Paul Pogba shows his good side to send Manchester United top

UNITED FRONT: Paul Pogba celebrates scoring with Luke Shaw after scoring Manchester United’s winning goal against Burnley in Tuesday night’s Premier League clash at Turf Moor. Picture: Clive Brunskill/PA

Burnley 0 Manchester United 1

Paul Pogba’s complicated relationship with, and uncertain future at, Manchester United shows no sign of resolution but Tuesday night at Turf Moor his stunning 70th-minute strike lifted his team to the top of the Premier League.

It marked a stunning turnaround for the French World Cup winner and, of course, a team that seems to have spent so much of this season on the brink of crisis and with the future of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the subject of much speculation.

Now, for the first time since Alex Ferguson was in charge in 2013, United find themselves at the top of a Premier League table this late in a season. Whatever else Solskjaer may or may not win this season, that fact alone means he has succeeded where David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho all failed emphatically.

And with Pogba in such form, who wants to bet against United — who have not lost a league or cup away game in this country since defeat at Anfield on January 19 last year — holding onto that lead for a little longer when they visit Jurgen Klopp’s defending champions on Sunday.

His goal showed just what a force of nature, and technically superior player Pogba can be. He won a header in midfield then sprinted upfield to meet a cross from Marcus Rashford with a spectacular volley that flew into the Burnley goal.

It was reward for Solskjaer who had selected the most physically commanding line-up he had at his disposal, a tactic that proved wise.

There was no malice on display but, by the same token, no quarter given or requested. So much is made of the galactico-obsessed Premier League that it is refreshing to see a throwback game like this full of blood, thunder and shin pad-rattling challenges.

Of course, it also had the very modern spin of VAR thrown into the mix with referee Kevin Friend spending five minutes at one stage, just before the half hour, to try and make sense of two incidents.

Luke Shaw made a thunderous tackle on Johann Gudmundsson just outside the United area, a foul which Friend missed, allowing United to break upfield where Edinson Cavani was hacked down on the edge of the area by Robbie Brady, whom he booked.

Either could have been deemed a red but Friend eventually decided Shaw’s foul was worthy of a yellow, rescinding Brady’s booking in the process.

It was a messy incident but summed up the mood of the night and, predictably, VAR would be needed again, after 36 minutes, when Harry Maguire headed United in front.

It was an impressive finish, from Shaw’s cross and a difficult angle, but the video clearly showed Maguire nudging his marker Erik Pieters in the back and United were once more denied.

Solskjaer’s side was finally hitting its stride by this stage, having weathered an early Burnley storm in which the visitors played repeated diagonal balls into the United area from right to left, trying to expose Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eric Bailly’s side of the visitors’ defence.

It nearly worked, when a rare Bruno Fernandes slip gifted the Clarets the ball and a swift attack ended with Ashley Barnes finding Chris Wood whose shot deflected off Bailly and looped just over.

But United, and Anthony Martial in particular, were beginning to assert their influence on the game and the Frenchman, having lofted one effort over, came a lot closer with the final chance of the first half, a curling right-footer from over 25 yards which Nick Pope did well to turn over his bar.

Not surprisingly, Maguire was first in the queue to remonstrate with the referee — reasonably, it should be said — at the interval; his disallowed goal still, understandably, rankling with the United captain.

Cavani could have improved Maguire’s mood six minutes into the second half, however, at the end of United’s best move of the game when Pogba and Fernandes combined for Martial to pick out his striker who failed to connect cleanly on the six-yard line.

But United were growing in stature as the night wore on, showing a resilience that has allowed them to complete almost a full calendar year without losing a domestic away game.

And the game and spaces were beginning to open up. Fernandes found one such space when he connected with a shot from 20 yards which was too close to Pope to cause the England keeper any concern.

Sean Dyche threw on former United academy kid Dwight McNeil to try and offer an attacking outlet but the response was a Shaw corner which ended at the feet of Cavani who curled yet another attempt just over and, soon, the opening goal.

There were late half-chances for Josh Brownhill and substitute Matej Vydra late on but this was a victory more impressive than the solitary goal advantage suggested.

BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope 7; Lowton 6, Tarkowski 7, Mee 7, Pieters 6; Gudmundsson 7, Brownhill 5, Westwood 6, Brady 5 (McNeil 64, 5); Wood 5 (Vydra 80), Barnes 7 (Rodriguez 87).

MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): de Gea 6; Wan-Bissaka 5, Bailly 6, Maguire 7, Shaw 6; Pogba 9, Matic 6; Rashford 6 (Greenwood 79, 6), Fernandes 6 (McTominay 89), Martial 7 (Tuanzebe 90); Cavani 6.

Referee: K Friend 5