Manchester United earned a 1-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon thanks to Anthony Martial's second-half strike.
The French forward powered an effort past Nick Pope nine minutes after the restart for the match-winning moment - one of just two on-target attempts for the visitors.
Despite struggling to truly get going, the Red Devils were not put under a great deal of pressure at the other end and held on to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded in Lancashire with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Burnley and Manchester United at Turf Moor. The sides last faced off a month ago, playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Boxing Day in a match that saw the Red Devils recover from a couple of goals behind.
This is a fixture that United tend to do well in, though, losing just one of the last 24 encounters, and three more points this afternoon will leave them well on course to finish as the best of the rest behind runaway leaders Manchester City. Some positive results last week perhaps leaves the door slightly ajar in terms of overhauling their rivals, but they can barely afford to drop any more points for that to happen.
MANCHESTER UNITED TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Young; Matic, Pogba; Mata, Lingard, Martial; Lukaku
SUBS: Romero, Rojo, Shaw, Fellaini, Herrera, McTominay, Rashford
Starting with a look at the away side, Jose Mourinho has made just one change to the side that beat Stoke City 3-0 earlier this week. Ashley Young returns from a three-match ban to take over from Luke Shaw, who was heavily praised by his manager in the build-up to this match. A case of bringing in some fresh legs at the back as far as Mourinho is concerned, with Antonio Valencia - a scorer against Stoke - retained out on the right.
Mourinho has just been speaking to the press and says the decision to bring in Young is to give his side 'the specific qualities' against today's opponents - i.e, someone who can get up the pitch and potentially in behind. United are unchanged elsewhere, then, meaning that Romelu Lukaku will once again lead the line, aiming to improve on a rather disappointing return of one goal in 10 games against top-half sides this season.
At the other end of the field, David de Gea yet again boasts hugely impressive stats this term - an unrivalled 13 clean sheets in the Premier League, including one in each of his last three outings. There is also a starting spot in midfield for Paul Pogba; increasingly the most important player in the Red Devils' rank, with a joint-high nine assists in the top flight, four of which have come in his last two matches.
BURNLEY TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Cork, Arfield; Defour, Gudmundsson, Hendrick; Barnes
SUBS: Lindegaard, Lowton, Nkoudou, Vokes, Westwood, Wells, Long
In terms of the home side, there is news of one change as Scott Arfield takes over from Sam Vokes. That means the Clarets will go with just the one striker this afternoon - Ashley Barnes - with three attacking midfielders behind him to offer support. Arfield is back involved after missing the 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace last time out with a hamstring strain, while full-back Charlie Taylor is included despite nursing sore ribs.
Chris Wood and Stephen Ward remain absent from the Burnley squad, and there is also no room for Jonathan Walters - linked with Championship basement side Sunderland this month - as he has undergone minor knee surgery. Wales international Sam Vokes instead provides the back-up option in attack from the bench, and it would not be at all surprising to see him - as was the case at Old Trafford - as the match transpires.
Former United goalkeeper Tom Heaton returned to training this week and will soon provide competition for Nick Pope, who has done well since being called upon earlier in the campaign. A familiar look to the back four, which comprises Ben Mee and James Tarkowski in the middle - a solid centre-back duo which will be hard to break down this afternoon. It is then down to the returning Arfield, alongside Jeff Hendrick and Johann Berg Gudmundsson to provide some support to Barnes up top.
Luke Shaw was described as one of the best left-backs around on current form by boss Jose Mourinho this week, but the Portuguese has brought Ashley Young straight back into the side following his return from a three-match ban. That is the one and only change made from the comprehensive 3-0 win over Stoke City; the same number made by opposite number Sean Dyche.
Burnley aiming to get their Premier League season back up and running this afternoon, then, having stuttered over the last month. Despite going seven games without a win in all competitions, the Clarets still find themselves seventh in the table and just five points off a European berth, while Leicester City are three points further back. Finishing in the top six was always unlikely, of course, and now holding onto their current position is the big target.
It must be remembered that Burnley enjoyed a quite incredible first half to the campaign, rightly being heralded as the surprise package after being tipped - as ever - to struggle this term. Victory over Stoke City on December 12 left them inside the top four, in fact, but that has proved to be their most recent victory as they are winless in six league outings since then.
