Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial scored on their returns to the side as Manchester United improved their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish with a 2-0 win at Burnley on Sunday.
The convincing
victory -- United made light of the season-ending injury to top-scorer
Zlatan Ibrahimovic -- sets up an intriguing Manchester derby visit to
City, now just one point above United, on Thursday.
Martial's
strike in particular was a perfect response from the French
international, whose form had been criticised by boss Jose Mourinho this
week, even if it costs his current club £8.3 million (10 million euros)
in a bonus payment to his former club Monaco.
Martial
responded to those recent public criticisms by starting, and finishing,
a goal of devastating pace and simplicity after 21 minutes.
Having
dispossessed Joey Barton inside his own half, the Frenchman initiated
the counter attack with a sprint and pass to Ander Herrera.
The
Spanish midfielder returned the favour, picking out the run of Martial
perfectly and sliding through a pass for the striker to collect, take a
touch and beat Tom Heaton from six yards.
It
was the 21-year-old’s 25th goal for the Premier League side and
activates an incentive clause which means United must pay Monaco that
additional 10 million euros.
United's
important second goal, after 39 minutes, was far more scrappy but,
potentially, vital for the fates of both clubs this season.
Martial
was again pivotal as he gathered a clever pass from Paul Pogba and
darted towards goal, producing a shot which Heaton did an unconvincing
job of blocking.
The ball broke to
Rooney, who responded more quickly than his marker Michael Keane inside
the six-yard area and forced the ball over the line off the defender,
despite the efforts of Stephen Ward to clear.
It
was only Rooney's third league goal of a season that had threatened to
end with the club’s all-time leading scorer playing only a bit part in
proceedings.
But the injury to
Ibrahimovic, who damaged his knee ligaments in Thursday's Europa League
win over Anderlecht, and Mourinho's desire to rest Marcus Rashford ahead
of Thursday's derby brought him and Martial recalls.
The pair combined early, with the help of Herrera, for a promising Rooney shot which was well blocked by Ben Mee.
A
powerful Marouane Fellaini header from a corner was held by Heaton on
his line and Rooney side-footed a shot just over from a Jesse Lingard
pass.
Burnley, searching for a
much-needed victory in their bid to remove lingering fears of
relegation, offered little first half threat with Mee’s wayward header,
from Robbie Brady’s corner, their only real threat.
Burnley’s
sloppy performance continued in the second half with too many unforced
errors and misplaced passes preventing them finding a quick way back
into the contest.
Indeed, it took Heaton
to keep his team even vaguely in contention as he scurried to his left
and kept out a low shot from Pogba which seemed to be destined for the
corner.
When Burnley did enjoy a rare
United error, with Andre Gray getting the better of Daley Blind on the
right, his cross was cut out well by the impressive Eric Bailly.
Rashford was brought on as a substitute midway through the second half and gave Burnley’s defence more to occupy them.
Last
hopes of any sort of recovery from the home side disappeared on 78
minutes when Keane arrived to meet a free-kick from Brady but could only
head over the crossbar.
