Man United beat Burnley in the Premier League and here are how the players rated at Turf Moor.
Manchester United got back to winning ways with a 1-0 win over Vincent Kompany’s Burnley in the Premier League fixture at Turf Moor.
A fabulous first-half goal from United captain Bruno Fernandes, assisted by 35-year-old defender Jonny Evans, secured the three points for manager Erik ten Hag.
The Manchester Evening News’ chief United writer, Samuel Luckhurst, was in the pressbox to cover the game and here are his player ratings on a night where a number of players shone.
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Made a decent stop from Zeki Amdouni at 0-0 on a more serene night than in Munich in midweek. Onana was much more dependable. 7
Diogo Dalot
Had another poor first half and was rightly booked for a dreadfully late tackle. Steadier in the second and crossed invitingly for Rasmus Hojlund. 7
Victor Lindelof
Flapped during Burnley’s dominant period when they hit the post and Jonny Evans was the centre half who stepped up. Better in the second half. Adjusted to left-back commendably. 7
Jonny Evans
A contentious selection on his first United start since March 2015 but he had a disallowed goal and brilliantly found Fernandes for the first goal. Managed the game well. 7
Sergio Reguilon
Delivered one of United’s best corners in recent memory that Evans headed in; alas it was offside. Maintained his reasonable performance level. Came off injured. 7
Casemiro
An improvement on recent performances and his tackling stirred the United followers. Had his work cut out with Scott McTominay struggling. 7
Scott McTominay
A questionable selection and was often all at sea as United’s midfield issues continued. His discipline in the final half-an-hour ensured he stayed on. 5
Hannibal Mejbri
Provided an intense presence to counter Burnley’s build-ups but his use of the ball could have been better on his first United start. 6
Bruno Fernandes
Did little until his stunning volley put United ahead on the stroke of half-time. Another occasion where he had an impact despite playing out of position. 7
Marcus Rashford
Erratic again and his decision-making was seldom sound. Switched to the right early in the second half but had little joy. 4
Rasmus Hojlund
Did okay in the first half but beat the turf when he failed to connect with Dalot’s cross minutes after the restart. Played some errant passes. 5
Subs
Raphael Varane
Got some minutes on his return. 6
Sofyan Amrabat
Gave away a foul in a dangerous area. 5
Manager
Selected an unpredictable team but Evans’ footballing class paid dividends. Resisted a change until it was enforced by Reguilon’s injury. 7
Rio Ferdinand delivers an honest assessment on Jonny Evans and emphasizes Manchester United’s transfer blunder.
Ferdinand played alongside Evans at Man United but was diplomatic about his current role in Erik ten Hag’s squad.
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Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United made an error in letting Jonny Evans leave the club in 2015.
Evans was named in the United starting XI for the first time in eight years against Burnley on Saturday evening, having secured a summer return following his release from Leicester. His first overall appearance back had come as a substitute in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.
Lisandro Martinez is the latest player to suffer an injury with Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane also sidelined with issues. It meant Evans started the match at Turf Moor alongside Victor Lindelof, who has played in United’s last five matches.
Ferdinand played alongside Evans during his career at United and said then-boss Louis van Gaal made a mistake in allowing him to leave for West Brom in 2015.
Unpacking Evans’ role in the United squad under Erik ten Hag, Ferdinand told TNT Sports: “He’s not the long-term answer and he would tell you that himself, he is an honest player, honest pro. He’s had a fantastic career. I don’t think he should have ever been allowed to leave the club when he did anyway.
“But right now, if you’re an opposition player and you see Evans, no disrespect to him, you’re thinking, ‘He couldn’t get in the Leicester team, and he’s playing here today. I fancy my chances of giving him a right go today’. But Jonny Evans is made of strong stuff and he won’t make it easy for anybody.”
Fellow pundit Peter Crouch reasoned: “He’s been brought in for this reason. Varane, Maguire, the centre halves are out. He’s always going to be a squad player and he’s never going to be a first-choice. He’s a good squad player, he’s a professional. I played against Jonny and it was always a difficult game. He can play.”
