Late goal against Burnley at home gives Manchester United season’s first win
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Manchester United's Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes celebrating after scoring the winner from the penalty spot during the 3-2 English Premier League triumph over Burnley at Old Trafford on Aug 30, 2025.
PHOTO: AFP
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MANCHESTER – Manchester United gave embattled manager Ruben Amorim a reprieve with a last-gasp 3-2 English Premier League win over Burnley at Old Trafford on Aug 30.
It was the Red Devils’ first win this season and came after their shock League Cup exit at fourth-tier Grimsby Town in midweek.
Goalscorer Bryan Mbeumo told the BBC: “We had the game with us in the first half, but we had to fight every minute. I’m very happy... As a striker, it is important to be confident with goals.”
The Red Devils started strongly after their turgid Cup performance and had no shortage of chances before they opened the scoring in the 27th minute.
Mbeumo had two good opportunities in the 14th and 15th minute after he was set up by good passes by Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount, but he could not convert either.
On 16 minutes, the Red Devils thought they had a spot kick when Mount looked to be fouled by Kyle Walker, but after consulting the pitchside monitor, referee Samuel Barrott overturned his original decision.
Eleven minutes later, United finally found their opener when Casemiro’s header from a corner hit the bar, bounced onto Josh Cullen and into Martin Dubravka’s goal.
Burnley’s only opportunity of the opening period came on 37 minutes. After a flurry of stepovers, Jacob Bruun Larsen picked out Hannibal Mejbri inside the box, but the former United youngster scooped his shot well over.
But that proved a momentary pause to United’s flood of first-half chances, as Mount’s glancing header from a corner hit the top of the bar soon after.
Minutes after he tested Dubravka with a powerful shot, Amad Diallo should have made it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time.
Following a devastating counter-attack, Mbeumo picked out the Ivorian in the box, but he somehow blazed over with just the goalkeeper to beat.
Ten minutes after the break, the Clarets scored with their first shot on target when Lyle Foster got on the end of Bruun Larsen’s cross to divert the ball past Altay Bayindir in the United goal.
But, less than 15 seconds later, United were ahead again.
Substitute Joshua Zirkzee flicked on a long punt forward to Diogo Dalot, whose cross found Mbeumo inside the box for his first Premier League goal since his summer arrival from Brentford.
But nine minutes later, Burnley made it 2-2 after Bayindir could not hold on to Loum Tchaouna’s shot from a corner and Jaidon Anthony bundled the ball home off Kobbie Mainoo.
However, Anthony’s joy turned to misery in added time, when the referee awarded United a penalty for his tug on Amad’s jersey in the box.
Fernandes exorcised the demons of his missed penalty in United’s last league match against Fulham by dispatching the 97th-minute spot-kick winner.
Earlier on Aug 30, Joao Pedro scored from Enzo Fernandez’s corner before the Argentinian converted a penalty to give Chelsea a 2-0 home win over Fulham in the West London derby, securing their second Premier League victory in a row.
“We didn’t start very well, but we scored and had half-time to organise the team,” Pedro told TNT Sports. “When I scored, the team had more time to organise and then go to the half-time.”
The hosts had an early setback when Liam Delap went down clutching a hamstring in the 13th minute and walked straight into the tunnel after the medics had taken a look.
“Injury doesn’t look good. He was full speed, hamstring, so that requires weeks,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. REUTERS
