Overview
Coach Ruben Amorim will aim to help Manchester United win the first victory of the season when hosting Burnley at Old Trafford.
The shocking defeat in the Carabao Cup in midweek that Grimsby Town suffered could be considered the worst result in the Portuguese captain's coaching career to date.
Despite coming back from a 0-2 lead to a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire, Man United still fell in penalty shootouts. Mbeumo missed the decisive penalty. And it was also the first time in history that the "Red Devils" were eliminated from the tournament by an opponent from League Two.
This defeat put Amorim under even more pressure. So far, he has won just 35.6% of his 45 official games with Man United - the lowest tally among managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of 2012-13 season.
In the Premier League, Man United did not start the season well when they lost 0-1 to Arsenal in the opening round, before drawing 1-1 with Fulham last weekend.
Bruno Fernandes continues to be his biggest hope. The Man United captain has had a hand in 10 goals in his last 8 appearances against Premier League newcomers (4 goals, 6 assists). He also created 41 chances during this period, including 9 times in the match against Burnley in April 2024, despite not having any assists.
History is on the "Red Devils" side. They have only started the Premier League three times without a win, and all three of those seasons have ended in the top four, including two titles (1992-1993, 2007-2008).
However, the current reality is much bleaker. Since April, Man United have won just six points - the fewest of any team in the competition - with a record of one win, three draws and seven losses.
Meanwhile, Scott Parker's side just defeated Sunderland 2-0 at Turf Moor to end a run of four consecutive defeats. However, they have not won back-to-back Premier League games since April 2022.
Old Trafford is no longer a stronghold of Man United. They have lost 8/13 of their most recent home matches in the Premier League - the worst record in the league, equal to Tottenham.
However, Man United have maintained a 23-match unbeaten streak against newly promoted sides (20 wins, 3 draws), since a 1-4 defeat to Watford in 2021 - the match that ended Ole Gunnar Solskjær's reign.
Burnley traveled to Manchester with confidence, when Josh Cullen and Jaidon Anthony both scored and assisted in the win over Sunderland. Scott Parker also wants to improve his personal record, as the last time he won back-to-back Premier League games was more than five years ago. However, no English coach has ever won 3 consecutive away matches against Man United.
Kyle Walker, one of Burnley's most experienced faces, could become the 6th player to win the Premier League at Old Trafford in the three-team shirt. Previously, Brad Friedel, Emile Heskey, Nicolas Anelka, William Gallas and James Milner were the ones who did this.
In terms of force, Lisandro Martinez is still a long-term injury on Man United's side, while Noussair Mazraoui could return. Burnley is without Zeki Amdouni, Manuel Benson, Roberts and Jordan Beyer.
Head-to-head record
Zeki Amdouni's penalty in the 87th minute erased Antony's opening goal in the 79th minute, in the last meeting between the two teams at Old Trafford, in the Premier League in the 2023-2024 season.
Among the teams that have traveled to Old Trafford at least eight times in the Premier League, the recent draw has helped Burnley become one of three clubs that have rarely avoided defeat in more than half of their matches (9 matches: won 1, drew 4, lost 4), compared to Chelsea and Manchester City.
However, Man United have lost just one of their last 25 visits to Burnley in all competitions (W15 D9). That defeat came in January 2020. This was also Burnley's first Premier League win at Old Trafford.
Score prediction: Man United 2-1 Burnley
The match between Man United and Burnley takes place at 9:00 p.m. on August 30 (Vietnam time).