Prior to that, Burnley had won six games out of eight - four of those coming by that slender 1-0 scoreline - to leave supporters wondering if they could sustain a serious challenge for a European spot. Fatigue has played a big part in their downturn in results, having put in so much effort across the opening four months of the campaign with such a small squad. New signings, then, would be ideal during the January window.
The Clarets now need to find some momentum again, which will not be easy as they take on Man United and Man City in back-to-back home games, either side of a trip to strugglers Newcastle United. Turf Moor was a fortress of sorts at one point, though Liverpool left here with a 2-1 win recently - Ragnar Klavan netting the winner in the dying embers of the match - and Tottenham Hotspur also prevailed 3-0.
There was also that defeat to Crystal Palace last time out, and Dyche's men went down 4-1 to Man City in the FA Cup third round following a decent showing in the first half. Burnley did go to Old Trafford and pick up a 2-2 draw during this seven-match winless run, however, so the result have not been all that bad. In fact, that was a match the Lancashire outfit deserved to win after racing into a two-goal lead.
Jesse Lingard, a starter just off Lukaku this afternoon, was the difference in the match as he came off the bench to score twice - the second coming in the final seconds - and earn his side a share of the spoils. Burnley were better positioned heading into that match on Boxing Day, but they are now looking over their shoulder at Leicester and will hope to fend off the 2015-16 champions for as long as possible.
Burnley head into this match on the back of three-successive defeats in league and cup competition since the start of 2018; not since 1987 have they lost four matches to begin a calendar year. The Clarets have also shipped 12 goals in their last six matches overall, having previously let in 14 across 20 fixtures - the type of record that had the neutral thinking that maybe, just maybe, they could sustain their form from the first half of the campaign.
DID YOU KNOW? Burnley are winless in all 48 Premier League matches under Sean Dyche in which they have conceded the first goal, losing 39 of those. This afternoon's clash at Old Trafford marks Dyche's 100th outing as a top-flight manager, incidentally, with the first of those coming against Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side in August 2014 - a 3-1 home loss.
Sean "I don't eat worms and never have done" Dyche takes charge of his 100th Premier League game this afternoon. The Clarets have had a season to remember thus far, even if they are winless in seven games since before Christmas, and have a real chance of sealing a league-high finish of seventh. To do that they need to get back on track at Turf Moor - a ground that has witnessed just 16 goals, some eight fewer than any other venue.
United make the trip to Lancashire occupying second place in the Premier League table. The Red Devils' advantage over one member of the chasing pack has been completely closed already today, with champions Chelsea thrashing Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 on the south coast to draw level on points with Mourinho's men. Still, the visitors are strong favourites to win this game in hand and move back ahead.
It was a good weekend for Man United last time out, as Man City - now 12 points better off - tasted defeat for the first time this term, while Arsenal and Chelsea also continued to stutter. The only downside of the Citizens losing was that Liverpool put three more points on the board, leaving them right behind the Red Devils in what is likely to be a tight race for that runners-up spot.
United are the side providing the sternest competition to City at the moment, reducing the gap to 12 points last time out and just about keeping the door ajar. All Mourinho's men can do for now is win game after game and hope that City's mini blip - one win in three for them - continues for a little while longer. The Red Devils' sticky patch between Christmas and the New Year is likely to cost them, though.
The Red Devils, title favourites before the season began, drew three matches in a row over that short period of time - including at home to Burnley - to effectively end their realistic hopes of landing the title. They have since overcome Everton away and Stoke at home, however, while also edging past Derby County in the third round of the FA Cup here thanks to a couple of late strikers from Lingard and Lukaku.
Mourinho was happy with his side's professional display against Stoke, having scored three times and kept a fourth clean sheet in a row in all competitions; a run that spans back to the 2-2 draw with Burnley on December 26. This match provides a good chance to reduce the gap on Man City to nine points, even if it is just for 24 hours or so, while also putting at least six points between themselves at Tottenham Hotspur ahead of their big clash on January 31.
Before that meeting with Spurs at Wembley Stadium comes a trip to Yeovil Town in round four of the FA Cup, while a double-header against Sevilla in the last 16 of the Champions League is also now on the horizon. Man United still battling on three fronts this season, then, having won two trophies - three including the Community Shield - in Mourinho's first campaign at the Old Trafford helm.
