Preview
Thursday will see Man United take to the field for the final time in 2021, with the Premier League giants aiming for one thing and one thing only: to make amends for their recent embarrassing performance. The Red Devils will be facing Burnley, one of this season's many relegation-battling sides, in their final fixture of this calendar year in what should be an intriguing tie at Old Trafford.
Typically, a team as huge as Man United are expected to coast to victory when facing a relegation-battling club. However, given how their clash with Newcastle went down a few days back, question marks linger over the Premier League giants and their ability to turn their season around.
Rangnick's men visited the Magpies in their most recent fixture, and given that Eddie Howe's side have been one of the worst teams in the league, the Red Devils should have walked away with all three points. However, Cristiano and Co. came out of that tie fortunate to have even picked up a single point as Cavani's second-half goal earned the visitors a 1-1 draw.
And to make things worse, this was not the first time this has occurred. Man United were frustrated by Norwich, another relegation-battling team, in the game before that, needing a late Cristiano Ronaldo penalty in order to come away from Carrow Road with the three points. Rangnick's tactics were questioned, but the most worrying aspect from the Newcastle draw was the commitment and understanding from the players – or lack thereof it.
Will they turn things around at home to Burnley? Sean Dyche will be hoping that it does not happen as the Clarets will need as many points as possible in their fight to stay up.
The visitors are currently 18th in the table with 11 points, which is the same as 19th-placed Newcastle but two behind 17th-placed Watford. However, one thing going in their favor is the games in hand. Burnley have not been in action since December 12 when they drew 0-0 with West Ham, with their showdowns against Watford, Aston Villa, and Everton all being postponed.
As a result, the Clarets have three games in hand over Leeds, who are in 16th with 16 points. Furthermore, they have played two fewer games than Watford and have four in hand over Newcastle. Tarkowski and Co. are fully capable of picking up points in all three of the aforementioned delayed fixtures, be it one or all three, and that could put valuable distance between themselves and the danger zone.
While Dyche's men have won only once this season, they have still been a tough side to beat, losing only six matches in the Premier League. Will Man United make it seven defeats for Burnley or will the away side grab a shock victory at Old Trafford? Tune in to find out.
Team news
Man Utd: COVID-19 keeps Lindelof out of contention while Pogba remains on the treatment table due to his thigh injury. Bruno Fernandes is suspended, which means Van de Beek could be afforded a rare start. All eyes will be on the attack, however, with Rashford and Greenwood both disappointing in the recent Newcastle draw, meaning Sancho and Cavani could return to the lineup.
Burnley: Barnes and Roberts are both out but Cornet has recovered from injury and could make his return on Thursday.
Key stats
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Burnley's only victory this season came back in October, with the Clarets drawing seven times in their last 10 outings.
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Man United are unbeaten in their last four fixtures.
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However, the Red Devils are yet to score more than one goal in a game under Rangnick.
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Man United have lost six home games in 2021 and could suffer seven Old Trafford defeats in a calendar year for the first time since 1986.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
