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The Clarets walked into the Theatre of Dreams as slight underdogs, having just ended a four-game losing run to beat an in-form Leicester City on the weekend. They stepped up their game once again and shut the Red Devils down at Old Trafford, and they certainly deserved all the three points this evening.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team visited Anfield on Sunday evening where they were totally outclassed by longtime rivals, Liverpool. Perhaps this was an opportunity for Manchester United to take a win and increase confidence within the side again, but that was not to be. They held much of the possession and had many chances at goal against Burnley, but their poor finishing in the final third helped the visitors walk away with a clean sheet. Burnley, on the other hand, maintained their defensive shape, sought out opportunities to counter and proved to be the more clinical side.
Burnley surprisingly found the net with their first shot on target only minutes to the end of the first half. Clarets defender Benjamin Mee flicked from a well-taken freekick towards Chris Wood at the near post beyond Harry Maguire's reach. Wood wasted no time smashing a volley past David de Gea and into United's goal.
While United fans seemed expectant that their team would turn the match around, nothing of the sort happened. United mishit many of their chances, with Daniel James getting the best chance for the home side with a saved header at goal.
Eleven minutes into the second half saw Burnley convert yet another rare, brilliant opportunity into their second goal of the game. This time, it was Clarets striker Jay Rodriguez who took the glory for the visitors. Playing a smart one-two pass with Chris Wood, he dodged past Maguire and - from a tight angle - powered a shot over de Gea and right off the crossbar and into the goal.
A VAR check might have potentially sent off left-back Charlie Taylor with a straight red card after a challenge on Mason Greenwood, but it remained a yellow card for the Burnley man, and the visitors maintained their strong defensive stance.
A minute into injury time, Juan Mata drove in an accurate cross towards Luke Shaw, and his header went into Burnley's goal. However, it was disallowed after replays showed that Shaw pushed Jeff Hendrick.
These results see Burnley pick up their second straight win in five games and see them in 13th place, while United remain in fifth place, but could be overtaken by Wolverhampton Wanderers who face Liverpool tomorrow.
Without further ado, let's take a look at how Manchester United players fared in their 2-0 loss against Burnley.
David de Gea - 4/10
Most of the game saw United keep possession, and the ball rarely saw any danger in de Gea's box. But in the very few times that Burnley got the best of Red Devils backline, de Gea was unable to step up and keep his side from conceding. He also made a total of zero saves during the game.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 7/10
The former Crystal Palace right-back hardly put a foot wrong during the game and sought to control the game from his flank. He was constantly around or with the ball, and he threatened the Burnley defence throughout the game with his crossing and passing. His defensive output was also strong, and he stood out among the Red Devils today.
Phil Jones - 7/10
The center-back won a strong eleven aerial duels and maintained a strong defensive front with his tackles, interceptions, and clearances. He also made some efforts in the final third during corners and freekicks, and he maintained a clear head through the game.
Harry Maguire - 5/10
The new captain may have put up a strong performance defensively for most parts of the game, but he will likely take part of the blame for the two goals that United conceded today.
Brandon Williams - 5/10
The young left-back didn't see much of the ball throughout his time on the field. While he offered some good passing, he remained missing in action defensively, and his attacking output was average. His substitution in the 68th minute was a thing of necessity as Solskjaer tried to salvage the game.
Fred - 6/10
The 26-year-old midfielder controlled the midfield as he found his teammates with passes, created holes of opportunity, and held control for long periods of the game. Unfortunately, his performance in the centre of the park did not reflect on the scoreline. He was also poor in finishing and was unable to keep his shots on target.
Nemanja Matic - 6/10
Along with Fred, the midfield duo had well over two hundred touches on the ball. Although Matic stayed in holding position, he aided in recycling possession constantly and helped the Red Devils control the game.
Andreas Pereira - 5/10
The Brazilian took four shots at goal, but could only keep one on target. Notably, Pereira, Fred, and Anthony Martial were responsible for nine of United's shots that went off target. Apart from his chances at goal, Pereira offered little else to his team, and his substitution only 45 minutes in wasn't unexpected.
Juan Mata - 6.5/10
The 31-year-old played his part in the attacking midfield very well, having made twice as many passes as any other attacking player. His attacking quality was felt by the Clarets, and they'll be grateful that none of his five key passes were converted into goals.
Daniel James - 5.5/10
Showcasing small pockets of brilliance inconsistently throughout his time on the pitch, James would have hoped for a better outing today. His most notable chance at goal was perhaps the well-taken header that nearly beat Clarets goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Anthony Martial - 6/10
The 24-year-old Frenchman will certainly feel that he could have put Manchester United in the lead and perhaps changed the outcome of the game. He missed all five shots he had on goal - as many as the entire Burnley team managed to muster - and on a better day, he would have scored.
Luke Shaw - 6/10
Coming in with only 22 minutes of normal time left, he certainly made more of an impact on the game than Brandon Williams. He put in two key passes and set the game alight when he scored a header that was eventually disallowed.
Jesse Lingard - 5/10
Joining the game along with Luke Shaw, Lingard managed to disturb the defence with three shots at goal. His instructions from the manager were, "Get out there and find a goal." However, there wasn't much else the 27-year-old could do.
Mason Greenwood - 6/10
Coming in halfway through the game for Pereira, Greenwood brought some vitality and energy to a United side that couldn't break Burnley open. He caused some ruckus for the Burnley defence, even drawing the first carded foul of the game. However, there wasn't much else to see from him.
