How Solskjaer's Reds are scoring from all angles

Opponents beware!

In recent weeks we've seen the Reds display an eye-catching attacking unpredictability, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saying he wants his team to “play without fear”. Clearly the message has been heard loud and clear, with his charges breaking down teams in a variety of ways, as we explore here...

OUT FOR THE COUNTER

The ball was still spinning in Hugo Lloris's net when Gary Neville gave his take on Marcus Rashford's winner against Tottenham on 13 January. “It's devastating from United,” said the Reds legend, from his co-commentary perch at Wembley Stadium. “Pogba's pass is world-class and Lingard is alive in transition. It's brilliant from Rashford. Solskjaer's tactics have worked an absolute treat.”

With the pace of that trio, plus Anthony Martial making up the attacking quartet, the Reds are well equipped to pick off any team on the counterattack. Newcastle United had fallen foul of the same conundrum earlier in the month, going behind to Romelu Lukaku's opener and committing numbers forward in search of an equaliser. That left space to be exploited by fast breakaways, with Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez combining to tee up a calm finish from Rashford. Devastating.

FEEDING OFF SCRAPS

A fringe benefit of an increased number of shots is a heightened chance of rebounds, and United have been alert when it comes to following in spilled efforts. When Victor Lindelof's powerful header was just about kept out against Huddersfield, Nemanja Matic was on hand to tap into an unguarded goal, while Romelu Lukaku's opener at Newcastle followed careful study of the game.

“You have to be ready. That's what the manager asked of me before the game,” said Lukaku, a substitute that day. “I know his [Rashford's] shooting technique and he did it in the first half, so I was ready.”

SHOOT ON SIGHT

Having a bash from distance is a welcome risk in this current United set-up. In the first 24 games of the campaign, the Reds mustered two goals from outside the area in open play, a tally matched within the first two games of Solskjaer's reign as caretaker boss.

With the side's attackers playing higher upfield in the majority of games, more space has been created for their midfield counterparts to give it a crack from long range. Ander Herrera demonstrated as much at Cardiff, with his 25-yarder looping United into a two-goal lead, and Paul Pogba exploited time and space to guide home a sublime long-ranger against Huddersfield on Boxing Day.

“Our attacking players overall are really enjoying playing close to the opposition box,” said Herrera. “We are creating a lot of chances and we are being the protagonist team in every game, so we are really happy.”

FINISHING SCHOOL

A greater mastery of the art of defending has reduced the number of one-on-one situations arising in the modern game, particularly those constructed in general play, rather than in transition or following a counter-attack. In recent weeks, however, United's growing unpredictability has prompted a resurgence in such settings.

Jesse Lingard latched on to a Paul Pogba pass to round Neil Etheridge and round off the scoring at Cardiff last month, before Romelu Lukaku converted similar openings against Bournemouth and Reading in the space of six days.

The Belgian was quick to salute the influence of the caretaker manager on clinical finishing in such situations, admitting: “Marcus and I, and Anthony, are learning a lot from him, especially on the offensive side. He is just trying to make us better and win games. So far, so good, and we need to keep going.”

EFFECTIVE COLLECTIVE

At the Cardiff City Stadium, Anthony Martial provided an early Christmas gift for all Reds by capping a stunning team goal to put United 3-1 up. Having drifted infield from his left-wing station, the Frenchman picked up possession near the centre circle, meandered towards goal and took stock of the situation.

Martial was 30 yards from goal, with six Cardiff players between him and home goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. In the space of four seconds, three crisp passes – Martial to Pogba, Pogba to Lingard, Lingard to Martial – had cleared a route to goal, and given United’s no.11 a calm finish inside the far post.

“It was all about speed of passing and movement,” marvelled James Robson, of the Evening Standard. “It was incisive and clinical. It was a thing of beauty, and the sort of moment to prompt eye-rubbing from United fans, trying to comprehend what they'd seen.”

The collective nature of the goal was replicated next time out, when stirring interplay between Ander Herrera, Ashley Young, Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata culminated in Herrera teeing up Pogba to put a bedraggled Huddersfield Town side out of their misery.

INDIVIDUAL BRILLIANCE

For all the benefits of planning and premeditation, sometimes it takes off-the-cuff brilliance to unlock an opponent. Marcus Rashford has proven particularly adept at such befuddling brilliance, destroying both Bournemouth and Brighton at Old Trafford in recent weeks with moments of inspiration.

Cherries defenders Nathan Ake and Diego Rico will still wonder how the 21-year-old turned possession near the corner flag into a tap-in for Paul Pogba. Ake was left trailing when Rashford knocked the ball to the defender’s right and ran around him, while Rico was sent packing by a jaw-dropping 'elastico', leaving Rashford to fire in a perfect cross for Pogba to slide home.

“He hasn’t got a right to go past the second defender,” eulogised manager Solskjaer. The fastest feet in Manchester were at it again when Chris Hughton’s Seagulls landed in town a few weeks later. This time, Rashford waved goodbye to Pascal Gross by shifting the ball from left foot to right, leaving him with the far-from-simple task of placing his finish in the far top corner. Genius.

READY, SET, GOAL

United’s collective prowess from dead-ball situations has clearly sharpened in recent weeks, with five goals coming direct from set-pieces. The very first goal of the Solskjaer era began with a Marcus Rashford free-kick, thundered home from 25 yards against Cardiff City, while the striker’s blasted replica at Newcastle prompted a rebound tap-in for Romelu Lukaku. After the latter, the caretaker manager grinned: “He must have been watching Cristiano [Ronaldo] when he was practising!“

The Reds have also been deadly from 12 yards, scoring four penalties since late December. Jesse Lingard at Cardiff, Juan Mata against Reading and, most recently, Paul Pogba at home to Brighton and Burnley – though Solskjaer insisted: ”Paul is the penalty taker, but we have got players who want to take penalties and that is the key. If they want to take it, they can argue among themselves but Paul is the nominated one.”

FROM THE FLANKS

“This is what Manchester United are supposed to represent,” cooed James Ducker, of the Daily Telegraph, after the 4-1 defeat of Bournemouth. “United’s goals were minor classics.” Wing play has long been an Old Trafford hallmark, but the modern age of inverted wingers has seen an evolution in the art, with less goals arising from out-swinging crosses.

Following on from Paul Pogba’s opener, the Reds netted another first half pair with inch-perfect centres guided deep into the Cherries’ penalty area; both capitalising on perfectly-timed runs from their intended targets. “Begovic was caught in two minds but Pogba was not, running to meet the ball and then rising to power it home with a fine header,” wrote Ducker, of Herrera’s unplayable cross for Pogba. For good measure, Rashford then slid in to volley home Anthony Martial’s superb centre.

How does Lindelof compare in the scoring stakes?

Victor Lindelof has been a slow burner when it comes to breaking his Manchester United goal duck, but his maiden strike was worth the wait as it earned a point for the Reds.

The question is will the Swede turn out to be a potent red-hot Steve Bruce or a dead ember Jaap Stam in the Old Trafford central defender’s goalscoring stakes?

Lindelof blasted his first goal for the Reds in added time against Burnley on Tuesday night in the 2-2 draw during a Man-of-the-Match performance.

It was his 53rd appearance for United since his move from Benfica in the summer of 2017. In the list of United’s modern era centre-back stalwarts he’s not the slowest to get off the mark by a long chalk. Step forward Rio Ferdinand for that dubious accolade.

It took Ferdinand 140 appearances before he discovered the thrill of scoring for the Reds, netting against Wigan in a 4-0 home win in December 2005. With a final Old Trafford career total of 455 appearances, bettered only by Bill Foulkes among his central defensive counterparts, Ferdinand is 19th in the list of United all-time appearance makers and won the lot in United colours despite only scoring eight goals in all competitions all told.

So goals certainly aren’t everything. But it is not a bad thing to have in your locker.

One of the quickest off the mark after making his United debut is current Red Chris Smalling. He’d played just four matches before his Reds' goal account was up and running when he struck in a League Cup tie at Scunthorpe during a 5-2 win in September 2010.

Next was Gary Pallister, who after a difficult opening to his United career in 1989 after moving from Middlesbrough, won over the home support with a match-winning goal in a 1-0 league win against Nottingham Forest. It was the ninth match for Alex Ferguson’s costly £2.3million buy.

It took Bruce one game longer to register his first. Having signed from Norwich City in 1988, Brucie grabbed his first against Chelsea in a 2-1 away win at Stamford Bridge.

