Burnley v Manchester United: Premier League – as it happenend
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2014/aug/30/burnley-v-manchester-united-premier-league-live Version 0 of 1. 2.37pm BST14:37 FULL TIME: Burnley 0-0 Manchester United Welbeck skips down the inside-right channel and into the Burnley area. He claims a corner off Shackell, but he’s had the last touch. And that’s that. It’s the first point of the season for Burnley, and United are still looking for their first win. The result was about right on the balance of play, though United will look to those two penalty decisions, the one in the first half especially. Burnley very impressive, then, and United looking much better in attack. And the best thing is, nobody’s in crisis! It’d be lovely if everyone remembered that. Updated at 2.39pm BST 2.35pm BST14:35 90 min +3: Valencia and Rooney exchange a couple of passes down the right. Mee stands up well, refusing to let either man have a run at the Burnley area. But the hosts are defending very deep here, with United pressing hard. 2.34pm BST14:34 90 min +2: It’s all in the centre of the park right now. Burnley are perfectly happy with this arrangement, United less so. 2.33pm BST14:33 90 min +1: There will be four added minutes. The first sees Valencia cause bother once again down the right. He wins a throw. But United can’t carve anything out, and the ball’s soon being hugged tight to Heaton’s chest. 2.33pm BST14:33 90 min: Reid is booked for a cynical block on Welbeck down the right. That stopped a quick break, as United cleared a ball bouncing around dangerously in their own area from a Burnley free kick out on the right. 2.31pm BST14:31 88 min: Reid replaces Taylor. 2.31pm BST14:31 87 min: Anderson’s corner isn’t any good, far too long. It looks like it’s flying straight out of play to the left of goal, but Welbeck retrieves it brilliantly. The ball’s shuttled to Young, just outside the area. He shoots hard at goal, and the ball balloons off Barnes’s arm. You’ve seen penalties given for that, but the shot hadn’t travelled very far, Barnes was turning, and it didn’t look intentional. United are incensed, and you can understand their frustration, though their claim in the first half, Trippier on Young, was stronger. 2.29pm BST14:29 86 min: Valencia drops a shoulder down the right and wins yet another corner off Mee. Before it can be taken, Mata is substituted, having twanged his hamstring. Januzaj comes on in his stead. 2.25pm BST14:25 83 min: This is attack versus defence now. Valencia wins another corner down the right. The set piece is headed powerfully clear by Mee. United are soon coming back at Burnley again, but Mata’s cross from the right is misdirected. Burnley have played very well today, the equals of United more or less, but nerves are kicking in here, and they’re inviting trouble. 2.24pm BST14:24 81 min: Young makes his way past Trippier down the left. His cross finds Welbeck on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Welbeck can’t get his shot away, but works the ball back to Mata, on the edge of the box. Mata attempts to sidefoot goalwards first time, but gets it all wrong, shanking the ball harmlessly over the bar. 2.22pm BST14:22 79 min: Ings is replaced by Barnes. 2.21pm BST14:21 78 min: Valencia is looking lively. He goes on another run down the right, and sends a medium-height fizzer through the six-yard box. It’s headed over his own bar by Taylor. The corner, from the right, is sent long, and Rooney wins a free header six yards out, level with the left-hand post. He must score, but heads powerfully down and wide left. That was dismal. Welbeck, just behind Rooney, might have been better placed to score. 2.19pm BST14:19 76 min: Yet another loose ball across the face of the United area. Arfield picks up possession on the edge of the D, but can’t get the ball out from under his feet, and Jones is able to steal the ball back and clear. United flood upfield, and Marney is booked for a cynical trip on Welbeck. 2.18pm BST14:18 75 min: Anderson rather clumsily bowls Trippier to the ground, 30 yards out down the Burnley right. He accidentally stamps on the full back’s hand for good measure. Ooyah. Oof. Ow. The free kick is a complete nonsense, Taylor attempting to find the net from a stupid distance and angle. His effort lands on the top netting, exciting the crowd, but it was never going in, and he wasn’t beating a keeper as good as David de Gea from there. 