Manchester United secured their first Premier League victory of the season on Saturday with a dramatic 3–2 win over newly-promoted Burnley at Old Trafford. The decisive moment came in the 97th minute when Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty, bringing some much-needed relief to manager Ruben Amorim, who had been under intense scrutiny following United’s midweek exit from the League Cup.
Fernandes, who missed a penalty in last weekend’s 1–1 draw against Fulham, capitalized on the opportunity after a VAR review confirmed a foul on Amad Diallo. The victory moves United to four points from their first three matches, temporarily easing the pressure on Amorim before the upcoming international break. The win was particularly crucial after the club’s humiliating defeat to fourth-tier opposition Grimsby Town, a first in the club’s history.
Match Summary and Team Adjustments
Amorim’s response to the midweek loss included questioning his own position, stating that “something has to change.” He made several lineup changes for the match, including replacing goalkeeper André Onana after his involvement in both Grimsby goals. Meanwhile, the £74 million signing Benjamin Šeško started on the bench for a third consecutive league match.
United began the game with clear intent. Goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka, a new starter, made a good save to deny Bryan Mbeumo an early opener. The home side initially won a penalty when Mason Mount went down, but the decision was overturned by VAR. United then took a fortunate lead when Casemiro’s header hit the crossbar and ricocheted off Josh Cullen for an own goal.
Burnley, who had offered little threat in the first half, equalized ten minutes into the second period through Lyle Foster. United responded immediately, with Mbeumo scoring his first Premier League goal since his £65 million move from Brentford. However, United’s ongoing issues with set pieces and goalkeeping re-emerged. Burnley appeared to have leveled the score again, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Minutes later, Altay Bayındır failed to handle a shot, and Jaidon Anthony pounced to score the equalizer.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Amorim brought on Šeško, who had two headed chances but missed both. The decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time when, after a lengthy VAR review, Fernandes converted from the spot after Anthony was judged to have fouled Diallo.
Burnley was left with three points from their first three matches, while United secured a vital win that has temporarily alleviated the pressure on their manager.