United head into this match on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions since being eliminated from the EFL Cup at the hands of Bristol City a month ago. The visitors have also picked up 13 points from the last 15 on offer away from home, scoring 13 goals in the process, and overall they have netted at least twice in all but one of their last six matches. Momentum is slowly starting to be built back up.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Burnley have won one of their last 24 meetings with Manchester United in all competitions - a 1-0 triumph in the Premier League nine years ago. Robbie Blake scored the winner on that occasion, with that the only goal the Red Devils have conceded at Turf Moor in their last nine trips here. The Clarets, though, did score twice in that aforementioned reverse fixture at Old Trafford last month.
With kickoff in Lancashire now less than five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Sean Dyche: "If you look, every single club, other than the top six, have had various spells like we've just had. Some, who are struggling a little bit down at the bottom, have had three or four spells. That's how difficult the Premier League is. When we had a really good run I said the margins were tight and we were on the right side of them. We want to get back to doing that."
Jose Mourinho: "I think clearly everybody knows that we are there [with Alexis Sanchez] and especially when the Arsenal manager speaks so clearly like he did, there is no point in trying to hide or deny it. But [the transfer] is not done at all, so in this moment [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan is our player, Sanchez is an Arsenal player and with a match tomorrow, I want to switch off and focus on the most important thing, which is the match."
Dyche wants to see his side get back to winning matches by slender margins, rather than being on the wrong end of narrow defeats, which was the case against Liverpool and Crystal Palace. Mourinho was talking specifically about the impending arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, meanwhile, with that transfer expected to go through before the Red Devils head to Yeovil Town for their next outing in six days' time.
KICKOFF! A busy afternoon in the Premier League, with plenty of focus on events at Turf Moor where Manchester United can reduce the gap on leaders Manchester City to nine points. Burnley will have ideas of their own, though, as they look to keep hold of seventh place.
The temperature has dropped to two°C in Lancashire, and there is also a big of fog to add to the difficult conditions. United probing away early on, but Pogba ran out of grass to run into down the left when attempting to cross the ball.
Burnley not making it easy for United in and around the box. Mata was slipped through but, for the second time already, his delivery is lacking and Pope was able to collect the cross with ease. A case of remaining patient for the Red Devils.
Half a chance for Tarkowski, who drifted off his man towards the back post but headed the ball well wide of goal. That was the first real sight of goal for either side so far, and an opportunity that the centre-back should have made more of.
SHOT! Good, direct play from Burnley for the first shot on target. Barnes was unable to get a shot away inside the box due to a good challenge from Jones, but Hendrick sent the loose ball down the middle for De Gea to keep out with ease.
Just the one shot at either end of the field so far, coming via Hendrick a couple of minutes ago. This match is pretty much panning out as expected - United having to work very hard to get through the two lines of Burnley defence.
Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Alex Ferguson both watching on from the Turf Moor stand this afternoon. All five members of United's backline, including goalkeeper De Gea, were brought to the club by legendary boss Ferguson.
SHOT! Pogba with a great run in behind, and the French midfielder manages to get a boot to Young's deep delivery. A very difficult chance, though, with the ball being looped over the Burnley net and out for a a goal kick.
Gudmundsson cuts inside and sends in a shot-cross that De Gea was able to get to ahead of a Burnley player. It has been an evenly-matched contest so far in Lancashire, with both teams creating a couple of half-chances.
For the first time today Burnley's shape deteriorates and Martial has a chance to get a shot away inside the box. The curled attempt would no doubt have found the far corner, but it hit an opposition player on its way through.
Burnley have been impressive in the opening quarter of the match. Not only have they looked stable at the back, the division's seventh-best side have also looked to get forward and got a couple of shots on De Gea's goal already.
Pogba playing very high up the pitch at the moment - the most advanced United player on a couple of occasions - but he cannot find that one killer assist. So far, so good as far as the hosts are concerned, as they look to frustrate their opponents.
Twenty-five minutes on the clock and there is still very little to separate the two sides. Burnley were a goal up at this stage when the sides faced off on Boxing Day, remember, before adding a second to their tally before half time.
