Burnley 0-1 Manchester United: Bruno Fernandes first-half stunner halts losing run for Eric ten Hag’s side

Manchester United picked up a crucial three points at Turf Moor with a 1-0 win over Burnley.

In a lively first half Zeki Amdouni hit the post for Burnley and Jonny Evans had a goal disallowed, before Bruno Fernandes put the visitors ahead with a stunning volley just before half-time.

The second half was less eventful as United held on to their narrow lead.

Sander Berge put one good chance over from a corner with eight minutes to go, but the hosts failed to create any other chances while United were sloppy when they tried to break.

Burnley will next face Newcastle United at St James’ Park in the Premier League, while Manchester United will host Crystal Palace.

Can Erik ten Hag get his team on a run from here? After the uplift of Ten hag’s first season, which brought the first trophy in six years and a return to the Champions League, it’s been an underwhelming few tracks so far from that difficult second album.

United had lost three games on the spin before tonight, shipping ten goals, so a clean sheet and a victory are a timely boost for a team that has been under a fierce spotlight so far in 2023-24. Players are now beginning to return from injury, and this victory could be the line in the sand that Ten Hag needs to ignite the season.

Their next three Premier League fixtures are home matches with Crystal Palace and Brentford, followed by a trip to Sheffield United. That’s followed by a major staging post in the season – a home derby with current league leaders Manchester City. Going into that, United will need momentum that they’ve failed to generate so far.

He’s the new old dog, and he’s still got all the tricks. You’d struggle to find any United fan who expected Evans to be at the club this season let alone starting games, yet he underpinned a solid defensive performance from the visitors to keep a vibrant Burnley team at bay. While the goal by Fernandes was the classiest moment of the match, the ball to him from Evans was a close second; when the United fans sang his name at the end, it was from a well of immediate gratitude rather than nostalgia.

Burnley: Trafford 7; Roberts 6, Al Dakhil 7, Beyer 6, Taylor 6; Cullen 6, Brownhill 7; Gudmundsson 6, Ramsey 7, Koleosho 7; Amdouni 6

SUBS: Rodriguez 7, Manuel 6, Berge 6, Tresor 6, Larsen 6

Manchester United: Onana 7; Dalot 7, Lindelof 6, Evans 8, Reguilon 6; McTominay 6, Casemiro 6, Mejbri 7; Fernandes 7, Hojlund 6, Rashford 6

SUBS: Amrabat 6, Varane 6

17’ OFF THE POST! Burnley work a gorgeous move - Gudmundsson to Ramsey, who slides in Amdouni, and United are ripped open. Amdouni side-foots it to the corner, and it flies back out off the inside of the post and United clear.

25’ DISALLOWED GOAL! So nearly a dream strike for Jonny Evans! The corner is fizzed in to the near post, where Evans glances the ball into the corner. It's chalked after a VAR check though, as Hojlund was in an offside position and in the line of Trafford's sight.

45’ GOAL! BURNLEY 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (FERNANDES 45) Oh my, what a stunner, from nothing! Evans lofts a long pass into the right of the area, where Fernandes has pulled into space between Beyer and Taylor. The ball drops out of the night sky and Fernandes takes it first time on the volley, firing a brilliant low drive past Trafford into the far corner. That's exceptional.

82’ CHANCE! Burnley win a corner, and Brownhill swings it in. Onana comes and stops, and Berge reaches it first. Berge's header goes down onto his own shoulder, and loops just over the bar. What an opportunity that was