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Manchester United posted yet another disappointing result yesterday, falling to a 2-0 defeat to Burnley at Old Trafford.
The Mancunians came into the fixture on the back of a loss to their heated rivals Liverpool over the weekend, and they would have sought to close the gap on Chelsea by picking up all three points against a Burnley side who were looking over their shoulders in the relegation race.
Sean Dyche's men, however, showed great determination to down the high-flying Leicester City and the King Power Stadium last weekend. And they followed that win up with another impressive victory at Old Trafford.
Goals in each half by Chris Wood and James Rodriguez saw Burnley pick up a two-goal lead at Old Trafford for the third straight season, and ensured that the Clarets picked up all three points.
The win steers them further clear of the relegation dogfight, while the defeat piles more misery on Ole Gunner Solskjaer. The top four is now looking like a distant dream for the Red Devils.
Expectedly, some players starred, while others flattered to deceive. In this piece, we shall be looking at the hits and flops from the fixture between Manchester United and Burnley.
Flop #3 Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire is currently the most expensive defender of all time. But unlike the man he usurped, Virgil van Dijk - who has totally transformed the Liverpool defence - the jury is still out on the capabilities of the former Leicester man.
Having been announced as the new team captain following the departure of Ashley Young, Maguire got his tenure off to the worst possible start by skippering his side to defeat against the club's most heated opponents Liverpool.
Things have gotten worse since, and the display against Burnley is one that Harry Maguire would not want to look back on too fondly.
He was easily beaten by Chris Wood to a knockdown in the buildup to the first goal, while he was also slow to track Jay Rodriguez before he fired home the second goal of the night.
Hit #3 Ben Mee
Ben Mee skippered Burnley against Manchester United, but unlike his counterpart in the red jersey, the 30-year-old gave a performance befitting a player wearing the armband.
His most telling contribution came when he rose the highest to win the first ball from a free-kick and knocked it down for Chris Wood to put the Clarets ahead. But he did not neglect his primary duties, and gave an emphatic performance at the other end.
Mee also made one interception and a game-high nine clearances. The only blemish on his performance was when he was booked for a cynical foul on Mason Greenwood late into the second half.
Flop #2 Phil Jones
Phil Jones does not have too many admirers among the United fanbase, with many believing that he has failed to develop into a true leader in the dressing room
The 27-year-old was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011 from Blackburn and was described as a 'future captain' of the club. But nine years on it looks like those were grandiose claims by the legendary Scotsman, and fans of the club have seemingly accepted that Jones will never rise to the levels expected.
A combination of factors including injuries and poor form have contributed to Jones losing his starting place. But he was the beneficiary of an illness to Victor Lindelof, which saw him handed a rare start against Burnley.
Those expecting him to take his chances were, however, in for a shock. Jones made a number of errors and was beaten far too easily on several occasions.
His most criminal act came in the 38th minute of the match when he gave away a needless free-kick near the center circle. This was particularly unforgivable considering that Wood had nowhere to go to; given the threat Burnley possess from set-pieces, it was an embarrassing error.
The Lancashire side went ahead from the free-kick and from then on, there was no stopping them in their quest for victory.
Hit #2 Nick Pope
A case can be made to consider Nick Pope as the best English goalkeeper in the Premier League, and there have been calls for him to usurp Jordan Pickford as the Three Lions' number one.
Having suffered a long-term injury two years ago, the 27-year-old has done enough to recover for lost time since. And he once again put up a fine performance in the victory over Manchester United.
Pope made a total of eight saves in the match to deny Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood among others. An eighth clean sheet of the campaign was just reward for what was a dominant display between the sticks.
Flop #1 Anthony Martial
Following the sale of Romelu Lukaku last summer, a lot was expected from the man who inherited his number 9 jersey. But six months into the campaign, it is safe to say that he has not quite lived up to expectation.
A strong run of form between November and December seemed to suggest that Anthony Martial was coming good. However, the former Monaco man has once more fallen back into old habits - of missing gilt-edged chances.
With top scorer Marcus Rashford sidelined by a back injury, the onus of scoring goals now rests on Martial's shoulders. But on evidence of his display against Burnley, he cannot quite be trusted to get the job done.
Having missed Manchester United's best chance against Liverpool on Sunday, Martial made even worse blunders against Burnley and wasted more than two good chances to get something for the hosts.
The first came midway into the first half when Aaron Wan-Bissaka found him unmarked in the box with an excellent center, but the 22-year-old failed to get his shot on target.
There was an even better chance in the second half after he was played through one-on-one with Nick Pope. But Martial elected to dilly-dally in the box by making too many touches - when more clinical strikers would have pulled the trigger.
His moment of indecision allowed James Tarkowski to recover and just like that, the chance was gone, showing the glaring need of a more potent forward at Old Trafford.
Hit #1 Chris Wood
In many ways, Chris Wood and Burnley are a match made in heaven. While his limited technique and ultra physicality would see him struggle at most elite clubs in Europe, this skillset is perfectly suited to Sean Dyche's style of play, where he is effectively utilized as a point man.
His attributes were brought to the fore against Manchester United again. Wood weighed in with a goal and an assist in what was a classic performance from an old school center-forward.