2.16pm BST14:16 73 min: A long ball hoofed down the middle by United. Rooney, on the edge of the area, cushions a brilliant header down for van Persie, racing into the box down the inside left. But Trippier gets across his man to take charge, and is fouled from behind by van Persie. It’s the striker’s last act of the afternoon, as he’s replaced by Welbeck. 2.14pm BST14:14 72 min: Valencia strides into the Burnley box down the right and wins United a corner. From the set piece, Fletcher attempts a Teddy Sheringham tribute act at the near post, but his flick on is easily swept up. 2.13pm BST14:13 71 min: Jutkiewicz spins Fletcher in the centre circle. Burnley are two on two, with Ings threatening to break clear down the middle if he’s fed the correct pass. But it turns out Jutkiewicz clattered into the Manchester United midfielder with unnecessary force, and a dangerous-looking attack is pulled back. 2.12pm BST14:12 70 min: A slighly knackered looking Di Maria is replaced by Anderson. The Burnley fans with their musical satire again. 2.11pm BST14:11 68 min: Blackett comes through the back of Ings, flooring his opponent and earning himself a booking. That’ll be a free kick to Burnley, out on the right wing, 30 yards from goal. The set piece is cleared out to the left by Blackett, but only towards Arfield, who rolls a low ball back inside for Taylor. Taylor shoots first time from the edge of the box, but it’s a pea-roller towards de Gea, who gathers. 2.08pm BST14:08 66 min: Di Maria goes down with cramp. Then after a while, gets back up again. “What a waste of money,” chant the Burnley faithful. Banter’s out of fashion now, thankfully, so that probably qualifies as patter. 2.06pm BST14:06 63 min: Mata is in plenty of space, 30 yards out. Young screams for the ball out on the left, no defender close to him. Mata blooters his pass into the stand behind the goal. He looks very apologetic as Young jogs back upfield with a face on. But United are pushing the hosts back now, the first period of sustained pressure applied by the visitors. 2.03pm BST14:03 61 min: Fletcher clips a ball into the Burnley area from a deep position down the right. Van Persie is ahead of Shackell, 12 yards out and level with the right-hand post. He attempts to guide a header on towards the top-right corner. It’s over the bar, but again that was close. United are turning up the heat on Burnley. 2.02pm BST14:02 59 min: Di Maria chases after a long ball down the left. He barges Trippier out of the way and makes it into the box. His shot-cum-cross is blocked, but Rooney is there to loop the ball into the centre. Mee heads clear, though not particularly convincingly. Van Persie, 12 yards out, meets the dropping ball and batters a fine first-time shot towards the bottom left. Marney is on the line to clear. Burnley were both staunch in defence and a little lucky there. United suddenly exploded into life, their expensive new winger the catalyst for mayhem. 2.00pm BST14:00 57 min: Corner for Burnley down the right. It’s sent arcing to the far post, where Duff and Phil Jones clatter into each other. The ball flies out of play for goal kick, and in any case Duff appeared to have clumsily fouled the United defender. 1.59pm BST13:59 56 min: Burnley move the ball forward. It’s sent out to the inside-left channel, where it sits up invitingly for Mee, bombing along from his full-back position. His shot, from the best part of 30 yards, is ambitious and very wild indeed. Ings, in the centre in space, offers a critique of the effort. 1.57pm BST13:57 55 min: United pass it left, then right, then back again. It’s all in the middle of the park. Eventually Valencia gets fed up and takes matters into his own hands, skittering down the right. His deep cross is easily dealt with by Duff. 1.55pm BST13:55 53 min: Di Maria’s first shot in anger. He’s sent into the Burnley box, Rooney sliding the ball to the left from the edge of the D. But his first effort on goal in English football is deflected out for a corner on the left. The set piece is looped towards the far post, where van Persie battles, but achieves nothing. 