He was the daddy of them all though as a goalscoring defender. Bruce bagged 51 in 414 appearances for United, adding up to a one-in-eight ratio, with 19 bagged in one unforgettable season in 1990/91, albeit beefed up by a few penalties!

He’s probably still arguing to this day that his final goal stat should be 52 and as he deserved to be credited with the first goal in the 1991 European Cup-Winners’ Cup final in Rotterdam, prodded in by Mark Hughes as it prepared to cross the line.

United beat Barcelona 2-1 on that famous night and Hughes’s name is in black and white in the record books as scorer of both United goals.

Goalline technology theses days might reveal a different tale and conclusively decide whether Brucie’s header was over the line before Sparky followed up to make sure and nab the credit!

Most memorably though for Bruce was his late, late double against Sheffield Wednesday, the team he is soon joining as manager, under the noses of the Stretford End in that vital win in 1993, which, after the threat of a potential late season collapse again, saw United surge on to the first league title in 26 years in the inaugural Premier League season.

But being among the fastest off the mark to score your first goal for United as a central defender doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to be in the Bruce bracket when it comes to the final count.

Jaap Stam wasn’t a slouch in front of goal and netted his first after 29 matches. The Dutchman scored against Leicester City at Filbert Street in a 6-2 thumping in the Treble season. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the only goal Stam ever scored for United!

So back to the question of whether United’s newest marksman Lindelof can become a Bruce or a Stam when it comes to backing up the front men.

Lindelof’s United career has taken time to ignite and it has only been in the last few months that he really looks to have got his feet under the table and his teeth into English football.

But the 24-year-old is growing into a consistent, solid wall for United’s rearguard. Having now got his natural defensive game in order, the Sweden international proved against Burnley that he might just have a goal poacher's instinct lurking inside him as well.

Second behind Bruce in the modern day United central defender’s goal output stakes is Nemanja Vidic, with a goal every 14 games ratio from his 300 appearances and 21 goals stats, just edging ahead of Ronny Johnsen’s nine goals in 131 appearances.

Victor did cheekily suggest to us he had a goal or two in his locker when Inside United asked him about blasting a a few special strikes in front of us in training at the Aon Training Complex last year. “I can score nice goals,” he laughed.

Lindelof has the look of a centre-back who could return a Vidic-like contribution both in front of goal and as a United rearguard cornerstone.

Now there’s a thought to warm United fans this winter.

Early team news for Leicester trip

Manchester United are hoping Anthony Martial recovers from injury in time to face Leicester City on Sunday in the Reds' next Premier League outing.

The French forward scored as a substitute in the Emirates FA Cup win at Arsenal, but picked up a problem in training that caused him to miss the 2-2 draw with Burnley at Old Trafford.

Caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed there were a few niggles in his squad that influenced his selection for the game against the Clarets.

Ander Herrera is believed to be one of those who needed a rest, after he was left on the bench on Tuesday, while Chris Smalling made a welcome return as another of the unused subs following the foot injury he sustained in December’s 4-1 win over his former club Fulham.

Solskjaer has stressed a need to rotate his players due to the challenges being posed at home and abroad in this upcoming spell and he will be keeping his fingers crossed that there were no additional worries on the back of the Burnley clash.

Paul Pogba was caught by a late challenge from Phil Bardsley and Marcus Rashford was also subjected to some physical treatment from the Clarets defenders. If Rashford plays against the Foxes, he will make his 100th Premier League appearance.

Like Smalling, Eric Bailly is an option to come into defence while Jesse Lingard came off the bench to good effect when earning the penalty that sparked the Reds’ tremendous late comeback against Burnley.

Meanwhile, for Leicester, England defender Harry Maguire returned from injury against Liverpool on Wednesday night and scored the crucial equaliser in the Foxes' 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Ole could provide an update on his team plans in his pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium.

Phelan: Our coaching staff have serious talent

Manchester United's history of cultivating young talent among players is now extending to the club's coaching setup, according to first-team coach Mike Phelan.

The 55-year-old was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's backroom team when the Reds' playing staff included Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick, now caretaker manager and first-team coach respectively.

The latter is in his first season since retiring as a player, while fellow first-team coach Kieran McKenna is also in his maiden campaign with the senior side, and Phelan sees great promise when he looks down the United bench.

Asked about the potential shown by Carrick and McKenna, Phelan told us: “They have got some serious talent. I think Michael now is progressing really well. He’s finding his feet in the organisational side of it, and he’s got a great opinion on the game and has been an exceptional player.

”Kieran has been a player outside of this football club, then he has come in and coached in the Academy, so he knows the youth side of things. He’s been here a while now, he’s progressed on, and bringing all those methods he’s got to the fore now with the first team. It’s exciting and enthusiastic.“

Though the current iteration of United's coaching set-up has been in place for less than six weeks, during which time nine games have yielded eight wins and a draw, Phelan feels the group's dynamic is already highly functional.

“It is working,” he said. “The balance is good, the feedback is good, we get on. It’s a nice, split age range, so we’ve all got different ideas, we communicate a lot and it is quite refreshing. Ole sits there at the top of the tree, and I hover in between making sure everything happens the way I feel the way Manchester United should work.

”It takes me back a little bit into the processes we had before [under Sir Alex], which was a little bit of youth, a bit of experience, a little bit of knowledge. There’s an extra dynamic in there, that is all part of a football club.“

Solskjaer's United fight back to show steel

The scoreline reflects a stalemate. The points tally has risen by just one. But if you were there inside Old Trafford for a final 10 minutes that was part football match, part reenactment of the Alamo, you would have left the ground with a feeling inside your gut, inside your heart, that far exceeded the joy any routine win might have given you.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United had never been behind in a game, never proven that, behind all our verve and creativity in attack, we could come back from the dead and rescue a lost cause. Like Solskjaer did - with a little help from Teddy Sheringham - in the Nou Camp on that balmy night in Barcelona.

But here it was. With Old Trafford a sea of frustration and irritation at Burnley's admirable obduracy and canny gameplan, it looked like this was the night the Solskjaer fairytale would suffer its first sour twist.

Instead, through Paul Pogba's penalty and Victor Lindelof's last-ditch, back-stick bundler, the famous old ground erupted in ecstasy. Bodies flew everywhere, strangers hugged and hats flew off heads. In the press area, a red Stetson inexplicably landed at my own two feet. Joyous moments in football stands send all kinds of debris hurtling your way; these are the moments that make following your team life-affirming.

Already Solskjaer has shown something of Sir Alex Ferguson's Midas touch with substitutions. At Newcastle, he introduced Romelu Lukaku, who scored with his first touch. At Arsenal last Friday, at 2-1, with Arsenal pressing for an equaliser, he brought forth Anthony Martial, who pounced to poach United's decisive third.

Here, it was Jesse Lingard - who won the penalty that led to United's opener - and Alexis Sanchez, whose header incited the Tom Heaton parry that gave Lindelof the chance to rifle United's euphoric equaliser off the Burnley goalkeeper and into the roof of the net.

When the leveller hit the net, there wasn't a soul inside the Theatre of Dreams that didn't think United could get a winner. Ole Gunnar simply turned to face the dugout and the Sir Bobby Charlton stand and grinned. Just like old times.

The Clarets’ performance was creditably proactive for much of the evening. Dyche’s men pressed United’s back four from the first whistle, as rain, sleet and snow crashed down onto the pitch.

The weather would ease, but Burnley’s miserly defending, enterprising attacking and their somewhat unpopular hesitance to restart play did not.

United bombarded them for most of the 95 minutes, but somehow found ourselves behind by two goals, thanks to clinical counter-attacks from the Lancastrians.

But as Steve McClaren – a man whose first game alongside Ferguson as assistant manager in 1999 saw Solskjaer himself score four late goals at Nottingham Forest – once said: “United never lose, they just run out of time.”

Almost 20 years to the day, that maxim still breathes, as the Reds again turned on the gas in the final stages.

The draw extends United's unbeaten run under the Norwegian to nine games. That 100 per cent perfection may have ebbed away, but this result made something else evidently clear: this current team is not merely one that can turn on the style, and Solskjaer's reign is no mere nostalgia trip. Tonight, the Reds proved we have other strings to our bow. Patience to go with the spirit; fight to go with the flair; and determination to keep our momentum driving forward.