The Clarets' best spell of the match so far, which ends with Hendrick being given time and space to chest down the ball and volley goalwards 12 yards out. A rather scuffed attempt in the end, but one that is applauded by home fans.
There is no denying that Pogba is the most important player in United's side. The Frenchman growing in influence here, bossing the final third of the field and nearly getting on the end of a return pass that sailed over his head.
Burnley win themselves a corner which Mee managed to get his head on the end of but, under pressure from Valencia, he could not keep it down and the ball ended well over the crossbar. United attack and Valencia goes flying over the hoardings.
YELLOW CARD! Ben Mee clatters right through Lingard and is shown the game's first yellow card by Mike Dean. The referee did well to play advantage for 10 seconds or so, but a stray pass ended Man United's attack.
Mike Dean again does well to play advantage as Burnley hit United on the counter, but the ball does not arrive in the box. Not seen a great deal of goalmouth action at Turf Moor in this first half, though it has been a gripping enough contest.
Martial, not for the first time, is picked out in a good position and can charge at the opposition backline. Unlike before when shooting into a home player, though, this time he attempts to pick out a teammate and it is cleared away.
United are still awaiting their first attempt on target, with just six minutes left to play until half time. Dyche will be delighted by what he has seen from the Clarets so far at Turf Moor, having just about created the better of the openings.
Pogba guilty of overplaying and Arfield snatches the ball away from him. A real scare for United, only for the offside flag to go up and rescue them somewhat. The Red Devils have been below par throughout this first half.
CLOSE! United with their first serious effort of the afternoon, coming via the boot of Young after bursting into the box from the left wing and curling the ball inches wide of the target. Tight angle but it so nearly came off for him.
Just the one minute of added time to come at Turf Moor. No real sign of the deadlock being broken, though United did come close through that Young curler a few moments ago in a half that has seen both sides show the odd glimmer in attack.
HALF TIME: BURNLEY 0-0 MANCHESTER UNITED
Referee Mike Dean brings the opening 45 minutes to a close, with neither side able to find the breakthrough thus far. Manchester United did not manage a serious effort until the closing stages, coming close through a Ashley Young curler, and Burnley will be the happier of the two sides at this midway point.
Less than a month on from their most recent meeting, which saw United recover from a couple of goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, United again took time to get going. Burnley edged things in the opening 45 minutes, in fact, getting in the half's only serious shot on target nine minutes in through Jeff Hendrick.
The midfielder pounced on a loose ball after Ashley Barnes had been denied by a Phil Jones block, only to pick out David de Gea - who has not conceded a single goal since the reverse meeting - down the middle. Paul Pogba was slowly growing in influence, playing as United's most advanced player at times and flicking the ball over the bar from a deep Ashley Young cross.
Hendrick chested down a cross into the box and scuffed his volley wide as the Clarets continued to have the better of things in an attacking sense, but the closest either side came to a breakthrough in a tight first half was via a curled attempt from Young. After bursting into the box from the left, the full-back - back in the side following a three-match suspension - sent his shot drifting past the far post from a tight angle.
BENCH WATCH!
BURNLEY SUBS: Lindegaard, Lowton, Nkoudou, Vokes, Westwood, Wells, Long
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Romero, Rojo, Shaw, Fellaini, Herrera, McTominay, Rashford
RESTART! We are back under way at Turf Moor, where both sides remain unchanged from the first half. United perhaps showed a sign of what is to come at the end of the opening 45, with Young coming close and Martial also sending a shot wide.
United seeing a fair bit of the ball in the early stages of the second half. The Red Devils just could not get going in that first half, failing to register a single on-target attempt as the likes of Lingard, Mata and Pogba struggled to create.
Some good play from Lingard before losing the ball on the edge of the box. Lukaku wanted to strike the loose ball first time but was blocked out, allowing Burnley to put together a counter-attack that did not come to much.
The longer the match continues like this, the more likely Mourinho is to make a change come the hour mark. The Red Devils dominating possession at the moment but they are not really getting anywhere, still yet to test home keeper Nick Pope.
GOAL! BURNLEY 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED (ANTHONY MARTIAL)
Well this is the worst United have played in a long while, but they have opened the scoring through a deadly Martial finish. Lukaku picks up the ball on the right and picks out the Frenchman inside the box with some good awareness, allowing Martial to blast the ball past Pope via the crossbar.
