Amorim's Relief, Manchester United's Beginning

MANCHESTER, SATURDAY — Manchester United achieved their first victory of the season in a manner far from "beautiful." However, no one cares about that. Coach Ruben Amorim obtained the most needed result at this time to relieve the pressure. Amorim is relieved, as is the "Red Devils" squad.

Manchester United struggled to beat newly promoted Burnley 3-2 at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, on Saturday (August 30, 2025) evening WIB. The score was still level with less than two minutes of injury time remaining, when the home team was awarded a penalty. Team captain Bruno Fernandes converted the penalty perfectly.

Amorim was initially hesitant to watch Fernandes' execution. The coach is somewhat traumatized by penalties. Last week, Fernandes' penalty shot soared high above the crossbar in the match against Fulham. MU also recently lost a penalty shootout to the fourth division team Grimsby Town in the second round of the English League Cup last Thursday.

However, the penalty turned into a savior for MU this time. After the final whistle, Amorim smiled broadly. He released a heavy burden after not winning in the first three matches of the season. "That is very important for us. It would be very difficult to go through the next two weeks (international break) without a single victory," said Amorim.

There are many positive aspects that can be drawn from MU. They were finally able to score a goal through their own player. Prior to this match, the only goal scored by MU came from an own goal by a Fulham player. Their opening goal in the match also resulted from an own goal by the visiting team’s Josh Cullen. That drought ended when MU turned the score around to 2-1.

The second goal for MU was scored by winger Bryan Mbeumo through an assist from defender Diogo Dalot. After being the cause of MU's defeat against Grimsby due to a missed penalty, the new player redeemed himself by performing well throughout the match. Mbeumo consistently threatened Burnley's defense with quick counter-attacks from the right flank.

Unlike before, Amorim also made many correct decisions. He fielded wing-back Amad Diallo for the full 90 minutes. Previously, Diallo had been benched in the first match against Arsenal and substituted in the second half against Fulham. The player became a hero by successfully drawing a penalty at the end of the match.

Regardless of that, Amorim's best decision was to substitute wing-back Noussair Mazraoui for center-back Leny Yoro in the 85th minute. Mazraoui was entrusted to focus on supporting the attack on the wing. As a result, Diallo and Mbeumo, who also operated on the right side, greatly benefited.

Amorim remains steadfast in using a three-defender formation, 3-4-2-1. He is unfazed by the numerous criticisms directed at his preferred system. However, the coach is more flexible in the positioning of players. For instance, when Mazraoui came on, they attacked like a team employing a four-defender formation.

Mbeumo stated that the result automatically boosts the team's morale. "It is truly difficult. Everyone has high expectations of us. This victory is very good for our mentality and allows us to breathe a little before the international break. (The victory) is not just for the coach, but for the entire team. We want to win as much as possible," he said.

A ton of notes

MU returns home with a plethora of records to improve over the next two weeks. The calmness in front of the goal has become one of the main problems. The "Red Devils" squad could have easily won against Burnley, without the need to struggle until the final minutes, but was hindered by their inability to score a second goal.

Fernandes and his teammates had several opportunities to double their lead. Just before halftime, for instance, Amad, who was unmarked in the penalty area, failed to convert the advantage into a 2-0 score. Meanwhile, MU produced a total of 26 shots but could only manage one goal from open play.

"I am frustrated, just like the fans. We had the opportunity to score more goals, but we couldn't. Fortunately, football was fair today. We are the better team and deserve to win. Regardless, you can see the hard work of the players to win," explained Amorim.

The issue of the mentality of the MU squad deserves attention. As seen in the match against Fulham, they eased their pressure when they were in the lead. In fact, MU did not need to do that. The quality of their squad is significantly superior to that of Burnley. This raised the confidence of the visiting team, which equalized twice, through Lyle Foster and Jaidon Anthony.

Concerns regarding the condition of the MU squad have increased due to injuries sustained by forward Matheus Cunha and midfielder Mason Mount. Cunha was replaced by Joshua Zirkzee in the middle of the first half, while Mount was substituted for Kobbie Mainoo just after halftime. There has been no further news regarding the injuries of both players.

On the other hand, Burnley coach Scott Parker was dissatisfied with the penalty decision. "The decision on the field was that the referee did not call a foul. Then, everything was reviewed because VAR (Video Assistant Referee) saw a mistake. That was not the referee's decision, but rather someone who was very far from the penalty box. That is the reality," he said. (AP/REUTERS)