After a corner, the Reds found the back of the net, but Lisandro Martinez’s joy was short-lived. The center-back thought he had scored his first goal of the season when a shot from Sesko rebounded to him at close range. However, he was deemed to have fouled Kyle Walker before powering the ball past Dubravka.
Fletcher, watching from the sidelines, looked perplexed by the decision, which seemed overly harsh. Meanwhile, his team quickly shifted focus as Burnley surged forward. Lucas Pires, completing a left-sided attack, fired a shot that went across the goal and out wide.
This chance was a rarity as the first half drew to a close, with United beginning to assert control over the game. Dubravka confidently gathered a rolled shot from Sesko and easily caught a volley from Manuel Ugarte after it was slowed down by a block.
However, the goalkeeper had to work harder soon after to maintain his clean sheet. Sesko used his strength to redirect a cross from Casemiro on target, forcing Dubravka to stretch and tip it over the bar, while Ugarte’s powerful follow-up shot sailed wide.
Only two minutes of injury time were indicated at the end of the half, but that was sufficient for United to have another shot cleared off the line. This time, Dorgu’s delicate chip was plucked from beneath the crossbar by Maxime Esteve.