When Solskjaer first assumed the reins, the critics questioned whether he could turn the ship around. When Cardiff were immediately thrashed, they asked how long it would last.

After Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Newcastle were put to the sword days later, they pointed to the upcoming Spurs fixture – a first clash against Champions League-standard opposition.

United passed that test too, and then dismissed Arsenal for dessert.

Next, could the Reds do it from behind? Once more, Ole’s men have answered unequivocally. Inevitably, defeat will arrive at some point further down the road. Maybe it will come on Sunday, at Leicester. But tonight proved that the many positives of this past month will not easily be eroded.

Victory eluded us, but the Reds – and the buzz – go marching, on, on, on.

The opinions in this story are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.

Lindelof voted Man of the Match after late goal

On the night Victor Lindelof scored his first goal for Manchester United, the Sweden international also picked up our Man-of-the-Match award.

The centre-back moved forward to great effect in stoppage time to ram the ball home for United's equaliser, despite Tom Heaton's best efforts to keep it out, as a remarkable late comeback by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men rescued a point against Burnley and preserved the caretaker manager's unbeaten record since taking charge.

Clearly in fine form, Lindelof produced another good performance and pipped fellow contenders Paul Pogba and Juan Mata to MUTV's star-man accolade.

As usual, the defender was precise with his passing – his accuracy rate of 97.5 per cent was the highest on the pitch. This was notable, as only Phil Jones made more passes than him (85 to 80).

Lindelof made seven more clearances than any of his United colleagues and did his best to repel the dangerous strike pairing of Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood, who both managed to get on the scoresheet. Emphasising the level of threat at the other end, Burnley centre-backs James Tarkowski and Ben Mee made 14 clearances apiece, compared to our Scandinavian's figure of nine.

Lindelof managed three shots in total, according to Opta's statistics, and, of course, will be pleased to get off the mark for the club on his 53rd appearance.

However, his main job is defending, and he continues to fulfil those duties extremely well, as he continues to look the part at the heart of the back four.

Solskjaer explains Anthony Martial absence

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed why French striker Anthony Martial was not in Manchester United’s squad to face Burnley.

Martial was a scoring substitute last Friday night when the Reds beat Arsenal in London in the Emirates FA Cup fourth-round tie. He came on for Alexis Sanchez in the 72nd minute and struck 10 minutes later with the match-clinching third goal that set up a fifth-round clash with Chelsea next month.

But the 23-year-old French international subsequently picked up an injury.

“He [Martial] got a slight injury in training but hopefully he'll be back for next weekend,” said Solskjaer on MUTV. “But there was no chance he could play today so it was easy enough to put Romelu [Lukaku] on the pitch.”

Other than the Martial situation, United’s caretaker boss made five changes from the team that started against Arsenal in the cup.

David De Gea returned in goal after his rest in the capital. Phil Jones replaced Eric Bailly in the centre of defence and Andreas Pereira started for the first time since the FA Cup third-round win against Reading at Old Trafford on 5 January.

“Andreas has been fantastic in training. He really has been determined. He was disappointed with his game against Reading and we had a little chat about it. He's been really working hard and I think he deserves a chance,” added United's caretaker boss.

“Ander [Herrera] has been different class but, this time, you know we need to rotate a little bit.”

Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford were also recalled to the starting XI, as Jesse Lingard, Alexis Sanchez and Herrera made way for the visit of Sean Dyche's side.

“There's a couple of small little niggles that we need to protect and a little bit of rotation as we have loads of games coming up,” said Solskjaer.

United extended their unbeaten run in the Solskjaer era to nine games against a spirited Burnley side, who looked to be heading for a first victory in M16 since 1962, when Chris Woods gave them a 2-0 advantage in the 81st minute.

With just minutes remaining, Paul Pogba's penalty gave United a lifeline, and Victor Lindelof's stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a thrilling point.

Solskjaer's reaction to Reds rescuing a point

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised the never-say-die attitude of his Manchester United players as the Reds came from two goals down to rescue a point against Burnley at Old Trafford.

With United staring down the barrel of a first defeat under Solskjaer, the hosts responded in fine fashion with Paul Pogba's spot-kick and Victor Lindelof's first goal for the club, in stoppage time, ensuring the spoils were shared between the two sides.

Speaking to MUTV after the game, the Norwegian commented on how he is still learning about different members of the squad - in particular Andreas Pereira, who made his first league appearance of 2019 - the reaction of the side after going two goals down and Burnley keeper Tom Heaton, who produced a number of fine saves.

OUR RESPONSE WAS BRILLIANT

“The way we came back was fantastic. We are happy with a point and we could have got three by the end. We just ran out of time and we started too late, with the urgency that we needed. That is a learning curve. But now you have your answer - can they come back if they go one down, or two down, even? So I am very happy with the response.

”That's Man United. We know we could have performed better in the first 60-70 minutes but, then again, the reaction was brilliant and, to get two goals after 87 minutes, that's fantastic and that's a testament to the character of everyone. Never give up. Never give up at this club.“

WE CREATED LOADS OF CHANCES

”You have to find a way to break teams down and decision-making of course could have been better at times, because we know they're strong. They wanted us to cross the ball, so when we started playing our way into the box I thought we looked dangerous. Juan made some good runs and with Ash down the side I think we created loads of almost chances. And then again, we got two in the end.“

A LEARNING PROCESS

“Rom [Romelu Lukaku] has done really well against Burnley before. He has scored and he is a handful. With Anthony [Martial] injured, we thought that was the best option with Rashy [Marcus Rashford] out there. Of course, he got a couple of chances but today wasn't his day.

”It's a learning process every game we play and for me as well, learning about the players when we go one down, but we went two down and we still came back to get a point which was brilliant. Andreas [Pereira] will be better off for having this experience, no problem about that.“

HAPPY WITH THE SPIRIT

”The passes didn't have enough tempo on them. But I thought at times, in the first half, Juan [Mata] found some great positions. Of course, we didn't create as many clear-cut chances but we had 75 per cent of the possession so we just needed a little bit more tempo.

“I thought we could have got the third as well. You never give up. That's just the DNA here. Disappointed that we couldn't get three points, but fantastically happy with the reaction after we went 2-0 down.”

HEATON DESERVES PRAISE

“I wonder who taught Tom Heaton to take his time like that! Tom played well, I have to say. He made some fantastic saves. Paul [Pogba] had a couple of shots there, so he's a good lad and he deserves all the accolades he can get.”

WE NEED TO LEARN FROM TONIGHT

“Of course. As soon as you lose a game it's, that's hard you know, but we got a point. We need to learn from this. We've got to be able to handle not winning games as well and it's on to Leicester now.”

Premier League: Man. United 2 Burnley 2

Two sensational late goals inside five frantic minutes salvaged a point for Manchester United against Burnley but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winning run as caretaker boss came to an end.

The Reds were staring defeat in the face and Solskjaer’s first loss of his reign with three minutes of normal time to go after Burnley had stunned the home fans with goals from Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood in the second half. But a spirited finale from the Reds led to Paul Pogba scoring from the spot before Victor Lindelof snatched a point two minutes into time added on.

After the delights of the Emirates FA Cup win at Arsenal, this was always going to pose a different challenge to the Reds.

Solskjaer’s spying mission last Saturday at the Etihad Stadium to watch the Clarets play Manchester City in the cup won’t have provided him with much info with Turf Moor boss Sean Dyche naming only four starters from the much-changed knockout XI who were thumped 5-0 by City.

He won’t have been taken in by that surrender and the way Burnley started was more the side who have picked up in the Premier League following a dreadful start to the season that limped on into early winter. But they’ve improved with three wins and a draw in their last four league games. And you could see why, with the visitors posing United early problems.

The slick, lively and dangerous Reds of the Solskjaer era was missing. However, the Norwegian has consistently emphasised the importance of an early goal and, despite a slow start, United almost got it. In the ninth minute, the Reds broke from the halfway line with Marcus Rashford on the ball. Old Trafford was up and on its feet as the in-form striker raced away.

He slipped the ball to Romelu Lukaku and was superbly handed a chance on a plate by the Belgian. The Stretford End rose and was ready to salute Rashford’s sixth goal under Solskjaer but, despite the room he had, the forward side-footed his golden chance well wide.

Burnley were not troubling David De Gea but were still enjoying taking the game to United, pressing high up at the pitch at every opportunity.

