Manchester United held to draw at Burnley in first game after Amorim exit

Interim coach Darren Fletcher welcomed captain Bruno Fernandes back to the squad for the first time since mid-December. Mason Mount and Harry Maguire also returned but remained on the bench. United switched to a back four, with Casemiro partnering Manuel Ugarte in midfield and Bruno playing in the number 10 role.

United were caught off guard early in the match. In the 13th minute, Burnley took the lead when Bashir Humphreys drove down the left wing and delivered a cross that deflected off Ayden Heaven and into the net for an own goal.

After conceding, United pushed forward and created several chances, but unable to score. The board remained 1-0 at half-time. United found their equaliser shortly after the restart. Five minutes into the second half, Sesko ran onto a through ball from Bruno Fernandes and finished calmly to make it 1-1.

In the 60th minute, Sesko completed his brace with a clinical finish from Patrick Dorgu’s cross, putting United ahead. However, Burnley responded just six minutes later, as Jaidon Anthony struck a powerful shot from outside the box to level the score at 2-2. The match ended in a draw, marking United’s third consecutive winless match in the league.

Speaking to the BBC after the match, Sesko said: “It helps my confidence. It’s been tough, but now I finally did it and I’m happy I could help the team. That’s the most important thing for me, and now it’s up to me and to us to keep going like that.”

Fletcher believed his side did enough to win the game. He said: “We put in a performance that should win the match. We created a lot of chances, had 30 shots, goal-line clearances and a disallowed goal. In those terms, we should win the match.

“It wasn’t perfect. We started slow but scored two fantastic goals. There’s still a lot to work on, but I was really pleased with the effort. The players were proactive and exciting, and for most of the game we were in control.”

Fletcher will remain in charge as United host Brighton in the FA Cup on 10 January. The club is then expected to announce a new permanent manager, with Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer among the reported candidates.