Manchester United vs Burnley. Premier League.
Old TraffordAttendance75,046.
Tuesday 26 December 2017 23:22, UK
Substitute Jesse Lingard scored twice as Manchester United came back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against Burnley at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
Ashley Barnes turned home as United failed to clear a Johann Berg Gudmundsson's free-kick after three minutes, and Steven Defour made it 2-0 before half-time with a superb, curling free-kick from well outside the box.
Half-time substitute Lingard missed a sitter from close range, before flicking home brilliantly to halve the deficit (53).
Lingard then drew United level in the first minute of stoppage time with a half-volley to earn a point for the hosts, and deny Burnley their first win at Old Trafford since 1962.
The result means United, without a win in three in all competitions, are 12 points behind leaders Manchester City, who play at Newcastle on Wednesday, while Burnley stay seventh.
United boss Jose Mourinho said Burnley could seriously challenge for European spots this season, and they lived up to the claim in the first half, taking the lead through Barnes' close-range finish after pinball in the box from Gudmundsson's free-kick.
Gudmundsson's fine delivery was then flicked onto the top of the crossbar by Scott Arfield, before Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope denied Luke Shaw from long range and then Paul Pogba's looping header from a corner.
United lay siege on the Burnley goal with some sustained pressure in the first half, but Burnley got their second through Defour's wonderful free-kick, curled into the top left corner from 30 yards.
Mourinho changed it up at half-time, bringing on Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo, and it was Lingard who was heavily involved in the second period.
First, the England midfielder missed a sitter from three yards, seeing his effort hit the face of Pope and then bobble along the crossbar, but he made amends minutes later.
Receiving Ashley Young's low cross from the right, Lingard brilliantly flicked the ball between his legs and found the far corner.
United pressed heavily in the final half an hour, but their next real chance came in the first minute of stoppage time as Lingard drilled a half-volley into the corner of the net from 15 yards, leaving Pope rooted, to save a point for the hosts.
Jose Mourinho: "My verdict? One team had one-and-a-half shots and scored two goals. Another team had the ball, played, createc chances, played with one defender for 45 minutes, had lots of dominance, and scored only two. So for me, that's the verdict.
"I don't want to take credit from them, not at all, that's their game. Not at all any critics for that, credit to them, but my team deserved to win. But the reality of football is that to win you have to score more than the opponent and we didn't."
Sean Dyche: "The achievement is only that we're looking to build on last season. Our only marker is that, and I think we're doing that. I think the play is improving. Are we moving forward as a club, and on the pitch? I think we are.
"We don't want to overthink these things, we'd accept a point here before this game, because it's so tough to come here."
Burnley's tactics for well over an hour at Old Trafford were perfect, and Iceland midfielder Gudmundsson was at the heart of everything Sean Dyche's side in United's half.
His delivery for the opener after two minutes caused havoc in the United defence, and each of his five crosses in the first half caused problems for Phil Jones and Co.
A special mention must go to Kevin Long and Phil Bardsley, both superb in the other box, but Gudmundsson's quality on the ball out wide was equally impressive in an attacking sense.
Man Utd host Southampton on Saturday at 5.30pm, before a trip to Everton on New Year's Day at 5.30pm again, live on Sky Sports Premier League. Burnley are at Huddersfield on Saturday, and then host Liverpool on New Year's Day.