Paul Pogba did poke the ball past former United man Tom Heaton in the Burnley goal after 38 minutes but was rightly judged to be offside. However, United at least started to look like our recent selves again with Juan Mata then following up with a low drive that went close.

The Reds began the second half testing Heaton with a couple of drives from Mata and Pogba but they were meat and drink for the ex-United Academy product. Just when you thought United might be winding up for an onslaught, the shock hit us as Burnley pounced to take the lead in the 51st minute.

Phil Jones played a ball out of defence to Andreas Pereira who seemed caught out by the pass and was robbed instantly by Jack Cork. He then fed Barnes, who slammed the ball past De Gea before Lindelof could rescue the situation with a tackle.

It was the first time United had gone behind in the Solskjaer reign. The home support certainly accepted the gauntlet thrown by the visitors as they got behind the Reds in ever-increasing decibels. The noise levels were raised when the crowd appealed for a handball against Ashley Westwood but referee Jonathan Moss was having none of it.

With Jesse Lingard on for Pereira, United went into attack mode and almost drew level after 66 minutes. A cross from Ashley Young was met with a volley from close range by Lukaku but Heaton pulled off a remarkable acrobatic save to keep the shot out.

It was Lukaku’s last piece of action as he was soon replaced by Alexis Sanchez.

Burnley were getting heads, feet and anything in the way as they read every ball into the box and repelled United’s efforts which had become so rushed and ragged that Solskjaer was forced to indicate to his side that they needed to calm down and show some composure. While United struggled, Burnley showed how simple it was as they went into a stunning 2-0 lead.

After United pressure, Dyche’s side went forward and Westwood dinked a ball onto the head of Wood, who glanced easily past De Gea, while the defenders waited for an offside flag that never came.

United thought we’d won a potential way back into the match two minutes after Burnley’s second, when referee Moss pointed to the spot after Ben Mee had blocked Rashford’s run. However, as Burnley players protested the offence was outside of the box, Moss changed his mind and gave a free-kick.

Four minutes later, the official was pointing to the spot again and this time there was no dispute as Jeff Hendrick pulled back Lingard. Pogba smashed the penalty into the roof of the net to set up a grandstand finale.

Heaton looked like he was going to be the hero of the night as he pulled off another great save to deny Pogba a leveller but United wouldn't be kept out and, after the goalkeeper miraculously saved an Alexis effort ,Lindelof followed up with an unstoppable close range finish to make it 2-2 during the five minutes of stoppage time.

It was an electrifying conclusion but the Reds ran out of time as we swarmed forward searching for the winner.

United: De Gea, Young (C), Lindelof, Jones, Shaw, Matic, Pogba, A. Pereira (Lingard 62), Mata, Rashford, Lukaku (Alexis 67).

Subs not used: Romero, Dalot, Smalling, Fred, Herrera.

Scorers: Pogba 87 (pen) Lindelof 90+2..

Bookings: Mata

Burnley: Heaton (C), Taylor, Cork, Tarkowski, Mee, Barnes, Wood, Hendrick, Westwood, Bardsley, McNeil (Gudmundsson 77)

Subs not used: Hart, Vokes, Gibson, Ward, Vydra, Benson

Scorers: Barnes 51, Wood 81

Bookings: Barnes, Taylor, Cork.

Attendance: 74,529

Solskjaer: Being a sub can change your life

In our exclusive interview to preview the Premier League match against Burnley, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stresses the importance of squad rotation at Manchester United and reiterates how his common role as a substitute changed his life forever.

The Norwegian club legend became known as the 'Super Sub' while playing at Old Trafford and famously scored the winning goal - as a replacement - in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

With Burnley visiting the Theatre of Dreams this evening and lots of matches to come across all competitions, Solskjaer is keen to stress how all of his players will have roles to play. Check out our interview here...

First of all, most people had Saturday off but you were watching Burnley in the FA Cup. Did you learn anything from the trip to Manchester City?
“Well, I think he [Sean Dyche] was thinking more about Tuesday night and getting through to that game with no injuries, and having fresh legs before he comes to Old Trafford. I enjoyed the day out, watching a game of football, but we know it’s going to be a tough game against Burnley. We know what we’re up against – they’ve turned a corner a little bit because their results have picked up and maybe they saw an away game against City as a chance to give someone else a run in the team. I didn’t get too much information about them, I felt.”

Obviously, a game against Burnley is a different sort of challenge than away to Arsenal or away to Tottenham. How much work goes into the tactical plan for facing Burnley?
“As much as [Arsenal or Tottenham] because every game you prepare the same. I think the analysis team, Kieran [McKenna] and Michael [Carrick] are doing a fantastic job preparing for every single game. We’ve got a great team behind the team and, of course, they’ve got the job of looking at Burnley. I wanted to see them myself, just because there are always one or two things that you can spot that you can work on.“

How important are set-pieces and not giving away free-kicks around the penalty area when you play a team like Burnley? That’s where they’re strong…
“Yes, they’re very strong and they’re a very physical team. You don’t want to give them chances to put you under pressure too often. Of course, we do look at that but teams do have different strengths. I think the front two – [Ashley] Barnes and [Chris] Wood – are a handful so, of course, we’ve got to be aware because we’re probably going to be the team who has the ball the most and, on the counter attack and set-pieces, we’ve really got to be aware.”

We’ve got four top-class strikers which mirrors the situation we were in 20 years ago when it was Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and yourself. Do you face the kind of dilemma that Sir Alex Ferguson had back then in trying to keep everyone happy and giving people enough minutes?
“Well, so far, there has been no problem because we’ve got so many games. As soon as it becomes just one game a week, it might be a problem but we rotate even during the games. When we can put Anthony [Martial] and 'Rashy' [Marcus Rashford] on for Alexis and Rom [Lukaku], who did a fantastic job [at Arsenal], it is only going to help us. The players have been very, very good at staying ready and being ready when they get on.”

You must have some sympathy with Sir Alex, trying to keep everyone happy as he did in those days…
“Yes, of course. There were so many times in his team talks when you could see that he didn’t enjoy leaving players out but that’s just the name of the game and you’ve got to be decisive – make decisions and stick with them. Of course, for the players who don’t start, you have to come on and make an impact as I’ve learnt quite often because it can change your life.”

What about team spirit? We’ve seen that video doing the rounds of the warm-up at Arsenal where Marcus Rashford nutmegs Fred and everyone goes mad. It perhaps shows the spirit that’s around the place…
“When you’re winning games of football, you’re always going to have a good team spirit around the place. But that doesn’t just apply to the players, it’s the staff as well. When you come in on Monday morning, it’s well done and on to the next one. It’s just don’t dwell too much on what’s happened because the focus is on the next one. I feel the whole club is thinking ‘next game, next game’ but of course you always enjoy winning.”

Over the weekend, the Under-18s came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Liverpool. Are some of those guys going to be knocking on your door before long?
“Yes, of course they are and that’s great – it’s what you want at a club like this. We are looking to give a few of them minutes on the pitch but then again, we’ve got so many first-team players now. We’ve got to make sure we give them the chance at the right moment because if you give it too early or in the wrong game, it might just ruin that experience for them.”

The forwards get a lot of publicity but just a word on the midfield players – Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera have played pretty much every game under you. Do they complement each other as a partnership in central midfield?
“When you pick a team, you look for balance in a team. It’s not just the midfielders or forwards or the defenders, you look at the whole team. But of course, those three midfielders – Paul [Pogba], Nemanja and Ander – have done really well. But then we’ve got Fred, Andreas [Pereira] and Scott [McTominay]. Felli [Marouane Fellaini] is out injured now but we’ve got loads of players who can fit into that. At the moment, those three have done really well.”

Dalot: It's been a good month for me to learn

Diogo Dalot believes Manchester United's winning run under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has provided a great learning experience for him as he continues to adapt to life in English football.

The 19-year-old has made 12 appearances in all competitions so far in his debut season at United, since arriving from FC Porto in his native Portugal last summer.

The Reds have won eight games out of eight since Solskjaer became caretaker manager and will be looking to maintain that 100 per cent record against Burnley at Old Trafford tonight (Tuesday).

Speaking to United Review, the young defender explained how much our impressive form has helped him personally.

“It’s been very good,” said Diogo. “When you are in a winning team, you are always happy and the expectations start to get a little more higher - you need to be prepared for that. It’s been quite a good month for me to learn from, and I think we are now in a very good position to fight for our goals.”