1.54pm BST13:54 52 min: The home fans enjoyed watching Blackett tying himself in knots under a long ball down the Burnley right. He eventually gives away a needless corner, but Burnley over-elaborate with some fancy triangles and the danger is gone. 1.53pm BST13:53 51 min: Di Maria isn’t perfect, though. Here he is, passing the ball out of play for a goal kick, from near the halfway line on the left. The home fans enjoyed that. 1.51pm BST13:51 48 min: Di Maria is close to sending Rooney scampering towards the Burnley area with a lovely sliderule pass down the inside-left channel. Rooney miscontrols, though. Di Maria meanwhile is flipped into the air like a fried egg by Ings. Free kick, though it’s in the centre circle and United can’t get anything going. 1.49pm BST13:49 47 min: A bit of space for Jutkiewicz as Burnley stream forward. He’s got space and options, but decides on a shot, and it’s blocked. Burnley get the ball back immediately, and Ings tries to set Jutkiewicz free with a dinked header down the inside-right channel. But there’s too much pace on it. A lively start to the half by the hosts. 1.47pm BST13:47 We’re off again! No changes. Burnley get the ball rolling. “That picture of England’s Captain Marvel in 1983 sent me googling down memory lane,” begins MBM historian Harry Tuttle. “Tangential to current events, I know, but I have to ask: was Ryan Giggs just the Welsh Arnold Johannes Hyacinthus Mühren? Look at the duration of Mühren’s career, the way he managed to sparkle on the big occasion from beginning (winning the European Cup with one of those Ajax teams) to middle (three FA Cup wins and one Uefa Cup win in seven years in England) to end (providing the cross to Marco van Basten in the 1988 European Championship final). And let’s not forget that most of his career was spent on the wing. I know this is contentious, but you could easily make the argument that Giggs revived the spirit of Mühren with the added good fortune of playing in several great Man Utd teams. I’m going to cite the notion that ‘There has only been one Giggs’ as yet another example of unforgivable Premier League bias. There has been at least one other Giggs, and he even used to play on the wing for Manchester United.” 1.34pm BST13:34 Half-time entertainment: A film Bob Lord would have approved of. 1.33pm BST13:33 HALF TIME: Burnley 0-0 Manchester United And that’s that for the half. Burnley are playing well. United are playing well in attack, but question marks remain about their defence. The level scoreline’s about right, though both sides probably deserve a goal each, Burnley having rattled the crossbar, van Persie denied by a magnificent save from Heaton. Should be a cracking second half. 1.31pm BST13:31 45 min: A corner for United won cheaply down the left. Straight down Heaton’s throat. 1.31pm BST13:31 44 min: Young nudges the ball past Trippier down the left and makes it into the area. He’s ahead of the full back and shaping to shoot from a tight angle. Trippier does well to get back into the race, then half shoulder barges, half shoves Young in the chest. Young, before he can shoot, falls to the floor, but he doesn’t get a penalty. His reputation for diving may have cost him there, because it looked like spot kick. 1.27pm BST13:27 41 min: A wee bit of possession for Burnley, but they do precious little with it. As for United, not much to report, other than a failed attempt by di Maria to link up with Rooney down the inside-right channel. 1.24pm BST13:24 38 min: Fletcher is indeed booked. He can’t really complain. Chris Foy has enjoyed flashing his cards around so far this season. Admittedly we’ve only got one other match to go on, West Ham versus Tottenham, but he flashed two yellows and two reds in that. 1.22pm BST13:22 37 min: Fletcher steps on the ball in midfield and allows Ings to make off with the ball. He tugs Ings back, but the referee waves play on. He should probably book Fletcher for that in the next break in play, but we’ll see. The advantage doesn’t lead to much. 1.21pm BST13:21 33 min: Another nutmeg, this time by Arfield on Blackett down the right. Arfield sails past the defender and into the area. He scuffs his shot from ten yards, though. It’s deflected out for a corner, which comes to naught. United are looking very impressive when they attack, but still appear dangerously brittle at the back. Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo can’t turn up too soon. 1.19pm BST13:19 31 min: A lovely little nutmeg by former Manchester City youth player Trippier on Rooney down the right. He nudges the ball through the new England captain’s legs with an insouciant flick of his boot. Rooney cocks his head back, knowing he’s been done, with an oh-for-goodness-sake expression on his face. All good innocent fun. 1.16pm BST13:16 30 min: Phil Jones hoicks a long ball down the middle. Rooney takes it down on the edge of the area and cushions a pass inside for van Persie. Before the striker can connect, Shackell sticks a leg out to save the day. Route-one stuff from United perhaps, but it was skilful and attractive enough nonetheless. 1.14pm BST13:14 27 min: United give the ball away near their own area again! This time it’s the new boy, di Maria. He gifts David Jones the ball, 25 yards out, just to the right of the D. Jones swings his left peg and sends a swerving, dipping volley goalwards. Unfortunately for the home side, that’s straight at de Gea, who can tip over spectacularly for a corner. The set piece comes to nothing. We could easily have seen a few goals already this afternoon. It’s a bright and breezy match. 1.12pm BST13:12 26 min: But when you’re playing against a defence as rickety as United’s, hope is always there. Valencia plays a loose pass down the United right near his own area. Jutkiewicz steps in, and whips a ball into the middle. Arfield, on the penalty spot, sends a header whistling over the bar. A decent chance, that, and the Burnley midfielder looks accordingly pained. 1.10pm BST13:10 25 min: United have had 76% of the possession in the last five minutes. Burnley’s fast start seems a long time ago right now. 1.08pm BST13:08 22 min: Valencia is seeing plenty of the ball. A couple more runs down the right. They come to nothing, but United are slowly taking charge here. Blackett set the first run up with a gorgeous crossfield pass onto Valencia’s boot from the left-hand touchline. Pinpoint brilliance. He’s come a long way in 21mins 30sec. 1.05pm BST13:05 19 min: A couple of half-chances for Burnley. First a little confusion in the United defence just outside the area gives Ings a sniff, but de Gea is out of his box quickly to batter clear. Then Jutkiewicz has a shot from 20 yards, but it’s almost immediately charged down. United go up the other end, di Maria buying himself a little space and time down the left before sliding a low cross into the area for Mata, who miscues his shot from 12 yards. A real chance spurned. Arfield blooters clear. 1.03pm BST13:03 16 min: More space for van Persie down the inside-left channel. He’s not far away from winning a corner off Duff, but the ball comes off the United striker last. Louis van Gaal’s side are beginning to find a little rhythm here. It’s the best they’ve played this season so far, which might not be saying much, but it’s something. 1.02pm BST13:02 15 min: Now it’s United’s turn to render an offside trap worthless. Di Maria, on the halfway line, rakes a delicious long ball down the inside-left channel for van Persie. It’s on the striker’s toes. Van Persie takes a touch and batters a fine shot across Heaton and towards the bottom right. But the keeper manages to get a strong hand to the shot. What a wonderful save. Top-drawer football all round there. 1.00pm BST13:00 14 min: Nice play by United here, as Valencia tears past Taylor down the right, then slides a ball infield for Rooney, who tries to flick Valencia free into the area. Burnley clear. Di Maria tries to keep the pressure on with a cross from the left, but Heaton gathers. Burnley flood upfield. The busy Jutkiewicz runs clear after a long hoick down the left, but de Gea is out quickly to claim. Burnley nearly opened United up there. 12.57pm BST12:57 11 min: A bit of space for Valencia down the right. His low fizzer of a cross - or is it a shot, aimed at the bottom left? - is hacked clear on the penalty spot by Duff. This is better from United. 12.56pm BST12:56 10 min: A beautiful diagonal pass by Di Maria, on the edge of the centre circle, nearly drops to Van Persie to the right of the Burnley D. Shackell intercepts, heading clear. United are beginning to settle after that preposterous start. 