Manchester United will look to keep their faint top-four hopes alive when they welcome Burnley to Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 2023/24 Premier League season will end soon, with only four rounds of fixtures remaining before the curtain drops. Gameweek 35 kicks off with the game between West Ham United and Liverpool at the London Stadium before continuing with five simultaneous fixtures, one of which will have Manchester United hosting Burnley at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have endured a season from hell thus far. They bowed out early from the EFL Cup and the UEFA Champions League and have struggled to keep pace with the top-four contenders in the Premier League. The Red Devils are 13 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and need a miracle to qualify for the Champions League. But their season can still end in triumph when they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final next month.
As for Burnley, they had some reasonably high expectations from neutrals after cruising to the EFL Championship title last season. However, Vincent Kompany’s men have struggled to replicate that style of football in the Premier League and find themselves second from bottom in the standings. However, with Nottingham Forest only three points ahead, survival is not out of the question amid a run of only one defeat in seven matches.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester United eke out a 1-0 win over Burnley, with Bruno Fernandes scoring the only goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Erik ten Hag will thank his stars that he does not have a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Burnley on Saturday, the Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of ten first-team players.
The Dutchman is sweating over the fitness of Marcus Rashford and Willy Kambwala. However, neither player might be fit enough to be in the matchday squad. Meanwhile, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Tyrell Malacia, Jonny Evans, Mason Mount, and Anthony Martial remain on the sidelines.
Andre Onana will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Burnley. The backline should feature Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Harry Maguire, and Diogo Dalot.
As for the midfield unit, Scott McTominay should return to the starting eleven to pair up with Kobbie Mainoo in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Bruno Fernandes will reprise his usual no. 10 role, while Amad Diallo will likely get a rare start. Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund will complete the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Maguire, Dalot; Mainoo, McTominay; Amad, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Burnley
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Vincent Kompany has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Burnley manager will be without five first-team players on Saturday.
Lyle Foster is fit and available to take on Manchester United after shrugging off a knock. However, Ameen Al-Dakhil (unspecified), Jordan Beyer (hamstring), Aaron Ramsey (knee), Nathan Redmond (thigh), and Luca Koleosho (knee) remain on the sidelines.
Burnley will line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Manchester United, with Arijanet Muric taking his spot between the sticks. Lorenz Assignon, Dara O’Shea, Maxime Esteve, and Charlie Taylor should form the backline.
As for the midfield unit, Josh Cullen and Sander Berge should pair up in the central areas, with Vitinho and Jacob Bruun Larsen being the two wide attackers. Finally, the fit-again Lyle Foster and Wilson Odobert should be the two strikers.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Muric; Assignon, O’Shea, Esteve, Taylor; Vitinho, Cullen, Berge, Larsen; Foster, Odobert
Key Stats
- Manchester United have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League games against Burnley (W10 D5) while scoring three goals in all four of their home wins over the Clarets in the competition.
- Manchester United have never lost a Premier League home game against the previous season’s second-tier champions, winning 24 and drawing seven of those 31 matches.
- Burnley have not kept a clean sheet in their last 16 league matches, while their 69 goals conceded this term is their second most in a campaign in the competition after 2009/10 (82).
- Burnley have only lost only one of their last seven Premier League games (W2 D4). After their 4-1 win at Sheffield United last weekend, they can win consecutive top-flight away games for the first time since May 2021.
- Jacob Bruun Larsen has scored in four of Burnley’s five Premier League wins this season, while the Clarets ended up drawing the only other game in which he scored. Burnley’s only win in which the Dane did not find the net was against Fulham in December.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
There has been a lot of talk about Bruno Fernandes and his perceived inconsistencies in the final third. Roy Keane also made some bizarre comments about the Manchester United captain, while Ian Wright lent his support to him. However, he has let his performances do the talking for him.
The Portuguese international has led by example in the last few weeks, even though the results have not been ideal. He has amassed seven goals and two assists in his five most recent outings, ensuring Manchester United have not suffered amid Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles. The Red Devils need him at his best to end the season on a high.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Burnley
In any other season, Manchester United might have been the favourites to cruise to a sizeable victory over Burnley. However, with the Clarets keeping their survival hopes alive and the home side displaying a soft underbelly, we expect this clash to be evenly contested for the most part.
Burnley should take the game to Manchester United and threaten to take at least one point home. However, Bruno Fernandes should make the difference again after scoring the winner in the reverse fixture. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Erik ten Hag and his charges.