'I COULDN'T WISH FOR BETTER TEAM-MATES'

Dalot has appeared in four of Solskjaer’s eight matches in charge so far and told the club’s official matchday programme, United Review, what specific advice Ole and the coaching staff have given him.

“Just to improve and fight for every day,” the full-back said. ”I’m young, I need to learn a lot, and just to try to train properly every day and give my best.“

Diogo has also credited his team-mates for their part in making his transition from Portugal to England much easier.

”These amazing colleagues have been great with me,“ Dalot added. ”The adaptation [after joining] was very good for me because of them. They’ve helped me a lot and I couldn’t wish for better than them.“

'I KNEW I WOULD NEED TO BE PREPARED'

Dalot is still getting used to the rigours of Premier League football but tries to study our opponents as much as possible so he knows what to expect in every match he could be involved in.

“I try to know the teams that I am going to play against and, when I can, I watch every game,” he said. ”When I came here, I knew that it would be a high level and difficult; that it would be hard and I would need to be prepared.

“For me, the quality of the league was not surprising, but it was good, because this is the kind of level that I like to play at. I try to concentrate on my game, and not specifically the opponent that I will face. But everyone has their qualities, so it’s important to always be focused.”

Diogo was a late call-up to the starting XI for our last home game, the 2-1 win over Brighton, after Luke Shaw fell ill in the warm-up and he assisted Marcus Rashford’s stunning goal which proved to be decisive.

Tuesday's opponents Burnley adopt a similar approach to the Seagulls, and Dalot is clear about what the Reds will need to do in order to overcome a well-organised side like the Clarets.

“Just to play forward, keep the ball for ourselves, try to score goals, and then be prepared for every kind of situation that Burnley can give to us,” Diogo outlined in the exclusive interview with the programme.

“I think, as long as we are comfortable with our game and play forward, we will be closer to winning the fixture.”

Solskjaer has sent a key message to Fred

Fred will get ample opportunity to show his true worth at Manchester United, caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has promised.

The summer signing from Shakhtar Donetsk has made 15 appearances so far and was last on the pitch in the Emirates FA Cup triumph over Reading.

Solskjaer feels he did not do any of the players drafted into that side any favours, considering the sweeping changes made to the XI, and he remains convinced Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera will face competition for their places.

Citing big-name arrivals who took time to settle during his days as a striker with the Reds, the Norwegian insists there is nothing for the South American to worry about as he will get plenty of game time before the season is out.

When asked at his press conference ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Burnley in the Premier League if it was a challenge trying to get Fred into his side, Ole replied: “I think the question is wrong because I don’t think it’s my challenge to incorporate players. It’s about the players being ready when they get a chance and Fred, he’s been working hard in training, he’s a good lad.

”It’s the same with Andreas [Pereira] and Scott [McTominay] because, when they get the chance, and they will, we want to see improvement. And we know there’s a very, very good player there with Fred, so hopefully he’ll adjust to the English game because there’s no doubting of his talent.

”It’s always difficult to come here. One, it’s Man United, you’re expected to perform straight away. Two, it’s an English league that he’s not used to, but he’s a Brazilian international. Andreas - a Brazilian international, the talent is there and, when they get the chance, the next time I’m sure [they’ll take it].

”And it’s easier to come into a team that is doing well. I didn’t do Andreas, or Scott or Fred any favours when I put them in against Reading in a game that had nine changes. Next time they come in, there might be one or two changes and then we’ll see what they’re capable of.

”There are loads of players that have come in and found the first few months difficult,” he added. “Two of the best players I played with who struggled the most were Diego Forlan and Juan Sebastian Veron, you know those two fantastic players, but when they settled, they performed. So I don’t think he needs to worry too much. He’ll get chances.”

Fred has been on the bench of late and could be involved when Burnley provide the opposition as United look to continue the push up the table. Although much has been said about the renewed challenge for a top-four place since Solskjaer took charge, the interim boss still has loftier ambitions.

”We’ve got the Champions League,” he said. “We’ve got the FA Cup. We can’t just say the top four and that’s it, we’ve got to look at can we win something this year. As I’ve said, I go into every single game as a Manchester United manager thinking we can win this game.”

The Reds are striving to make it nine wins out of nine under Solskjaer but the Clarets have taken a point from both of their last two visits to Old Trafford and have avoided defeat in four of nine Premier League fixtures against United.

United face Chelsea next in the Emirates FA Cup

Manchester United's Emirates FA Cup campaign will continue with a fifth-round tie away to Premier League rivals Chelsea next month.

The clash between last season's FA Cup winners and runners-up will be staged at Stamford Bridge at some point between Friday 15 and Monday 18 February. The exact date and kick-off time will be confirmed in due course, once broadcasters have decided which games will be selected for live television coverage in the UK.

The match will be sandwiched in between the Reds’ testing home games against Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last-16 first leg and Liverpool in the Premier League.

United reached the fifth round of the FA Cup for the fifth successive season after beating Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night thanks to goals from former Gunners forward Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard and substitute Anthony Martial.

That impressive fourth-round victory followed a 2-0 win over Championship side Reading in round three at Old Trafford, when Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku scored in the first half.

Before the game against the Royals, caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expressed his desire to win the competition this season as the Reds look to go one better than last term, when we were narrowly beaten by Chelsea in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Last season's final was the 15th FA Cup clash between the clubs and despite that result, United still have the edge in the head-to-head record. The Reds have won eight matches to the Blues' five, while there have been two draws.

Notable meetings include two other finals - Chelsea's 1-0 victory in 2007 and United's 4-0 triumph in 1994 - as well as the semi-final in 1996 and the quarter-final in 1999, both of which were won by the Reds.

FIFTH-ROUND FACTS

There will be no replays from this stage of the competition after the FA brought forward the move to abolish them, a year earlier than planned.

Next season, the fifth round will move to a midweek slot following the introduction of a winter break.

United beat fellow Premier League side Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the fifth round last season. Mata had a goal controversially disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for offside but two goals from Lukaku helped the Reds ease through to the quarter-finals.

The Reds were ball no.15 in Monday night’s draw, which was conducted by Arsenal legend Ian Wright and former Arsenal Women player Alex Scott before the final fourth-round tie between Barnet and Brentford.

FULL FIFTH-ROUND DRAW

Bristol City v Shrewsbury Town or Wolverhampton Wanderers
AFC Wimbledon v Millwall
Doncaster Rovers v Crystal Palace
Middlesbrough or Newport County v Manchester City
Chelsea v Manchester United
Swansea v Barnet or Brentford
Portsmouth or Queens Park Rangers v Watford
Brighton & Hove Albion or West Bromwich Albion v Derby County

Phelan is confident United will climb the league table

Manchester United first-team coach Mike Phelan is unfazed by the task of climbing the Premier League table and finishing in the top four, based on the club’s history and culture of fighting until the end.

The Reds have won eight consecutive matches, including six in the top flight, since Old Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed caretaker manager last month - when Phelan also returned as part of his staff.

We are currently sixth in the Premier League table and only three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with 15 matches still to play this season. Phelan says he is confident of making further progress, in an interview that appears in Tuesday night’s edition of United Review.

“We’re chasing a pack but I have known Manchester United claw back points before,” says Phelan. “We can only do our own job, keep doing what we’ve been doing, keep pressing all of the right buttons. We’re going to lose a few games, which happens in football, but at this moment in time we’re winning a few as well. Our aim is to try and do even better, to try and push the players further.

”I have experienced a lot of things at Manchester United and I want this next generation of players to do the same. They have won some things, but they haven’t won everything, and I want them to win everything. Why shouldn’t we? You’ve got to be greedy and to keep pushing. What they’re here for is to be better players, better individuals and to win something for this club and themselves.“

Speaking of experience, Phelan worked with some of the finest and most successful squads in United history during his time as part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s staff. When asked how the current crop compares, he is clear in his message that anything can be achieved with the right approach and mentality.

“Players are talented here because they’re here for a reason,” says Phelan. “It’s up to them to embrace Manchester United, the ethos, and everything around it. That’s the reason why they’re here. Ability shouldn’t be an issue; they shouldn’t get through the door if they haven’t got the ability, so what is important is that we make sure we only bring in that quality and personality, that charismatic sort that can enhance what is already here. That is a major responsibility.