That really was a terrific finish from Martial, placing the ball out of Pope's reach to open the scoring through his side's first shot on target. Mata and Young team up to take out Barnes on the edge of the opposition box - free kick to follow.
OFF THE BAR! Almost the perfect response from Burnley, as Gudmundsson takes on the free kick from 22 yards and picks out the top of the crossbar. De Gea was scrambling across and was unlikely to get to it had it been a few inches lower.
Burnley enjoying their best spell of the match, having stepped things up since going a goal down. A penalty shout has just been turned down after a header hit Smalling, but replays suggest that it was the Englishman's chest - and not arm - that made contact.
United having to pretty much defend non-stop since edging in front. Mourinho may now be tempted to bring on some fresh legs up top, with Marcus Rashford the most likely candidate to come on. Marouane Fellaini also an option in midfield.
A swift United counter culminates in Martial getting into the box and picking out Lukaku alongside him, but the Belgian's strike was not clean and was deflected aside. The Red Devils could do with a second just to settle themselves down a tad.
YELLOW CARD! Phil Bardsley, formerly of Man United, goes in late on Chris Smalling and is rightly shown the game's second booking, following teammate Ben Mee in referee Mike Dean's notebook. United turning the screw a little now.
YELLOW CARD! Things just threatening to boil over now, as Pogba becomes the latest to see yellow after lunging in to win the ball from Jack Cork but failing to do so. This match remains delicately poised with 20 minutes to go.
CHANCE! Burnley's best chance of the match by quite some distance. Gudmundsson is slotted in behind down the right and sends the ball right across goal, but Tarkowski could not get a telling touch - may have taken a nick off Smalling.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Mourinho changes things around by bringing on Fellaini for Mata in midfield, likely now going with three men in front of his four-man backline. Defour was also cautioned at the same time as Pogba a few minutes ago.
United badly struggling to keep hold of the ball in midfield, allowing Burnley to put together attack after attack. Pogba did well to change that, charging a good 50 or 60 yards up the field but seeing his shot blocked by Mee.
YELLOW CARD! Nemanja Matic goes takes out Scott Arfield and is rightly booked by referee Mike Dean. Decent chance for Barnes from the free kick, glancing his free header wide of the Man United goal. Still time for a late twist.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Here come the fresh legs of Marcus Rashford, who is given a 10-minute runout in place of Jesse Lingard. Burnley constantly probing away at the moment, without creating any killer chances.
BURNLEY SUBS! The game being constantly broke up by changes at the moment. A home debut for Georges-Kevin N'Koudou who, along with Sam Vokes, is on for the final nine minutes or so. Arfield and Hendrick the players to make way.
The hosts with two men up top now, then, with Vokes adding some height alongside Barnes. This match is far from over, as the Clarets look lively when they throw bodies forward and have it in them to find a way past David de Gea.
Burnley unable to find some momentum following the numerous stoppages in play. Some great footwork from Martial in the Clarets' box, but he was unable to create a yard of space for himself and the hosts cleared their lines.
Gudmundsson sends a tasty delivery towards the front post, where Vokes was waiting to glance it home. He would have done, at least, if not for some terrific defending from Chris Smalling to keep his side's clean sheet intact.
SAVE! Still just the one shot on target from United, which is looking increasingly like being the winner at the moment. Right on cue, Martial with a powerful left-footed shot which Pope does very well to keep out with his right arm.
The first minute of five added on has passed by with little incident. Wells is also now on for Barnes as Dyche throws on a different type of threat up top alongside fellow sub Sam Vokes. Can Burnley create one last attacking chance?
MANCHESTER UNITED SUB! Vokes not far wide at all with his attempt, as Burnley fight to the very end. United make their third and final change, with Herrera on for Martial to pack out the middle of the park late on.
FULL TIME: BURNLEY 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED
The full-time whistle sounds at Turf Moor! Manchester United's momentum continues to build, earning a 1-0 win over Burnley through Anthony Martial's well-taken strike nine minutes into the second half. That was just one of two on-target attempts for the visitors; the other also coming via the French forward late on in the match.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Lancashire. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from this and all the day's other games can be found elsewhere on the site in due course. Thanks for joining!
