Manchester United have kept their ambitions of a top-four finish alive with a comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley.
The Red Devils moved within a point of local rivals Manchester City in the Champions League positions courtesy of first-half goals from Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney.
Both sides looked dangerous on the counter in the opening stages, but it was United who made their breaks count, punishing their opponents in the 21st minute when Martial capped off a swift attack.
The Frenchman used his pace to give Joey Barton the slip and exchanged passes with Ander Herrera before firing a low shot beyond Tom Heaton in the Burnley goal.
Playing without the towering Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front, United continued to look to the counter and this strategy paid dividends again in the 39th minute.
Paul Pogba's vision sent Martial through on goal once again, with Heaton initially denying the forward from close range before Rooney toe-poked the ball over the line to double the Red Devils' lead before the break.
United sat deeper in the second half and allowed Burnley to take the game to them, but they almost hit the Clarets with yet another break in the 54th minute when Martial lined up Pogba and his French compatriot forced a save out of Heaton at full stretch from the edge of the box.
Pogba threatened again in the closing stages, thumping a powerful effort into the advertising hoarding as Jose Mourinho's men maintained control of the match right up to the final whistle.
The win leaves United one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City ahead of what promises to be a high-stakes Manchester derby.
Mark Langshaw
