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Manchester United eased the pressure on Erik ten Hag as they clinched a 1-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday (September 23) thanks to Bruno Fernandes' stunning strike.
The Red Devils won't be too bothered about the performance which was somewhat lackluster. They were in vital need of a victory after suffering three consecutive defeats across competitions.
Burnley were the better side in the first half and Andre Onana made a fine stop in the 10th minute to deny Zeki Amdouni's header. The Cameroonian goalkeeper needed that after his disastrous error in a 4-3 defeat to Bayern Munich midweek.
The Clarets then hit the post seven minutes later when Amdouni raced onto Aaron Ramsey's astute through ball. The Swiss attacking midfielder's effort smashed off the woodwork much to Manchester United's relief.
Jonny Evans was making his first start for the Red Devils since 2015 and he thought he'd given his side the lead in the 25th minute. The Northern Irish defender met Sergio Reguilon's brilliant corner and headed home.
However, VAR intervened and advised referee Tony Harrington to review the goal. Rasmus Hojlund appeared to obstruct goalkeeper James Trafford in an offside position and the goal was ruled out and Ten Hag shook his head in disbelief.
That was until Evans once again showed his worth in the 45th minute. He played a stunning long ball to Bruno Fernandes and the United captain fired a fierce volley into the bottom corner of Trafford's net. It was a sensational goal and one that replicated Robin van Persie's strike against Aston Villa in 2013.
The second half was somewhat of a drab one as the Red Devils tried to hold on to their 1-0 lead. There were a few scares for Onana and his defense but Manchester United weathered the storm to get back to winning ways.
United fans are just relieved to get a win under their belt after a woeful period. A fan account are surprised their weekend hasn't been ruined:
"My weekend hasn’t been ruined by United and I don’t know how to process this."
One fan compared Fernandes' volley to Van Persie's title-winning one in 2013:
"Bruno sending us back to the days of RVP."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the Red Devils getting back to winning ways:
Jonny Evans reacts to making his first start for Manchester United since 2015
Evans dubbed his appearance against Burnley as one of the best nights of his life. The veteran defender made a surprise return to Manchester United in the summer after leaving Leicester City following their relegation.
The Northern Ireland international spent pre-season with the Red Devils before Ten Hag decided to hand him a one-year contract. It was thought the 35-year-old would hardly play but United's injury curse led to him starting for the club for the first time in eight years. He told TNT Sports:
"I loved every minute of it. Coming on the bus, I was just buzzing. I think that was my 200th game for Man United and I never thought I'd do that. It's an absolute honour and one of the best nights of my life, coming back and playing for the club again."
Evans made his 200th appearance for Manchester United and it was one of his best performances. He won three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, and two League Cups during his first spell at Old Trafford.
