Did Burnley and Man Utd Really End in a 2-2 Draw? What About Villa and Palace?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Manchester United continues to struggle for consistency.
- Burnley remains mired in relegation trouble.
- Aston Villa holds a solid position in the Premier League.
- Everton's disciplinary issues could affect future matches.
- Key players like Sesko and Watkins are pivotal for their teams.
London, Jan 8 (NationPress) Benjamin Sesko scored twice in the second half, but it was only sufficient for a 2-2 draw against a struggling Burnley during Darren Fletcher's debut as interim head coach of Manchester United.
Fletcher took charge following the sacking of Ruben Amorim on Monday, and it seemed daunting when Burnley took the lead early on thanks to an own goal by Ayden Heaven at Turf Moor.
After a disallowed goal from United's Lisandro Martinez in the first half, Sesko turned the tide by netting twice within a span of ten minutes to put United ahead.
However, the lead was short-lived as Jaidon Anthony found the top-left corner in the 66th minute, denying the Red Devils the chance to close the gap on fourth-placed Liverpool ahead of their upcoming match against Arsenal on Thursday.
This draw leaves Manchester United in sixth position, two points behind Liverpool, while Burnley remains in 19th place with a winless streak extending to 12 matches, eight points away from 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace battled to a goalless stalemate at Selhurst Park.
The first half was tense, with Emi Martínez making a crucial save from Brennan Johnson and Ollie Watkins being thwarted by Dean Henderson.
In the second half, both teams sought a winning goal, with Villa nearly succeeding when Watkins headed a cross from Matty Cash onto the post in the 84th minute.
This draw maintains Unai Emery's squad in third place as they shift their focus to the FA Cup and an upcoming match against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
In other news, Everton played to a 1-1 draw against Wolves at Hill Dickinson Stadium, despite ending the match with only nine players.
Michael Keane opened the scoring in the 17th minute, deftly converting a close-range effort after Wolves failed to clear a free-kick. Mateus Mane equalized midway through the second half.
Everton faced a red card with eight minutes to go when a lengthy VAR review concluded that Keane had committed an act of violent conduct after lightly touching Tolu Arokodare's hair during an aerial duel.
Frustration mounted when Jack Grealish was sent off shortly after for a second yellow card.