12.54pm BST12:54 8 min: Di Maria hasn’t seen much of the ball yet. A brief skitter down the middle of the park, but his pass forward, presumably intended for either Rooney or Van Persie, was both aimless and harmless. 12.53pm BST12:53 5 min: More space for Trippier down the right. His cross, just for a second, looks like floating freakishly into the top left, over de Gea’s head, but ends up sailing harmlessly into the stand. De Gea launches into some impromptu beat poetry, jazz-scatting “eff” and “cee” at his defenders in a rhythmic, lyrical fashion. 12.50pm BST12:50 4 min: United are all over the place here. Evans, on the United right, turns and hits a lame backpass towards De Gea. He’s got the direction correct, at least, but the pace is lacking. Jutkiewicz latches onto the loose ball and tries to poke it past the outrushing keeper. De Gea manages to parry the ball, getting Evans off the hook. 12.49pm BST12:49 3 min: David Jones steps up and aims a curler for the top right. De Gea, his feet planted, watches as the ball twangs off the crossbar and back out. What a fine free kick! Burnley are so unfortunate; a centimetre lower, and they’d be celebrating an early lead. 12.48pm BST12:48 2 min: Trippier welts a cross into the United box from the right. It’s half-cleared by Blackett. On the edge of the area, Jones clatters into Jutkiewicz under a dropping ball. That’ll be a free kick, just to the right of the D. 12.46pm BST12:46 We’re off! It’s a sunny day. The moors verdant and beautiful in the background. The pitch looks in good nick too. English football’s record signing Angel di Maria makes his debut, starting in central midfield. United get the ball rolling, and Blackett, under no pressure whatsoever, passes the ball straight out of play. A nervous start from the young man. 12.42pm BST12:42 The teams are out! Mascots have their hair tousled, hands are shaken, bad music is played over the PA. We’ll be off in a minute. Burnley are playing in their famous claret and blue shirts ... ... while Manchester United are sporting white away tops this season. 11.50am BST11:50 Today's cast list Burnley: Heaton, Trippier, Shackell, Duff, Mee, Arfield, Marney, Jones, Taylor, Jutkiewicz, Ings.Subs: Wallace, Sordell, Reid, Gilks, Ward, Long, Barnes. Manchester United: De Gea, Jones, Evans, Blackett, Valencia, Fletcher, Di Maria, Young, Mata, van Persie, Rooney.Subs: Januzaj, Hernandez, Welbeck, Anderson, Michael Keane, Amos, James. Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside) 11.30am BST11:30 Burnley FC, founder members of the Football League and one of the most famous clubs in the land, haven’t won a major trophy since 1960. That’s 54 years ago. Now we’ve got a sense of perspective, let’s move on. The Clarets have had a slow start to the season. Nobody expected much from their opening fixture, Chelsea at Turf Moor, and after taking an early lead through Scott Arfield, sure enough they soon found themselves clinically dispatched 3-1. That result was followed up by a narrow defeat at Swansea City and a home loss to Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup. The last thing they need, then, is a visit from their illustrious neighbours Manchester United. Burnley might have won this fixture the last time it was played - 1-0 in 2009, Robbie Blake volleying home the winner - but it’s their only victory against the Red Devils since 1968. History is not their pal today. Manchester United have their own problems, of course. Forget the comically inept reverse at M***** K****** D***. It’s the league results that have really hurt. Outplayed by Swansea and Sunderland; so much for the early-season fixture list being kind to Louis van Gaal. United are favourites today - they’re expected to throw £59m worth of speedy winger into the mix at some point - but you wouldn’t bet the house on that makeshift defence holding firm for 90 minutes. Both teams are desperate for their first win of the season. Burnley are desperate for their first point. Sean Dyche, who thought his players showed Swansea “too much respect” last week, will have his players fired up from the get-go. United will have their gamefaces on too, under pressure to live up to the expectations that come with the name. It promises to be an intriguing encounter, and no, neither team will be in crisis if they lose, unless it’s by a seven-goal margin. It’s on! Kick off: 12.45pm. Updated at 12.18pm BST |