Manchester United 2 Burnley 2: Lindelof salvages dramatic draw

Manchester United scored two late goals in the space of five minutes as they came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Burnley at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood appeared to have set Burnley on course for a first away win against United since September 1962 and inflict a first defeat on caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, Paul Pogba’s 87th-minute penalty and an injury-time strike from Victor Lindelof – his first for the club – salvaged a point for the home side that could yet prove important in the race for the top four.

Marcus Rashford scuffed a glorious early chance wide and Barnes could have punished that miss were it not for a vital interception by the returning Phil Jones.

Pogba had the ball in the net but was pulled up by a correct offside call, as United endured a frustrating end to a half in which they struggled to reach top gear and failed to have a shot on target.

And Old Trafford was stunned six minutes after the restart, when Barnes fired high into the net from just inside the box after Andreas Pereira was robbed of possession by Jack Cork.

PIC:  pic.twitter.com/JO8ZQNt5ZJ

— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) January 29, 2019

United at last upped the tempo and Tom Heaton denied Rashford from distance before producing a stunning stop to claw the ball away from the right-hand post after Romelu Lukaku’s touch.

A poor touch from Rashford spoiled another good chance for United, and it was duly punished once again, with Wood rising high to nod home Ashley Westwood’s cross.

United surged forward and Pogba swept a spot-kick into the top-left corner to give them some hope, after Jeff Hendrick had tugged down Jesse Lingard.

And in the second minute of injury time, Lindelof turned in the rebound after Heaton kept out Alexis Sanchez’s header to rescue a share of the spoils.

FULL-TIME Man Utd 2-2 Burnley

Two goals down with time running out, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side stage a dramatic fightback to salvage a point#MUNBUR pic.twitter.com/excMEhBUxP

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 29, 2019

What does it mean? No record for Solskjaer as top-four hopes suffer blow

Solskjaer failed to become the first manager to win his first seven Premier League matches in charge of a club, although this was very nearly a more damaging result than it proved to be.

Despite Lindelof’s dramatic leveller, Arsenal’s win over Cardiff City sees United slip two points behind the Gunners, and they will be five adrift of the top-four places if Chelsea beat Bournemouth on Wednesday.

Burnley are now four points clear of the bottom three, although conceding such a late equaliser after so much good defensive work will have undoubtedly hurt.

A Barnes-torming showing from Burnley’s number 10

Barnes did so much good work pressing United’s centre-backs to limit their build-up play, he deserved his goal. And he took it in spectacular style.

Has Pereira blown his chance?

This was Pereira’s first league start since August and it did not go to plan. The midfielder was ineffective in the first half and gifted Cork the ball to allow Barnes to break the deadlock before being withdrawn. How many more opportunities will he get in the United first team?

Key Opta facts

– Manchester United came from two goals down to draw against Burnley for the second time in as many Premier League meetings at Old Trafford, also doing so against the Clarets in December 2017.
– Paul Pogba has both scored and missed a Premier League penalty against Burnley this season, failing from the spot at Turf Moor in September but scoring here.
– Victor Lindelof became the fourth Swedish player to score in the Premier League for Manchester United, after Jesper Blomqvist, Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
– Sean Dyche has never lost a Premier League game on Tuesday as Burnley manager, winning three and drawing three of six matches.

What’s next?

United head to Leicester City on Sunday, the day after Burnley host Southampton.