Izuchukwu OkosiManchester United on Saturday night returned to winning ways as Bruno as Bruno Fernandes’s spectacular volley secured a narrow 1-0 victory at Burnley’s Turf Moor.
After Man United suffered consecutive defeats in the Premier League, followed by a loss at Bayern Munich in midweek, the only goal at Turf Moor that will have lifted their mood came on the stroke of half timesomewhat against the run of play, but in glorious fashion.
Jonny Evans, who was appearing for Man Utd in the Premier League for the first time since 2015, found Fernandes on the right corner of the Burnley six-yard box with a lofted pass that the midfielder volleyed first time inside the far post on 45 minutes.
Burnley had had two good chances to go ahead, both through Zeki Amdouni. First the forward headed goalward, but Andre Onana saved well in the 10th minute. Then six minutes later, Amdouni was sent clear but could only find the far post from an angle.
Evans thought he had scored on his 200th appearance for the club when he headed in a corner in the 25th minute. But the goal was overturned by referee Tony Harrington as Man Utd forward Rasmus Hojlund was interfering with Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford from an offside position.
Burnley struggled to create many clear-cut chances after the break, with Hojlund coming closest to scoring the next goal, the Danish striker an inch from getting a touch on a fierce Diogo Dalot cross.
Burnley substitute Sander Berge failed to get a clean header from a corner with Onana stranded in the 82nd minute and, with Evans marshalling the United defence well, that was the Clarets’ only real chance.
A third win of the season lifts Man Utd to eighth place with nine points, while Burnley drop to the bottom of the table with one point.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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