Manchester United 0-0 Burnley
Man of the Match: Tom Heaton (Burnley)
It was the 90th minute at Old Trafford. Fergie Time, in bygone times. Rarely Moyesy Time, Louis Time or Jose Time more recently. And not, as it transpired, Zlatan Time now. Paul Pogba’s deep cross fell to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, unmarked, three yards from goal. His shot cleared the Burnley bar.
On a day when Manchester United had 36 other attempts at goal, it may be harsh to highlight one miss. Yet it was indicative of the Swede's fortunes that he missed, an indictment of him that United had their most shots in the Premier League since such statistics were first collated 13 years, and more than 500 games, ago. He, and they, ended up goalless. Signed to be prolific, Ibrahimovic has been profligate. Recruited to take such chances, he has gone six league games without a goal. It is his longest drought since 2007.
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The notion he is in decline is growing. So, indisputably, is Wayne Rooney. He also had the opportunity to exert a decisive impact. Instead he capped a cameo by lifting a shot into the Stretford End.
“We fought until the last minute,” said Rui Faria, United’s assistant manager. Yet his presence at the press conference after the strangest of stalemates told a tale in itself. Jose Mourinho was both ubiquitous and absent. He occupied three seats in the stands in the space of six second-half minutes. He had been banished from his usual residence in the dugout, presumably for his half-time comments when referee Mark Clattenburg denied United a penalty after Matteo Darmian flung himself spectacularly to the turf.
“It is not important what Jose said, what is important is what the referee writes in his report,” said Faria. Mourinho already faces one FA charge. Another surely beckons. His loss of temper was compounded by United’s loss of a player. “I think the referee was fantastic,” said Faria sarcastically after Ander Herrera collected twin cautions for fouls on Dean Marney, the first indisputable, the second unfortunate. “I think he slipped accidentally,” said Burnley manager Sean Dyche.
He could afford to be gracious. Burnley are specialising in the unusual. They beat Liverpool despite recording just 19 per cent of possession. They kept a clean sheet at Old Trafford despite being on the end of a bombardment.
They did so with the aid of a United alumnus. Tom Heaton is proof United produce players; too many to graduate to the senior side. He never played at Old Trafford in a United shirt. He excelled against them on a homecoming.
Ibrahimovic’s early chance looked a probable goal. Jesse Lingard’s header seemed to be going in. So did Juan Mata’s low shot. As did Ibrahimovic’s bicycle kick. Heaton repelled all. He showed anticipation and agility, resoluteness and reliability.
“Their goalkeeper was the best player on the pitch,” rued Faria. Dyche jokingly asserted that his captain, who had comparatively little to do last season, had been “saving up” his saves, but stated: “Tom Heaton was superb.”
He received assistance in the shape of the Old Trafford woodwork, which kept out Mata’s crisp shot and Ibrahimovic’s deflected header, and perhaps from Clattenburg, who rejected a more plausible penalty appeal when Darmian went down again.
They may also thank Mourinho, who was passing notes from the stand to Faria, for removing Mata following Herrera’s dismissal. A reconfiguration was required but the Spaniard, who had created seven chances, attempted six shots and not misplaced a pass, had been terrific, illustrating why he has displaced Rooney as United’s first-choice No 10.
He captained a Mourinho team, too, a strange enough event in itself, but he was overshadowed by the man wearing the Burnley armband, in Heaton, and the man sent to the stands.
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