Manchester United vs. Burnley: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Manchester United earned a crucial three points in the race for the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, as they defeated Burnley 3-1 at Old Trafford.
The victory, and Southampton's draw at home to West Ham United, allowed the Red Devils to vault into third place in the English Premier League table.
Louis van Gaal's side are now one point ahead of Saints and two ahead of Arsenal in the congested battle for third and fourth place.
Here's a look at the winners and losers from United's 13th league win of the season.
Winner: Chris Smalling
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Just 22 seconds after entering the match for an injured Phil Jones, Chris Smalling nodded home his first of two goals for Manchester United on Wednesday night.
Smalling was able to put his header past Burnley 'keeper Tom Heaton in the sixth minute after Radamel Falcao played the ball back over to the near post.
The opening goal scored by the center back was the second-fastest by a substitute in the league this season, per Opta.
In first-half stoppage time, Smalling rose to the occasion again as he headed in a Wayne Rooney cross following a short corner.
Although his main contributions came on the offensive side of the ball, Smalling also held firm on defense and helped United close out the win.
Loser: Michael Keane
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The first major chance of the match came from Michael Keane, who almost put Burnley ahead by a goal in the third minute.
Keane was able to beat Phil Jones with a clever run in the box, but he could not put his header on target.
If his header found the back of the net, the Clarets would have earned a ton of momentum and may not have conceded so early.
Keane's errant header on the first corner kick of the match would turn out to be one of a few missed chances that could have put Burnley in the driver's seat at Old Trafford.
Winner/Loser: Danny Ings
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Danny Ings continued his strong form in front of goal in the first half for Burnley, but his pair of missed shots in the second half will haunt him a bit.
Ings delivered the Clarets with a 12th-minute equalizer after his header connected with a strong cross sent in by Kieran Trippier.
Despite scoring his ninth league goal of the season, Ings came out on the wrong end of two shots in the 48th minute.
After Smalling and Ander Herrera whiffed on a George Boyd cross, Ings was in perfect position to level the match at two goals apiece.
Instead, he had one shot saved by David de Gea and another one fly over the bar. If one of the two shots found the back of the net, the Clarets may have had a chance to steal a few points from United.
"Sometimes the game kicks you in the rear, and it did tonight. I thought we were magnificent, but the details are hurting us at the moment," Burnley boss Sean Dyche said after the match, per the team's official Twitter account.
Loser: Radamel Falcao
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Before he was lifted from the pitch in the 74th minute for James Wilson, Radamel Falcao turned in another lackluster performance up top for United.
Since the start of 2015, the on-loan Colombian has scored on two occasions in seven matches in all competitions. That number is simply not good enough for a player leading the line in the middle of a race for the UEFA Champions League.
During his time on the pitch Wednesday, Falcao recorded 28 touches, which was only two more than Daley Blind, who exited in the 38th minute due to an injury.
The forward was credited with an assist on Smalling's first goal, but that was the only legitimate contribution he made to the United attack.
In order to silence the critics, Falcao must be extremely productive up top for every single second that he is on the pitch. Based on his recent form, that showing is not going to appear anytime in the near future.
Winner: Angel Di Maria
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Angel Di Maria did his best to create chances in the United attack with two lifeless forwards playing in front of him.
The Argentinian took the most shots of any United player with three and was a thorn in the side of the Burnley back four for most of the match.
The 26-year-old was also extremely active no matter where he was on the pitch, as he accumulated 76 touches and attempted 10 crosses.
"It was a lucky result for us at half-time, but we improved in the second half and created more chances," United boss Louis van Gaal said after the match, per the team's official Twitter account.
While Van Gaal does have to worry about the production of his forward partnership, he does not have to be concerned with the play of his midfield led by Di Maria at the moment.
If United find the right pair to put up top, they could end up scoring a plethora of goals during the final few months of the league campaign.
Loser: Louis van Gaal
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Despite coming away with three points against Burnley, Louis van Gaal's Red Devils failed to inspire an attack for long stretches of the match.
The attack failed to be a dominant force for 90 minutes due to the ineffectiveness of Falcao and Robin van Persie. Van Gaal needs to recognize this and change up his forward pairing before it's too late.
Van Gaal was also handed a few health concerns ahead of Monday's FA Cup fifth-round match against Preston North End, as Daley Blind and Phil Jones left in the first half due to injuries.
If Blind is unable to play against Preston on Monday, Van Gaal should hand Ander Herrera a start in the holding midfield position and move Wayne Rooney up top.
Playing Rooney in his natural position should reap plenty of rewards for United, as should placing Herrera in a starting role. During the second half, Herrera was able to spring Di Maria and Adnan Januzaj on the counter on a few occasions.
With that in mind, Van Gaal should not be afraid to switch up his team ahead of the trip to Deepdale.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90,
All statistics obtained from WhoScored.com.
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