”They all enjoy the moment and take away great memories of the opportunities they get for being a Manchester United player. Winning is there, it’s got to be – the size of the football club demands that. We’re trying to build something. Ole is temporarily in charge and I am temporarily here; until anybody changes that, we will do everything we possibly can to make this environment pleasurable and reflect that on the pitch.“

Back at the club and enjoying every minute, Phelan is relishing his new relationship with Solskjaer after previously working with the Norwegian as a player. In his interview, Mike delivers a modest assessment of their results together so far, and shines a light on the wider coaching staff.

“It is working okay,” he says. “It’s not just myself and Ole – there’s Kieran McKenna involved, Michael Carrick learning his trade, so the balance is good, the feedback is good and we get on. It’s a nice split age range, so we’ve all got different ideas, we communicate a lot and it is quite refreshing. It takes me back a little bit into the processes we had before, which was a little bit of youth, a bit of experience, a little bit of knowledge. There’s an extra dynamic, that is all part of a football club.”

Phelan reflects on an emotional return to the club during his in-depth interview for United Review, while also providing his thoughts on facing his boyhood club Burnley – who still mean a lot to him.

“The club means everything to me,” he says. “I was a schoolboy and I supported the club. I lived not far from the area, so I grew up the Burnley way really, supporting my local team. I always wanted to be on that turf.

”My father and my uncles took me to the games, and life revolved around Burnley Football Club, and to join them was brilliant for me as a schoolboy. Burnley had really good coaches and a great scouting network. It was progressive. Everything was about learning the game, learning to be a good professional. If you were good enough, you were old enough, so you got the opportunity.“

De Gea: How we’ve improved at the back

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has praised the club’s recent defensive performances, acknowledging how his team-mates are allowing the opposition fewer chances and ultimately giving him fewer attempts to repel.

United have conceded just five goals in the eight games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so far, compared to 13 in the preceding eight, and the impressive showings at the back have provided a platform for the attacking players to produce headline-grabbing moments at the other end.

“We’ve continued to improve at the back, we’re conceding less for a start,” said De Gea.

“I think we’re creating a lot more chances as well and we’re scoring goals as a result of that. I think the type of football we're playing is allowing us to get forward, score and with that, win games.

“It’s all about keeping this rhythm up. The main thing is keeping up this standard and hopefully the victories will keep coming,” he added.

De Gea admits he's been impressed by the players who operate immediately in front of him, with centre-backs Phil Jones and Victor Lindelof starting together in each of United's last three Premier League games.

“I think the form of Jones and Lindelof is absolutely vital for the team,” said the Spaniard.

“They’ve enjoyed some excellent form and been very, very good. I think as they continue to play together they get to know each other more and each other’s style of play even more.

“All the defenders have been doing well. I think when the defence plays well it gives a lot of confidence throughout the team and it’s not just that we’re conceding less goals, I think we’re giving away less chances as well, so long may it continue.”

Next up for United is a home clash with Burnley, a side we defeated 2-0 at Turf Moor in September, but Sean Dyche’s men have improved markedly since the start of the season and have won three of their last four Premier League games.

De Gea therefore expects the Clarets to provide the Reds with a tough Tuesday-night test at Old Trafford, but he's still confident his team is capable of stretching the current winning run to nine games in all competitions.

“We know Burnley very, very well,“ said the shot-stopper. ”We know their style of play, they try to put you under pressure and play a fairly direct style of play.

“They play quite a few long balls and try to put us under pressure, but they’re also a very tough defence to break down. I think they come here on the back of a really good run, but at home, with our fans behind us, hopefully we can do things right and get the victory.

“Things are going well with the team,” he added. “We’re in a rich vein of form and we’re feeling good about ourselves.

“I think we’re dominating and controlling games more and we’re creating more chances than we were before. That’s given us a real boost of confidence and it’s important for us to try and continue in that way because the aim of everyone is to keep climbing up the table.

“I hope everything goes well between now and the end of the season,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the next few weeks and months, as it’s where the big trophies are decided.

“We’ve got some nice games coming up, but obviously, very tough ones, but in particular we’ve got some good games coming up at home.

“We’ve got the Champions League and the FA Cup as well - I’m just keen to get going with these important games. I think we are in a better vein of form than we have been obviously. It would be great - difficult, but great - if we can win a trophy. That’s what we all want.”

Mata: What Solskjaer told me on my debut

Hi everyone. Today I want to start off my post by saying thank you. Honestly, thank you to everyone who has remembered that recently it was five years since I arrived at Manchester United.

On this Monday, as my blog goes up, it is the anniversary of my first game as a Red Devil and it is a date that brings back great memories for me: Old Trafford, the kindness shown by everyone, going from the tunnel onto the pitch, the win…

I can say that today I still hold those same feelings and it is something that I am hugely grateful for. What plenty of you don’t remember is that on that day our current manager [Ole Gunnar Solskjaer] was there too… although he was on the opposing bench!

I remember his words in the tunnel before I headed out onto the pitch: “Welcome to this fantastic club, Juan, it is incredible, you’ll see. Enjoy it as much as you can and good luck.” Five years later, we’re both still here.

This anniversary also coincides with the team’s very good form - eight wins in a row, the most recent coming against Arsenal at the Emirates.

To pass into the next round of the FA Cup has been great for the dressing room because, as I wrote last week, it is a competition that excites us a lot and one that we’ve got huge hopes for.

As expected, it was a tough game, but the team is playing with more confidence and we are going to battle to carry that on for as long as we can.

We’ll start to do that tomorrow. Our fixture list doesn’t let up and, on Tuesday, we will return to Old Trafford to face Burnley in the Premier League.

We are not obsessing over our place in the league table but rather enjoying every game, competing and making the most of them as much as possible. With this mentality, we are making progress and we’re on the right track. This week there are also two games, as on Sunday we must pay Leicester a visit.

As I’ve already said, we are taking things day by day, meaning that currently we only have Burnley in mind.

Hugs, Juan.

You can read my full blog post here on my website, JuanMata8.com.

Ole reveals team news for United v Burnley

Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has provided an update on his squad as the in-form Reds look to make it nine wins out of nine, in all competitions, since he took charge last month.

Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku were instrumental in the superb 3-1 victory at Arsenal in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round on Friday evening, while Sergio Romero and Eric Bailly also impressed after being recalled to the starting line-up.

Hence, the boss will have a selection headache, albeit a nice one, as he prepares to meet a team that has made life difficult at Old Trafford in the last couple of seasons.

Marouane Fellaini is still ruled out through injury but fellow midfielder Scott McTominay scored and shone for the Under-23s against Paris Saint-Germain on Friday and defender Chris Smalling is closing in on a return to action, even if Marcos Rojo is understood to still be unavailable.
”Chris has trained for a week now, so he’s looking good,” Ole told MUTV. “It’s about when do we get him into the team.”

Solskjaer believes it is easy to rotate the forwards at his disposal at the moment because the schedule is such a busy one.

“So far, it's been no problem,” he added. “We've got so many games. As soon as it becomes one game a week, it might be a problem.

”We rotate even during games. When we can put Anthony [Martial] and 'Rashy' [Marcus Rashford] on for Alexis and Rom, who did a fantastic job [at Arsenal], it is only going to help us. The players have been very, very good at staying ready and being ready when they get on.“

HOW ABOUT BURNLEY?

Ex-Red Robbie Brady returned from suspension during Burnley’s 5-0 FA Cup loss at Manchester City on Saturday but was withdrawn at half-time with a groin injury. Another player who was on United’s books as a youngster, Dwight McNeil, drew praise from Sean Dyche for his form.

Tom Heaton, also a former member of our Academy, looks favourite to get the nod in goal, although Nick Pope played at the Etihad Stadium and Joe Hart is another option. Matt Lowton and Aaron Lennon appear unlikely to be involved but Phil Bardsley, yet another United old boy, could be available.

Is Andreas Pereira set to leave United on loan?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t expect Andreas Pereira, Matteo Darmian or any other players to leave Manchester United in the remaining days of the January transfer window.

In a press conference to preview Tuesday’s Premier League match against Burnley, Ole was asked if any players could leave before Thursday's 23:00 GMT deadline.

“At the moment I can see everyone staying at the club because no deals have been done with anyone, I think,” said Solskjaer. “Then again there's still a few more days but I'm not too involved in the negotiations, so, whatever happens, happens.

“It'll be good to get the window closed so we can just focus on the squad and improving the ones who stay here.”

Two Under-23s players, Ethan Hamilton and Regan Poole, have already been loaned out to Rochdale and Newport County respectively to gain valuable experience in the Football League for the remainder of the season.

