Manchester United have had a week from hell, with no wins in their opening 3 games of the season, including the midweek loss to Grimsby in the League Cup. With goalkeeping issues, a midfield that seems unbalanced and a new look forward line yet to see returns on investment, Amorim has felt the pressure heavily with talk over his job and future being exaggerated by his own words post-match midweek.

A home clash against Burnley shouldn’t feel make or break, but give this is the last game before the international break when early changes are made for underperforming clubs, it felt crucial if the project is to be backed fully under the manager. Burnley have made a solid start thus far to their return to the top-flight, but with United starting the game fast once again as they’ve become known to do, old errors crept back in, requiring some late Old Trafford magic to secure the first 3 points of the season and get United into the top-half of the table.

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Teams

Manchester United: Bayindir, Shaw, De Ligt, Yoro (Mazraoui 85′), Dalot, Fernandes, Casemiro (Sesko 72′), Amad, Mount (Mainoo 46′), Mbeumo, Cunha (Zirkzee 31′)

Subs: Onana, Heaven, Maguire, Ugarte, Dorgu

Burnley: Dubravka, Hartman, Esteve, Ekdal (Worrall 83′), Walker, Cullen, Ugochukwu (Laurent 76′), Anthony, Mejbri (Tchaouna 65′), Larsen (Sonne 82′), Foster

Subs: Hladky, Pires, Ramsey, Edwards, Flemming

Manchester United 3-2 Burnley

The drama at Old Trafford came to a head in stoppage time as Bruno Fernandes netted a decisive penalty to seal a breath-taking 3–2 victory over newly promoted Burnley, giving Manchester United their first win of the Premier League season. The breakthrough arrived in the 27th minute, courtesy of a deflected effort. United dominated early proceedings, though they couldn’t extend their lead before the break.

Burnley responded quickly after the interval, with Lyle Foster levelling in the early second half. Yet hardly had the home fans caught their breath when Bryan Mbeumo, scoring his first Premier League goal for United, restored the lead just two minutes later. The visitors struck again in the 67th minute, as Jaidon Anthony profited from a defensive mix-up to draw Burnley level for a second time.

The match looked set to peter out as a draw, until late drama intervened. In the dying embers, VAR indicated a foul by Anthony on Amad Diallo in the box. After reviewing, referee Sam Barrott awarded the spot kick to United, much to Burnley’s fury. Fernandes calmly converted from 12 yards, sending Old Trafford wild and earning United a vital three points.

United’s win brought a welcome sense of relief following their midweek embarrassment at home against League Two side Grimsby Town in the League Cup. Manager Ruben Amorim, under pressure, will have drawn some solace from this gritty display, even if the performance exposed defensive fragility and finishing issues. A painful setback came early in the match as summer signing Matheus Cunha was forced off injured, leaving fans concerned about his fitness going forward after the international break.

Talking Points

For Manchester United, this was a win that simply had to come. After a poor start to the campaign and the humiliation of being dumped out of the League Cup by League Two Grimsby in midweek, Old Trafford was a restless place before kick-off. Ruben Amorim’s side did not always convince, but three points against Burnley offer a much-needed shot of relief. The manager will know it wasn’t perfect, defensive vulnerabilities were still laid bare, but at this stage, the result mattered more than the performance.

The story of the afternoon, inevitably, was the late drama. With the game seemingly drifting towards another frustrating draw, VAR intervened deep into stoppage time, handing United the chance to win it from the spot. Bruno Fernandes, cool as ever under pressure, dispatched the penalty to send the Stretford End into raptures. It was the sort of moment United have been missing in recent months, one that can shift momentum, inject belief, and perhaps serve as a turning point in what has been a sluggish start.

Still, the victory did little to mask ongoing issues at the back. Burnley’s equaliser from a set piece once again highlighted United’s frailty in defending dead balls, a theme that has carried over from previous weeks. Bayindir also came under scrutiny, spilling a routine ball that nearly gifted Burnley a goal, and showing uncertainty when crosses rained in. These are habits Amorim must address quickly if United are to avoid further slip-ups against stronger opponents.

Injury concerns only add to the manager’s headaches. New signing Matheus Cunha limped off in the first half, sparking fears of a serious setback just as he was beginning to bed into the side. Mason Mount, meanwhile, was withdrawn with a knock, raising questions over his availability post international break after starting the season brightly.

All of this comes with transfer deadline day looming. United’s hierarchy have been active in the market, but this result underlines that reinforcements are still needed, with a goalkeeper certainly on the shopping list and potentially a late midfield reinforcement. The Fernandes winner may have bought Amorim some breathing room, yet the sense lingers that United are still one or two signings short of being genuine top-four contenders. The next few days could prove just as crucial off the pitch as Saturday was on it.