The Red Devils will enter this match off the back of a disappointing result, though, having lost on penalties to Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday; the top-flight side dominated the contest for long spells but conceded a controversial leveller before losing the shootout at Old Trafford. The Champions League is now the team’s only realistic chance of silverware this season, with Ralf Rangnick’s side preparing to take on Atletico Madrid in the last-16 stage of the competition, but they have league games against Burnley, Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United before the first leg.
Man United are far from secure in the top four, sitting just one point ahead of fifth-placed West Ham, while Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have matches in hand over the Red Devils; Wolverhampton Wanderers in eighth are also not out of the argument when it comes to a Champions League finish. The Red Devils have collected 19 points from their 11 away Premier League games this term, while they are unbeaten on the road in the league since the 4-1 loss at Watford, which led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer losing his job as head coach.
Burnley: This will obviously be an uphill battle for the Clarets, who haven’t beaten United at Turf Moor since 2009. With Chris Wood now at Newcastle, the hero in attack is going to have to be new signing Wout Weghorst, who is more than capable. He’s expected to get his second start after going 90 minutes against Watford last time out. In that match, he had just two shots, none on goal, finishing with an xG of 0.19. That’s not great by any means, but on the other hand the entire Burnley team is only averaging 1.0 xG per match this season. The expectation is for Weghorst to start up top with Maxwel Cornet. Meanwhile, there are no injuries or suspensions of note.
Manchester United: Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani are back in the squad, while manager Ralf Rangnick said Monday that Raphael Varane is fit to play after the Frenchman was pulled early in the shocking FA Cup loss to Middlesbrough. David de Gea is expected to start in goal, but Rangnick said both Fred and Alex Telles are out after testing positive for COVID-19.
Burnley have lost each of their last three games with Man United, including a 1-0 defeat in the corresponding match last term, while they have not overcome the Red Devils at home since their famous 1-0 success in August 2009, which proved to be the first ever Premier League game between the two sides. Man United, meanwhile, moved into fourth position in the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over West Ham before the break, with Marcus Rashford scoring late to secure a huge three points, and the visitors will be looking to secure a third straight league victory on Tuesday night.
After some intense, upset-filled FA Cup action, the Premier League is back in full swing on Tuesday as fourth-place Manchester United go to last-place Burnley. The Red Devils just got back into the top four with the narrow win over West Ham back on Januaryy 22, and the team enters the game with an 11-5-6 record. Burnley have won just one of their 19 games this season and sit three points from safety, currently sitting on a 1-10-8 record with just two league goals since the end of November. This will be the second league meeting of the season between the two after United won the first game at the end of December, 3-1.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester United beat Burnley 3-1 at Old Trafford with Scott McTominay and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring on either side of a Ben Mee own goal. Ahead of their latest meeting, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams. Charlie Taylor is closing in on a return from injury, but Tuesday’s game comes too soon for the left-back. Johann Berg Gudmundsson (appendicitis) and Matej Vydra (hernia) will miss out, while fellow striker Ashley Barnes is a major doubt. Josh Brownhill is back available for Sean Dyche after serving his one-match ban.
Burnley will line up in their usual 4-4-2 formation, setting up in a deep defensive block to soak up pressure from the hosts and hit them on the break. Nick Pope will be key between the sticks for the Clarets. The English international will be protected by the backline comprising Connor Roberts, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee and Erik Pieters, who will stay tight and compact at the back.
Manchester United will have to make do without Alex Telles and Fred after the Brazilian duo tested positive for coronavirus. Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani, who missed the cup tie at the weekend, are back in contention and will be part of the squad. Victor Lindelof (illness) and Eric Bailly (ankle) are doubts for the contest. Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane are fit and available for selection after picking up knocks against Middlesbrough. There are unlikely to be many changes made to the team that took the field in midweek, although Ralf Rangnick will be hoping for a much better display from his charges.
After making way for Dean Henderson in the FA Cup clash, David de Gea ought to return in goal. Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw are locked in as the full-backs on the right and left sides, respectively. Dalot provides a good outlet on the right but will need to be wary of the threat posed by Cornet. Varane and Harry Maguire should pair up at the heart of the defence.
Manchester United will be bidding to make it three Premier League victories in a row when they head to Turf Moor on Tuesday evening to take on basement side Burnley. The Red Devils are currently fourth in the table, one point clear of fifth-placed West Ham United, while struggling Burnley sit bottom on 13 points, having won just once in the league this term. Burnley missed the chance to move off the bottom of the Premier League table on Saturday, as they played out a goalless draw with Watford at Turf Moor; the Clarets also drew 0-0 with Arsenal before the break, but the strugglers have only recorded one victory in the league this term.
Indeed, Sean Dyche’s side have won one, drawn 10 and lost eight of their 19 league games this season to collect 13 points, which has left them bottom of the division, three points behind 17th-placed Norwich City. Burnley have two games in hand on both 19th-placed Newcastle United and 18th-placed Watford, though, and three in hand on Norwich, so it is not quite time for the team to panic despite their issues this term. The Clarets sold Chris Wood to Newcastle during the January transfer window but managed to bring in Wout Weghorst from Wolfsburg, and the 29-year-old will have his second taste of Premier League football in this match, as Dyche’s side prepare for just their ninth home league game of the season.
Event details:
NAME: Burnley – Manchester United
DATE: 8 Feb 2022
TIME: 20:00 UTC
VENUE: Turf Moor, Burnley, England
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