How Manchester United rated as they comfortably saw off Burnley at Turf Moor

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Manchester United closed the gap on fourth-placed Manchester City to just a single point after goals from Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial proved too much for Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Going in to the match four points adrift of the Champions League spots, Martial gave the visitors the lead in a rare start after finishing off a breath-taking counter-attack mid-way through the first-half.

United captain Rooney – making his first start since March – then doubled the lead shortly before the break when he pounced on a loose ball inside the area, stabbing it over the line.

Jose Mourinho’s side kept Burnley at bay in an uninspiring second-half to put the pressure on their fierce rivals ahead of the mouth-watering clash at the Etihad Stadium this Thursday.

See below for how Manchester United rated as they clinched a fourth successive away victory.

David de Gea – Had an extremely quiet afternoon on Sunday as Burnley struggled to mount an attack on the United goal at any point, not being forced into making a single save in 90 minutes. 6.

Ashley Young – Making his fifth start in six Premier League matches, United’s utility man replaced Valencia at right-back and impressed again. Lends himself well when in the attacking third of the field and never stops working in defence, epitomising United’s strength in depth this season. 7.

Eric Bailly – Playing his seventh match of a hectic April, he was an immense figure once again at the heart of the United defence. Made a crucial block from Gray’s effort shortly before half-time and didn’t give Burnley a sniff; has quickly become a true leader and key part of the spine of this side. 8.

Daley Blind – Formed a make-shift partnership with Bailly after the injury to Rojo and seemed right at home, mopping up anything that Burnley tried to create inside the area. Is an intelligent footballer and it showed with how well he read situations, always a step or two ahead of the home side. 8.

Matteo Darmian – Another solid, if relatively uneventful, afternoon for the Italian. Kept the threat of Gray to a minimum and marshalled him well all afternoon, helping Blind out when needed. 6.

Marouane Fellaini – Found himself involved in a physical contest with Barnes all afternoon and was perhaps fortunate at times not to be booked for being careless in the challenge. Protected the United back four comfortably and was his customary threat in the air from attacking set-pieces. 7.

Ander Herrera – Hero of United’s win over Chelsea last weekend he was heavily involved once again, finding the run of Martial with a superb low ball to slot in the opener. Dealt with the fiery Barton in the midfield and kept possession ticking over nicely to ensure United kept their lead comfortable. 7.

Paul Pogba – Was involved in some excellent build-up work to United’s second and Burnley simply couldn’t compete with his pure strength and power. Masterful in starting counter-attacks and nearly got on the scoresheet himself with a fine drive from 25-yards out. Growing into Mourinho’s side. 8.

Jesse Lingard – Not as effective as Martial at Turf Moor but still played his part well, pressing the hosts well in their own half of the pitch. His pace always offers a good option in front of goal. 6.

Wayne Rooney – Started for only the second time since December and nearly put his side ahead early on, scuffing a shot at Heaton when well set, before being in the right place at the right time to scramble home the visitor’s second. His experience and cool head can never be understated. 7.

Anthony Martial – Given an opportunity to impress on his 50^th United appearance and took it, starting and finishing a devastating counter-attack for the opener. Played with intent throughout and caused all sorts of problems in the channels with his blistering pace. Much improved outing. 8.

Marcus Rashford – Rested after his Europa League exploits and was immediately on the front-foot again, taking the ball around a tired Burnley defence. Had a shot pushed wide by Heaton. 6.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Is in good form after three goals in his previous four appearances and came on for the final ten minutes, but didn’t have much time to make an impact on proceedings. 6.

Michael Carrick – Came on in injury time. N/A.

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