Manchester United 0-2 Burnley: Hits and Flops | Premier League 2019-2020 

Manchester United v Burnley FC - Premier League
Manchester United v Burnley FC - Premier League

Flop #1 Anthony Martial

Martial missed a number of good chances
Martial missed a number of good chances

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

Chris Wood registered a goal and an assist against Manchester United
Chris Wood registered a goal and an assist against Manchester United

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.

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