Marcus Rashford shines as Manchester United brush aside Burnley 2-0

Manchester United are back and in fine form.

With the World Cup in the rear view of many football enthusiasts. The attention is now back with the local club competitions. Five-time League Cup champions  Manchester United blanked Burnley at Old Trafford to book one of the eight spots in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup. Goals in the 37th and 57th minute by Christian Erikson and Marcus Rashford were enough to see the Red Devils through to the next round.

Manchester United has been out of competitive action since November 13th 2022, when they narrowly got by Fulham 2-1 with a 93rd minute strike by Alejandro Garnacho in the English Premier League. That win left the Red Devils in fifth position on 26 points having played one less game than 4th place Tottenham Hotspurs who is on 29 points. While Championship leaders Burnley grinded out a 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough to cement themselves firmly in poll position on 47 points but found it difficult to disrupt a stubborn Manchester United defense.

Manchester United fifth hold on the trophy came in 2017 by beating Southampton in an enthralling 3-2 victory. There is no doubt that Ten Hag will be taking this competition seriously, as he earnestly wants to join the illustrious company of Jose Mourinho to deliver silverware in his first season. After a dismal, performance in last season Premier League Burnley slumped to a 3-1 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford, but the spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw in the return fixture at Turf Moor back in February.

Both teams faced an uphill task of not having the services of their first eleven  whether through injury or fatigue, due to the recent grueling World Cup. With the absence of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez due to their involvement in the World Cup finals and the absence of captain Harry Mcguire due to illness, coach Erik Ten-Hag opted for Casemiro and Victor Lindelöf at center back. Martin Dubraska also got the nod in goal over the Spaniard David De-Gea, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Scott Mctominay, and Alejandro Garnacho made the starting lineup.

The former Manchester City man, Vincent Kompany, made a few changes to his team that beat Middlesbrough over the weekend. Peacock-Farrel started in goal with Ashley Barnes brought in to lead the line Connor Roberts retained his place after his red card from that game was overturned.
United’s first chance came in the 9th minute when Rashford intercepted a poor pass out the back by Harwood-Bellis to set up Bruno Fernandes through the middle. He then threads a delightful ball through to Garnacho, who got it off his feet quickly before hitting a tame shot to Bailey Peacock-Farrell who smothered it up happily.  The Clarets entered the game high on confidence after coming of the tail end of a string of brilliant performances. They enjoyed a great spell of possession during the first quarter but it was all in front of Manchester United in the middle of the park as they found it difficult to penetrate their defense.

The Red Devils finally got their breakthrough in the 27th minute after they quickly won the ball back after their last attack was broken down. The play was switched out wide by Fernandes to Wan-Bissaka on the right. With great athleticism he fizzed it across the face of the goal with his first touch to pick out Erikson who slammed it home in the roof of the net from close range for a 1-0 lead.

Three minutes later Anthony Martial should have made it 2-0 after Cork took a heavy touch off his chest and Fernandes picked his pocket and laid it off to Martial who turned and curled a shot on goal but it went harmlessly in the big palm of Peacock-Farrell.  then placed not into the arms of the Burnley goalkeeper in the 30th minute, with Man United looking dangerous when given time and space in the final third of the field.

Ashley Barnes broke forward from his own half with the ball tied to his feet at full tilt, he then knocked it out wide to Manuel Benson . He pirouetted inside before unleashing a crackerjack low and hard at the near post, but he could only find the side netting in the 34th minute.
The Red Devils escaped an extremely dangerous moment shortly after, as Dubravka failed to make contact on a high ball, which then bounced towards goal, but Wan-Bissaka made the clearance.

A comedy of errors in the 37th minute almost cost Dubravka and his team after he pushed Benson’s shot for a corner but made a mess of the resulting corner kick. He missed the punch and the ball bounces off him onto Rashford before looping towards his net. Casemiro scrambled back to spare his blushes and cleared it off the line.
Immediately on the opposite half Peacock-Farrell did brilliantly to keep out a powerful effort from Martial after he turned his marker inside out, and an eventful opening 45 minutes finished with Eriksen’s goal separating the two sides.

Manchester United picked up where they left off and McTominay should have made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute. Fernades played a sublime ball through to Mctominay he hit it first time but he got his angles all wrong and it curled wide off the near post.

Manchester United began turning the screws and five minutes later they got their reward. Burnley lost the ball high up the field McTominay touched the ball into twinkle toe Rashford who drove the full length of the pitch past Beyer with a lovely bit of footwork on the edge of the box. He then quickly glanced up before drilling his low shot expertly across goal and into the far bottom corner for a 2-0 lead.  In the 68th minute Burnley came close in pulling one back when Gudmundsson little sumptuous dink picked out Darko Churlinov, but the substitute miss fired.

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Debutant Dubravka did well in the 81st minute after getting down low to keep out an effort from Gudmundsson moments before Ian Matsen had a shot Ricocheted wide.
The game trickled down to a walking pace after Barnes tossed up a huge chance after a mistake from Casemiro. It was good night sweet prince after the game ended with the two teams separated by two goals. Manchester united will now play Charlton Athletic in the quarter finals in  2023

The Red Devils will be back in Premier League action against Nottingham Forest on December 27. Burnley, meanwhile, will be bidding to return to winning ways when they host Birmingham City in the Championship on the same night.