out of the game, win 1-0 with a solid, if unspectacular performance.

Here, then, are the key talking points of the match:

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#5 Chris Smalling and Phil Jones out-Burnley Burnley

Chris Smalling helped keep Burnley at bay

They are not the most lovable centre-back pairing, not even for the most hardcore United fan, but Smalling-Jones were able to do what so many have been unable to - dominate Burnley aerially.

With their clearances agricultural at best, there was no question of United building play from the back, but what the two much-maligned (by myself included, I hasten to add) did today was keep the back-door shut, bully Ashley Barnes (not the easiest thing in the world) and ensure none of Burnley's runners ran onto any of the rare knockdowns the Burnley striker did win.

Exactly the kind of players Jose Mourinho loves to have on his side.

#4 James Tarkowski at the heart of everything good about Burnley

James Tarkowski keeps a rampaging Anthony Martial at bay

The big centre-back was Burnley's best player on the night - as he almost always is - and it isn't hard to see why Poland are trying to convince the player to join their national side (he is eligible for both Poland and England). Almost unbeatable in the air, and sure in his tackle (one he made on Lukaku stands out - the big Belgian had just brushed off Phil Bardsley and he was on his way to doing the same to Tarkowski when he slid in and nicked the ball off him).

Burnley's poor run started when Tarkowski was banned for a spot off-the-ball, away-from-the-ref violence caught on camera, and his return has brought back a sense of solidity to the Burnley defence - and it took a moment of combined Lukaku-Martial magic to break his defence down.

#3 Romelu Lukaku finally uses his size; Tony Martial does what Tony Martial does

Lukaku and Martial proved to be the difference makers

If one criticism has remained of Romelu Lukaku, it is that for a big man, he doesn't cause defenders as many problems (physically) as he ought to.

In the build-up to the goal, the big Belgian out-fought, out-muscled, and good ol' bullied three Burnley men before chasing the fruit of his endeavours and picking out Martial with an absolute peach of a ball.

It was not just that one moment, though. Lukaku was hardworking throughout, and he allowed the midfield runners to swarm around the Burnley box thanks to some great hold-up play, an aspect of his game that just doesn't get enough credit.

Meanwhile, Anthony "Tony" Martial showed why even if Alexis Sanchez does come in, Jose Mourinho should stick to playing him on the left, and his goal was taken with the consummate ease of a man whose confidence is at an all-time high.

It's not just the goal, though. He left Phil Bardsley a ragged shell of a man by the end of the ninety - and United have been desperately craving a man who could do that to a full-back on a weekly basis after the departure of a certain Portuguese kid to a certain Spanish club.

#2 Sean Dyche needs to arrest his team's slide

Sean Dyche needs to mind his team's sliding form

The Burnley manager deserves credit for a stunning first-half of the season for the underrated Lancastrians but he must recognize the slippery slope he's on at the moment.

His side's last six results read - Draw, Loss, Draw, Draw, Draw, Loss, Loss - and while the heavens won't split open if they end the season in 10th position and the safety of mid-table comfort, it will be a damn shame if the Clarets can't make the most of what was a brilliant start to the campaign.

As a manager who knows the effects of a run-in whilst low down in the league (they are well clear of it at the moment, mind, sitting 8th behind Leicester on just Goal Difference), he will want to get a good run of results under his belt to make sure nothing untoward happens.

Their next opponents are Newcastle (away), Man City (home), Swansea (away), Southampton (home) and Everton (home) - and they will be looking at a minimum of 10 points from the 15 on offer during that period.

#1 Manchester United needed that kind of a win

Jose Mourinho needed those 3 points to keep the momentum up

Yes, I know it's improbable. But not impossible.

The last time Manchester United hauled back a 12-point lead, Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United entertainers self-imploded while at the same time United reeled off a veritable production line of 1-0 wins on the back of Eric Cantona's - and Peter Schmeichel's - brilliance.

Over the years, Sir Alex Ferguson's sides often leaned on this underrated steel and grit to eke out wins at tough places and keep their momentum moving - it's the one trait that United have missed in the post-Fergie era and the one trait that Jose Mourinho desperately wanted them to regain.

If this result is any indication (despite the multitude of mistakes United kept making in the final third), they may be closer to re-discovering it than ever in the past half-a-decade.

P.S. Someone ban that immeasurably dull United grey kit, the players were damn near indistinguishable in it. No wonder, Ferguson banned it.