Burnley 0-1 Manchester United: 5 Talking Points as Red Devils go three points clear at the top | Premier League 2020-21

#3 Paul Pogba steps up with a masterclass

Burnley vs Manchester United - Premier League

On his day, Manchester United's Paul Pogba is as close to unplayable as a midfielder can be. This was one of those days. He was imperious in everything he did while in possession and meticulous in what he did off the ball.

His goal itself was a thing of beauty, as he displayed exemplary technique to strike the ball dropping from a height with force. He did get slightly fortunate with the deflection off Lowton, but he deserved that luck.

Pogba was outstanding in picking passes and also stopped Ashley Westwood from bringing the Burnley wingers into play. Pogba's presence in midfield was also assisted by Nemanja Matic, who had an outstanding game.

The Burnley game-plan didn't change from the usual, so Matic was important for winning the second balls, which didn't allow Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes to be as effective.

Solskjaer now has a big question on his hands - will Pogba start at Anfield on Sunday? It is likely that Solskjaer may revert to his tried and tested big-game midfield of Fred and Scott McTominay for that one.

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#4 Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly impress as a partnership

Burnley vs Manchester United - Premier League

In Victor Lindelof's absence, Eric Bailly played alongside Harry Maguire at the heart of the Manchester United defence. The duo were rock-solid and key contributors in the table-topping victory.

As already mentioned, Maguire had what looked like a perfectly good goal ruled out. But what was stellar about the Manchester United captain was the way he never got fazed by having to battle with either Wood or Barnes.

Both Maguire and Bailly were commanding in the air, and that blunted the direct game that Burnley were playing. Bailly also made a huge block late in the game, when he got in the way of a goal-bound Matej Vydra shot.

Vydra also had a couple of other great opportunities to test David de Gea, but ballooned those shots way over the bar.

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#5 Manchester United go top of the league

Manchester United vs Manchester City - Carabao Cup Semi-Final

For the first time since 2013, Manchester United are atop the Premier League table post Christmas. Who is to say that they can't go all the way?

They have been superb since the 6-1 drubbing by Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford and recently have shown the knack for grinding out results.

With more than half the season left to play, there is little doubt that there are more twists and turns coming before May, but there is also little doubt that Manchester United could be a massive player in the title race.

If they win at Anfield on Sunday, Manchester United will go six points clear of Liverpool, which will be a massive boost for them heading into the second half of the season.

In this crazy season, the title race could get as exciting as it ever has, with just seven points separating the current Premier League's top seven.