Solskjaer was also asked if another spell out on loan would be beneficial for Andreas Pereira, who spent the previous two seasons in Spain with Granada and Valencia respectively.

But our caretaker manager was adamant that he cannot see the midfielder making another temporary move away from the club.

“No, I can't see him going out on loan because Andreas has done fantastic in training,” Solskjaer told reporters at the Aon Training Complex on Monday morning.

“Ever since I've come back, obviously, I've kept in touch with Warren [Joyce], who had him in the Reserves. I've known about Andreas from before and he is a player that you could see play quite a few games for us before the end of the season.”

The subject of youth development was discussed towards the end of his press conference and Solskjaer hinted that several Academy players will make their first-team debuts later this season.

“We have quite a few talented kids in the youth team that you'd like to see, and you probably will see at some point before next season,“ Ole told the press.

”Because that's what it's about now for me, to put the club and to put the team in a good position when at the end of the season, how do we look like? What do we look like next season? And Mason [Greenwood], Jimmy Garner, Ethan [Hamilton], there's quite a few in that Reserve team that can do well. It's just about the right time.”

Herrera: Solskjaer says we can all attack at United

The Manchester United players believe that anything is possible when they are on the pitch, according to in-form midfielder Ander Herrera.

Speaking after the Reds’ 3-1 victory over Arsenal in the Emirates FA Cup on Friday night, the Spaniard revealed how caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has instilled belief in the squad.

“Ole brought that to the team from the first day,” Ander explained. “He said we want to be a team that controls the game, but sometimes that’s impossible.

“Sometimes we have to defend, but we know when we are defending that anything can happen in attack for us. We have quick forward players who are able to make runs to be in box.

“Paul [Pogba] makes those runs, Ash [Young] and Luke [Shaw] too; everyone is allowed to go and attack, so of course when we are playing we think that anything is possible.

“Even in the tough moments, we have the feeling that we can hurt our opponent.”

The win against the Gunners was United’s eighth consecutive victory under Solskjaer, with two of the last three coming away from home in the capital.

Herrera isn’t getting carried away though, with focus immediately turning to the next game as we return to league action against Burnley at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

“We shouldn’t go crazy with the table,” Ander said. “There are still a lot of matches to play in the league so we go game by game. Every game gives you a new challenge, and new problems to solve.

“Now, we’re thinking about the next game which is Burnley. It’s an important game. They will probably try to make the most of set pieces, they’re aggressive and compact.

“Our feeling is that if we perform at our best, we can beat anyone. It doesn’t mean we’re going to beat every team, but we have the belief because we have the quality to do it.”

Herrera also refused to discuss the subject of his future, deciding instead to focus on the “more important” subject of Burnley at home, when asked by one journalist about a potential new deal.

“I’m not going to talk about my contract,” he told the press. “We have more important things happening now than my contract so I just try to perform.

“My priority is to beat Burnley, Leicester… and if I deserve a new contract, the contract will come. I’m not a selfish guy, I want the team to keep winning games, I don’t go crazy about my contract.”

Herrera also heaped praise on Alexis Sanchez after the no.7 scored the opening goal against his former club, Arsenal, on Friday night.

“Alexis is a fantastic player. We know he’s had difficult moments in the last year, but he’s fantastic. He can change a game, he can score fantastic goals and provide fantastic assists.

”It’s great to have six attacking players who can change the game in one minute. At the moment, we all know Marcus is enjoying the game, Jesse the same. Romelu made two assists tonight which isn’t usually one of his qualities in a game. And Juan Mata on the bench… he’s got the stats: assists and goals.

“It’s not easy for the opponents when they are going to face Manchester United and they see these players.”

The week ahead for Manchester United

With five games, three birthdays, two notable anniversaries and the closing of the transfer window, it looks like being another seven busy days for Manchester United. Here's our guide to what we know lies ahead...

MONDAY
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will begin the week by addressing the media in the first of two pre-match press conferences in five days. As well as giving updates on the squad’s preparations for the Burnley clash, the caretaker manager will no doubt be asked one last time if any ins and outs are likely as we inch closer to transfer deadline day.

After Friday night's excellent 3-1 away win over Arsenal, we have the Emirates FA Cup fifth-round draw to look forward to in the evening. The procedure will take place at around 19:20 GMT and we'll be represented by ball number 15 of 16. Other Premier League teams in the hat include Watford (number 10) and Manchester City (12).

Meanwhile, it will be five years since our midfield maestro Juan Mata made his debut for United. The Spaniard’s first outing in a red shirt came against Cardiff City, then managed by a certain Norwegian by the name of Solskjaer. On the day, goals from Robin van Persie and Ashley Young saw us run out as 2-0 winners.

TUESDAY
Burnley will provide the opposition as we return to Old Trafford for the first time since our 2-1 victory against Brighton and Hove Albion on 19 January. A Romelu Lukaku double inspired the Reds to victory when we faced the Clarets earlier in the season, and another three points this time around would see us close the gap on our top-four rivals. A win would at least temporarily move Solskjaer’s men level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea, who are in action against Bournemouth the following evening.

WEDNESDAY
Former Reds striker Dimitar Berbatov celebrates his 38th birthday. In four years at Old Trafford, the Bulgarian played 149 times for United, netted 56 goals and helped us to win two Premier League titles, the Club World Cup, the League Cup and two Community Shields.

THURSDAY
One of the busiest days for 24/7 sports news channels will reach fever pitch in TV studios in the hours, minutes and seconds until the January transfer window slams shut at 23:00 GMT. Solskjaer has already stated he does not expect to make any signings this month, but should that change, you'll see the details confirmed first on ManUtd.com of course.

As we continue to celebrate 20 years since our Treble-winning season, Thursday marks the anniversary of our 1-0 away win against Charlton Athletic. Dwight Yorke was on target at The Valley on 31 January 1999, and he netted a dramatic 89th-minute winner to ensure we continued our march towards the title.

FRIDAY
Solskjaer will be back in front of the cameras for another press conference as we build up to the weekend clash against Leicester City. Make sure to visit ManUtd.com or keep your eyes on our official app for any news on injuries, squad selection and Ole’s thoughts on the opposition.

The Under-23s return to action as Ricky Sbragia’s youngsters host Southampton at Leigh Sports Village, and kick-off is at 19:00 GMT. As usual, the Reds are live on MUTV and will be looking to carry the form from last Friday's brilliant International Cup win over Paris Saint-Germain into Premier League 2. A win over Saints would see United move to within two points of them.

Our former midfielder Darren Fletcher turns 35, but he might not have much time to celebrate on the eve of Stoke City’s Championship clash against Hull City.

SATURDAY
Our Under-18s will host Middlesbrough at the Aon Training Complex and should be full of confidence after last weekend's 3-2 comeback win over old rivals Liverpool in a Premier League Cup game at Kirkby. The match is live on MUTV and begins at 11:00 GMT.

Meanwhile, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson turns 22. The full-back is currently on loan at Scunthorpe United, who face a tough trip to Barnsley that afternoon.

SUNDAY
United finish another hectic week with two games. Firstly, our women’s team have a long trip to the south coast to face Brighton in the Women’s FA Cup at 12:30 GMT. It will be the first time the Reds have competed in the competition since forming last summer, and provides another chance for Casey Stoney's players to test themselves against a Super League side. Should we overcome the Seagulls, it will be the fourth time we have beaten a club from the women's top tier this season.

Later that afternoon, Solskjaer’s side face a tough trip to Leicester in the return fixture to our opening game of the 2018/19 season. It seems like a long time since we kicked off our campaign against Claude Puel’s side in August, when goals from Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw ensured the Reds took all three points. We are unbeaten in our last three trips to the King Power Stadium, including a memorable 3-0 win in 2017 against Claudio Ranieri’s reigning champions. Sunday’s match kicks off at 14:05 GMT.

Credit: Manutd.com

Cole: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now favourite for Manchester United job

Manchester United will not have to look any further for their next permanent manager if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues his blistering start to his reign, according to Andrew Cole.

United reached the FA Cup fifth round on Friday night after goals from Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial sealed a 3-1 win at Arsenal - making it eight wins from eight under Solskjaer's interim spell.

Jose Mourinho was sacked on December 18 with United closer to the relegation zone than leaders Liverpool, but under Solskjaer's stewardship, they are now just three points off a Champions League place.

Speaking on The Debate, former United team-mate Cole believes the Solskjaer is now favourite for the position on a permanent basis.

