In a thrilling clash at Old Trafford, Manchester United pulled off an epic comeback and defeated Burnley 3-2.

Quick Goals and Immediate Responses

The scoreline opened in unusual fashion: an own goal by Josh Cullen after a Casemiro header struck the crossbar and bounced off his shoulder, putting United ahead in the 27th minute. But the joy was short-lived. Just after the restart, Lyle Foster equalized with a sharp finish following a precise assist from Jacob Bruun Larsen, showcasing Burnley’s ability to strike back instantly. The home side reacted quickly: Bryan Mbeumo, showing his poacher’s instinct, restored the advantage for Rúben Amorim’s men with a powerful strike inside the box.

The drama continued. In the 66th minute, Jaidon Anthony latched onto a long throw-in from Kyle Walker and capitalized on defensive confusion to score from close range, silencing Old Trafford momentarily. 

All the Goals

This is how the match went

Rúben Amorim saved his job in dramatic fashion, with controversy, a penalty, and at the very last second. Manchester United, who had twice squandered their lead against Burnley, only found the path to victory in the 96th minute thanks to a spot-kick from Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese midfielder, who had missed a penalty against Fulham just days earlier, redeemed himself by preventing another disaster at Old Trafford during a turbulent week that had already seen a league draw against the London side and a League Cup elimination at the hands of Grimsby Town from League Two.

What was supposed to be a straightforward match to regain confidence and secure the first win of the league season once again turned into chaos for United, who, as so often happens, managed to complicate matters. The Red Devils started brightly, finding space and chances through Bryan Mbeumo, and took the lead through a bizarre sequence when Casemiro’s header hit the crossbar, rebounded off Cullen, and rolled toward his own net. Martin Dubravka, a former United player, tried to clear it before it crossed the line, but goal-line technology confirmed the opener.

The bad news came when Matheus Cunha limped off before the half-hour mark, but United still reached halftime level. They should have killed the match earlier, especially after Amad Diallo squandered a golden chance with the keeper already beaten. United’s wastefulness came back to haunt them in a crazy nine-minute stretch in the second half.

First, Lyle Foster headed home completely unmarked among six United defenders to make it 1-1. Straight from the restart, just 15 seconds later, Mbeumo finished off a brilliant run from Diogo Dalot to give United the lead again at 2-1. But the rollercoaster continued, as eight minutes later Jaidon Anthony capitalized on a poor save from Bayındır—starting again ahead of André Onana—to level the score once more.

Amorim’s side looked like they had thrown it away until the 93rd minute, when Anthony grabbed Diallo to stop him entering the box. Referee Sam Barrott initially waved play on but changed his mind after a VAR review, awarding a penalty after several tense minutes.

This time, Bruno Fernandes kept his cool. After sending his last effort into the stands against Fulham six days ago, he buried the spot-kick and secured Amorim’s first league win for United—one earned with plenty of suffering.