Premier League: Can Clarets Pull Off a Miracle in Manchester?

Manchester United vs Burnley

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley will take the short trip down to Manchester on Saturday afternoon in the hope of producing a shock result at Old Trafford.

The Theatre of Dreams will be packed for the visit of the relegation-threatened Clarets, and the away end will be hoping that this Premier League contest doesn’t end their chances of survival after belatedly getting to grips with their top-flight return.       

Burnley battered Sheffield United 4-1 last week to rekindle their hopes and, arguably, they couldn’t be traveling to meet the Red Devils at a better time.

Erik ten Hag’s side put in a shocking performance against second tier Coventry City in the FA Cup final last week, eventually winning on penalties after a gruelling two and a half hours. And they have a midweek clash with Sheffield United to contend with, while Burnley focus on Saturday.    

Of course, despite Manchester United’s busy schedule and dysfunctional aura and the Clarets’ upturn in form, this should be a home win. And the Premier League 2024 betting odds certainly back that up.

But with apologies to my Red Devils supporting SBOTOP colleague James, I’ll be in the crowd and hoping (and praying) for an upset.

Talking Points

United’s FA Cup exploits confuse fans

The Red Devils’ reunion with former player Mark Robins, now manager of Coventry City, turned out to be something of an embarrassment as Erik ten Hag’s team surrendered a three-goal lead to the Championship side, escaping a last-minute defeat when VAR worked tirelessly to find that a Coventry player was marginally offside in the build up to scrape through to an all-Manchester final.       

But while Manchester City, famously dubbed the “noisy neighbours” by Sir Alex Ferguson, are pushing for their fourth Premier League title in succession, the Red Devils desperately need some success, and that would mean either upsetting the odds in the FA Cup final or finishing strongly in the league, preferably above their current seventh place.

Erik ten Hag is under pressure no doubt, and rumours are raging around a potential departure for the beleaguered boss since fans are becoming impatient.

United clearly have quality in their ranks, and captain Bruno Fernandes is leading from the front with a consistently high level of performance.

And the arrival of academy star Kobbie Mainoo as a mature and influential midfielder has been a real plus, which was all the more bewildering when the manager substituted him on 72 minutes with the score at 3-1.

Coventry exploited the space ruthlessly and took the match to extra time, though they almost won it in injury time, only for VAR to intervene.          

Burnley dreaming of a great escape

If the Premier League 2024 highlights show anything less than dominance by Erik ten Hag’s team, the home fans will become restless very quickly. And Burnley might just have the confidence to exploit any uncertainty in the home ranks.    

If the season had started in March, the Clarets would be mid-table. But it didn’t, and the Clarets are deep in the mire in 19^th place and three points from safety with just four games left.

One defeat in seven games has given Kompany’s young side belief, and some key returns have been crucial to the upturn in form.

The re-appearance of Aro Muric in the goals has given the Burnley backline confidence and enabled them to move from defence to attack more quickly.

Lorenz Assignon and Maxime Esteve arrived on loan from Rennes and Montpellier in January, and they have given the Clarets back four a more confident look.

Striker Lyle Foster has scored five goals and made three assists in his 20 outings, and the South African’s recovery from mental health problems has been a heartwarming story in East Lancashire.

Meanwhile, wide-man Jacob Bruun Larsen, on loan from TSG Hoffenheim, has scored five goals in the league, and Burnley have never lost when he has been on the scoresheet.   

History

Before United’s match with the Blades on Wednesday night, these two teams had identical records over the past six games, with two wins, three draws, and one defeat each.  

In the return match this season, Fernandes scored with a brilliant volley to secure a 1-0 win for the Red Devils, while Zeki Amdouni hit the post for the Clarets.    

During the last nine meetings at Old Trafford, Burnley have picked up a result four times with three draws and a victory and a goal difference of 18-9 to United.

Betting Tip

United are at 1.46 to win this game with Burnley at 5.10, and the draw is priced at 4.46. 2-1 to Manchester United is par for this match, and that score is available at 7.70.

I’m trying not to let my heart rule my head on this one, and so I ask myself what James would think. I suspect he’d say: “You’ve got a decent chance buddy.”

 

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