Manchester United vs. Burnley: Score, Grades and Reaction from Premier League

Manchester United had to battle to a 3-1 win over a resilient Burnley squad on Wednesday, leaping over Southampton into third place in the Premier League standings in the process.    

The visitors gave United a host of problems with physical play in midfield and plenty of overlapping runs out wide, but brilliance on set pieces and a late penalty goal made the difference for the Red Devils.

The match started on a false note for United, as Phil Jones suffered an ankle injury in the opening minutes and had to be replaced by Chris Smalling. The substitute had an immediate impact, however, connecting with a corner and opening the score seconds after he had entered the pitch, via BBC Sport:

Danny Ings nearly set up Michael Kightly with an immediate equaliser, but the latter fired his shot straight at David de Gea.

Instead, the 22-year-old Ings continued his fine scoring form and pulled the visitors back on level terms, breaking after Angel Di Maria had surrendered possession.

The Sport Bible's Liam was none too impressed with the Argentina international:

"

Tripper's ball into Ings is tremendous, poor from Di María as he gives away possession. Marking on Ings is non-existent.

— Liam (@OffsideLiam) February 11, 2015"

Burnley continued their fine work, completely dominating the Red Devils in midfield and taking advantage of plenty of gaps left by a shaky back four. An injury to Daley Blind didn't help the hosts either, as the Dutch international was unable to continue after receiving a knock to the head.

Ashley Barnes came close to giving the visitors the lead, heading the ball just over De Gea's goal after 36 minutes. The forward had another good chance just minutes later, bringing down a long ball before volleying just past the post.

Burnley seemed the more likely team to score before half-time, but instead, the hosts reclaimed the lead in the dying seconds of the first half. Di Maria found Smalling with a beautiful cross, and the defender nodded home his second goal of the match. Per Infostrada Sports, he joined a club filled with illustrious names:

United held onto the lead until half-time, but fans at Old Trafford were not happy with the team's performance. Neither was Bleacher Report's Nick Akerman, who thought the back four offered far too little:

Ings should have scored again just minutes into the second half, as he was somehow left completely isolated inside the box. The forward had time and space to put the ball past De Gea but instead chose to shoot right at the Spain international.

Adnan Januzaj used his pace to burst into the box and draw a fine save from Tom Heaton, perhaps his first really good action of the match. BBC's Musa Okwonga thought the Belgian finally looked like the budding star of the 2013-14 campaign on that particular run:

Di Maria was furious when he wasn't awarded a penalty after apparently being tripped by Jason Shackell, much to the dismay of the Old Trafford crowd.

Radamel Falcao had another disappointing outing, and his night came to an end when United decided to use their final substitution, with James Wilson entering the pitch.

Robin van Persie thought he had an open look on goal after a quick counter-attack, but Kieran Trippier tracked back superbly and intervened with a diving header at the last moment. The 24-year-old defender was certainly one of the top performers, finding much success rushing forward. Stats Zone was impressed:

Kightly had a shot deflected over the bar before the Red Devils were given a penalty for a foul on Di Maria. Van Persie stepped up and sent Heaton the wrong way, giving the hosts a two-goal cushion entering the final minutes of the match.

Burnley's resolve finally broke, and Di Maria and Januzaj both came close to adding a fourth goal for United, with Shackell having to clear the ball from the goal line. The Clarets never came close to pulling one back, and United easily held on for the win.

Relevant Match Grades

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Chris Smalling: B+

Smalling didn't always convince on the defensive end, but perhaps some shakiness is expected when a defender is forced to come onto the pitch without any preparation. Score twice to give your team the lead, and you're going to get a high grade.

Wayne Rooney: B

It's a little absurd that Rooney, arguably United's best pure finisher, was forced to help out as a defensive midfielder on Saturday. The England international deserves credit for his willingness to do whatever is asked of him and his work rate in service of others, even if the end results aren't always pretty.

Kieran Trippier: B+

Trippier was excellent rushing forward, routinely overlapping the entire United defence and firing in a bunch of good crosses. He held his own against the speedy Januzaj and had the assist for Ings' equaliser in the first half.

Post-Match Reaction

United's Louis van Gaal was brutally honest in his post-match presser, via the league's official Twitter feed:

Sean Dyche didn't understand how the Clarets left Old Trafford empty-handed after their strong showing, via BBC Sport's Conor McNamara:

Follow @ReverschPass