Louis van Gaal is still searching for his first win in charge of Manchester United after the Red Devils were held to a goalless draw by Burnley at Turf Moor this afternoon.
The Clarets almost made a perfect start to the match as David Jones rattled the United crossbar inside three minutes, with David de Gea rooted to the spot.
Neither side could find a breakthrough in the remainder of the match, despite both creating good goalscoring opportunities.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at whether the 20-time champions of England deserved more from the match.
Match statistics
Burnley
Shots: 9
On target: 3
Possession: 36%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 10
Man Utd
Shots: 7
On target: 2
Possession: 64%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
Yes. While the stats show that United dominated the possession, that is fairly misleading as Burnley were very much in the match from start to finish. They were inches away from taking the lead in the opening stages and were actually on top for a decent chunk of the first half.
Both sides created chances that they may have felt they should have scored, and on the whole it was an even match in Lancashire. It would have been harsh on either side to lose the game, so a share of the spoils is definitely the fairest result.
It is, of course, a better result for Burnley than it is for United, and that showed towards the latter stages as the hosts were left hanging on a bit. However, they came closest to scoring over the 90 minutes and are deserving of a hard-earned point.
Burnley's performance
Having played well twice without having anything to show for it on their return to the Premier League, manager Sean Dyche will be delighted to have got his first point on the board. Losses against Chelsea and Swansea City belied the fact that they were playing some good football, and to have finally turned their performances into a point is a big step forward.
Of course, the fact that it came against a team of Manchester United's calibre makes it all the more special, and the Clarets were not far away from pulling off a repeat of their famous 1-0 win over the Red Devils here in 2009. They hit the bar and had a couple of good efforts saved by De Gea.
They went into this season as most people's favourites for an immediate return to the Championship, but so far they have shown that they are up for the fight. If they can make Turf Moor a fortress and replicate today's performance enough times, they could well stay up this season.
Man Utd's performance
Far from what we expect from Manchester United. The players still look unfamiliar with Van Gaal's 3-5-2 formation, and many of the personnel simply do not look good enough to challenge for the top four. Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Darren Fletcher were once again ineffectual, and that also had an impact on those in front of them.
In truth, it looked like two different units in the United side today. The defence, despite their clean sheet, was shaky again and looked prone to an error at any point. The front four looked bright - as you would expect with a quartet who can all lay claim to being world class on their day - but they did not receive good enough service, with the defence launching long ball after long ball forward.
Debutant Angel di Maria showed glimpses of his undoubted talent, and it was he who set up United's best chances in the first half, but this match showcased that he will not be the answer to all of Van Gaal's problems. Injuries are a major issue at the moment, but United still look in desperate need of another high-quality defender and midfielder.
Sports Mole's man of the match
David Jones: On a day that a British record signing was making his debut, it was the man up against him in midfield that shone brightest. Jones put in a great shift to help deal with the likes of Di Maria and Juan Mata, and he also threatened going forward.
The former United youngster hit the crossbar with a superb free kick after just three minutes, while he also tested De Gea with another good strike from range later in the match. It was a team effort from Burnley today, but Jones still stood out.
Biggest gaffe
Jonny Evans had a bit of a horror show against MK Dons in midweek, and he started in the same way this afternoon. Having clumsily given away the free kick that led to Burnley hitting the bar, he then sold De Gea short with a terrible back-pass that allowed Lukas Jutkiewicz in. The defender's blushes were spared by De Gea, who made the save, but it was a very nervy start for the centre-back.
Referee performance
Chris Foy had a couple of penalty shouts to deal with this afternoon, and both could have gone either way. The most contentious was for an apparent push on Young inside the box, but Foy gave Kieran Trippier the benefit of the doubt. Another ref may have given it, but it would have been a soft one and Young's reputation did not help him.
What next?
Burnley: The Clarets will look to build on this point when they face Crystal Palace after the international break.
Man Utd: United meanwhile, will once again look to break their duck under Van Gaal when they host Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 14.
No Data Analysis info
