- Chris Wood - 39'
- Jay Rodríguez - 56'
Woeful Man United humbled at home by 2-0 defeat against Burnley
Manchester suffered a second consecutive defeat in the Premier League after losing 2-0 to Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
After a 2-0 loss at Anfield on Sunday, Chris Wood and Jay Rodriguez scored in each half as United failed to close the gap on the top four.
United fans chanted protest songs aimed at the Glazer family, who have owned the club since 2005, amidst criticism of the club for failing to secure any new additions so far in the January transfer window, there is an air of crisis around United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side remain six points behind Chelsea, while Burnley climb to 13th place after back-to-back wins and secure their first win at Old Trafford since 1962.
After the match, Solskjaer said: "There are loads of thoughts through my mind. At one point it felt like we were creating openings and didn't take them. Now, one of disappointment. We hold our hands up, it is not good enough.
"Burnley scored one wonder goal and one you see them score all the time. When you are dominating and you don't have that cutting edge to score that was disappointing, When they scored, we didn't have an answer."
The club's decline since the departure of manager Alex Ferguson after their last league title in 2013 shows no signs of being reversed and the fans clearly put the blame on the Glazers and their chief executive Ed Woodward more than Solskjaer.
The hosts enjoyed the best chances in the first half but Anthony Martial and Juan Mata failed to convert from two Aaron Wan-Bissaka crosses.
Burnley took advantage of United's wastefulness after 38 minutes when Ben Mee flicked on Ashley Westwood's free kick for Wood to smash home.
After the break, Burnley scored a second after 56 minutes when Rodriguez produced a stunning strike into the top corner.
Thousands of fans flooded out of Old Trafford well before the end of the game while the hardcore supporters in the Stretford End chose to stay and continue to make their feelings known.
Luke Shaw had a late goal ruled out as United struggled to create any clear cut opportunity after Burnley's second, but Solskjaer refused to question his players' effort.
"The players are giving everything, they have done absolutely fantastic so far this season but they know it wasn't good enough tonight," Solskjaer said.
"The boys looked mentally tired towards the end, we didn't find that creativity. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. When you are at Man United you are privileged because you are playing for the best club in the world. Sometimes you go through periods like that and it is a test I am sure they are going to come through."
However, former United defender Rio Ferdinand was highly critical of the team in his role as a match pundit for BT Sport following the game.
"[In the] 84th minute I saw people get up and go. That is unheard of at this stadium. Seeing people leave with disdain on their face. It is an embarrassment. The downward spiral in seven years has been remarkable," Ferdinand said.
Since the start of 2020, United have lost three out of their four league matches by the same result of 2-0 and have not beaten Burnley at Old Trafford since 2015.
Next up for United is a fourth-round FA Cup match against the winner of the replay between Watford and Tranmere Rovers (stream live on ESPN+ on Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. ET).
Game Information
English Premier League Standings
Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liverpool | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | +15 | 28 |
Manchester City | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | +9 | 23 |
Chelsea | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | +9 | 22 |
Arsenal | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | +9 | 22 |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | +5 | 22 |
Nottingham Forest | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | +2 | 19 |
Aston Villa | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
Newcastle United | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | +2 | 18 |
Fulham | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 18 |
Brentford | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 17 |
Tottenham Hotspur | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | +10 | 16 |
Manchester United | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
AFC Bournemouth | 12 | 4 | 3 | 5 | -1 | 15 |
West Ham United | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | -6 | 12 |
Everton | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | -7 | 11 |
Leicester City | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -8 | 10 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -8 | 9 |
Crystal Palace | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -7 | 8 |
Ipswich Town | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | -10 | 8 |
Southampton | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | -14 | 4 |