"I look at Ole and I see that he is a student of the game," Cole said. "He was prepared to take in a lot of information and break it down and do what he thought was right with it.

"Looking at him, he is always speaking about Sir Alex [Ferguson] and what he takes from him and what he is trying to do with the players.

"That's what the manager used to do with us. He was always talking to us to get the best from us. You can see Ole does that because after every game he is on the pitch with the players. A lot of the modern-day managers are doing that.

"Everyone wants to get the best from the players so you have to put your arm around them and show them that they are important to you.

"How do you keep your job? You have to win matches. If he continues to do that then nobody can turn around and say you shouldn't get the job because he hasn't done X, Y and Z.

"If this continues and Manchester United beat PSG (in the Champions League) and win midweek against Burnley then I don't think you can look any further. He is gaining experience and winning matches and that is what everyone is asking him to do."

Mauricio Pochettino has been reportedly linked with the Old Trafford post, but Solskjaer has replaced him as the front runner to be in charge come the start of the 2019/20 season after enjoying unprecedented success at the start of his tenure.

Solskjaer would not be the first caretaker manager to flourish when initially offered a short-term contract, with Chelsea famously lifting the Champions League under Roberto Di Matteo in 2012 after sacking Andre Villas-Boas.

Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has warned, however, that going down the same route as Chelsea may not bring long-term stability.

"The only worry would be if it's a little bit like Di Matteo at Chelsea," he said. "He won the Champions League final and then next season when he's the manager making all the big decisions… At the moment everybody is enjoying it.

"The players have got the shackles off them and they have all benefited from the change of manager. It would be very hard not to give him the job if he carries on the way he is going because he is getting results.

"They can get in the top four and the Champions League is a totally different game. If it was under Jose Mourinho you would say they have no chance but now you look at the way they are playing on the break.

"I think he is the big favourite to get the job now. They will assess the situation in the summer but I am sure fans will be delighted if he gets the job."

Credit: Skysports.com

Romelu: I predicted Alexis would score!

Romelu Lukaku told Alexis Sanchez he'd score against his former team, after the pair worked on the move that led to Manchester United's brilliant opening goal against Arsenal.

The Belgian played on the right side of a three-pronged attack and set up the first two strikes with two excellent passes for Alexis and Jesse Lingard.

Lukaku reflected on a great win for the Reds in his post-match interview with MUTV, and shared the details of a conversation he had with Alexis 24 hours before the game.

“I told him yesterday in training, 'Listen, you’re going to score tomorrow’,” explained Rom.

“I said to him I’d give him the ball as long as he ran inside if I couldn’t shoot. I said to him, 'Just run in and I’ll find you’. I think you could see when I got the ball I was looking for him and he made the right run and the finish for him was incredible.

"We knew they would leave space for me and Alexis with the full-backs pushing on so it would end up being 3 v 3 or 3 v 2 and we had a lot of moments when we could have countered better, especially in the second half. I think we could have scored two or three more goals to be honest, but 3-1 at Arsenal is very good.“

Lukaku was named Man of the Match in our post-match poll as he scooped 55 per cent of the votes. The man himself was delighted to play such a big part in the victory, even though he jokingly said afterwards he'll always take goals over assists.

“Scoring every time! [Laughs] I want to score every time because I’m a goalscorer but I can do both and throughout the years I’ve popped up with assists too,” he added. “I’m not sure I’ve had any this season before tonight but now I have two and if I keep the goals up and the assists up I’ll be really delighted.

”It was the manager’s idea to play me there [on the right of the attack]. I think he saw me play there a couple of times for Belgium and I did a job for the team in that position. I have to take my chances. I’m taking things a day at a time and working hard in training and I’m ready whenever the manager needs me.

“We said before the game we just need to try to dominate and play hard and then the result will come, and we did that. I think Arsenal tried to play their game but defensively we were really focused and offensively on the break we were really dangerous and that made a difference today in terms of that aspect. I’m really happy with the win.”

The victory made it eight wins from eight under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Lukaku admits confidence is soaring throughout the squad.

“We feel great but it’s the same in training. We play a lot of games in a lot of competitions and every time you come into the games you know the situations and you have to keep on maintaining the pressure on the other team and keep on delivering the quality, that’s what it’s about, and on the counter-attack we’re really dangerous. We’re growing steadily and winning games which is the most important thing.

”I don’t care who we play [in the next round],“ he continued. ”At the end of the day we’re Man United and wherever we go we have to perform and put a shift in, and that’s what we’ll do against whoever comes our way.“

Solskjaer reacts to FA Cup win

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised his United side's attacking attitude as the Reds secured another famous away win over Arsenal and booked a spot in the Emirates FA Cup fifth round.

The Reds boss spoke to MUTV and reporters at his post-match press conference after making it eight wins from his eight games in charge and discussed United's brilliant counter-attacking football and also a solid defensive display. Here's what he had to say...

I trust all the players

“[It helps] when you’ve got good players, but it’s also difficult to leave them out, it’s much easier to put them into the team. It’s hard because you have to think we have the best goalkeeper in the world in David [De Gea]. Do you leave him in just because it’s a big game? No, because you have to trust all the players in this club.”

Attitude was fantastic

“It was a fantastic finish [from Alexis for the first goal] and a great pass from Rom [Lukaku] I have to say. Just before that I’d said ‘Rom you should be in the box!’ [Smiles] But then he makes that pass which was fantastic. The second and third goals were classic Man United counter-attacks. We had to defend properly which we did today and really had to dig in, we had a much better structure than we did against Tottenham. We defended resiliently and the attitude to run forward was fantastic.”

Massive step forward

“The structure in the team was miles better compared to the Tottenham game where we hung in there and David [De Gea] saved us. Tonight Sergio [Romero] had a fantastic save at the beginning of the second half, but we’d been working on things this week because we need to dig in and defend properly against good teams. This was a massive step forward for us as a team.”

Counter-attacking is what we do against Arsenal

“That’s part of it. If you go through the history and the games we’ve played against Arsenal that’s how it is. I remember a goal I scored in 1997 after we defended a corner; it went from Giggsy to Karel [Poborsky] to Andy [Cole] and into me. Everyone knows about the classic Champions League goal [in 2009] with Ji [-sung Park], Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Wayne [Rooney] running forward. Wazza has scored a couple more like that, as has Ji, so the counter-attacking threat that we have is in our history against Arsenal.”

Romelu on the right

“Rom has played there for Belgium and for Everton, it was against Arsenal actually a few years back, and he played there in the World Cup against Brazil so that’s a tactic we can use. We know how strong he is coming in at the back post if we can get crosses in which we didn’t actually manage to do tonight, but he held the ball and ran the channel and brought other players into play and it was a fantastic pass for Alexis’s goal. And it was a great finish from Alexis.”

Shaw did well for the second goal

“He’s just walking into the interview! [Laughs] He was fantastic. You saw for the second goal, instead of just panicking and clearing the ball, he took a touch and drove inside and set up Rom [who set up Jesse]. He did brilliantly.”

Alexis will keep improving

“The more confidence you have as a player the more you want to get onto the pitch, train, work hard and you also trust yourself. He’s been injured lately so it was great to see him get 65/70 minutes tonight and he can only improve and I think he knows that himself.”

Jesse is a big-game player

“He’s shown that for England and he’s shown that for us. He always pops up with goals and he is someone we never ever hesitate to put in a Man United team. And he’s been brought through the system so he knows what this means, he knows the history, he knows everything about the club and he’s someone we love.”

It’s good to celebrate

“The way the players celebrate shows they’re happy. It might be the last goal you ever score so you should celebrate every single one as though it’s the last one.”

Home draw would be nice

“Tonight we’ve beaten one of the favourites and if you want to win this tournament you need one or two proper performances and today was a fantastic one. It would be nice to get a home draw in the next round now. The fans were fantastic and towards the end you could only hear them. Once again they can enjoy the trip back to Manchester! [Smiles]”

FA Cup 4th Round: Arsenal 1 Man, United 3

Manchester United booked a place in the Emirates FA Cup fifth round in scintillating style, overcoming Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night.

Goals from Alexis, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial secured progress for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side but it wasn’t all one-way traffic.

Arsenal had the better of the opening exchanges and broke quickly down the left following a United corner early on, but Sead Kolasinac’s cross was easily cleared by skipper Ashley Young.

Unai Emery’s men enjoyed a few intricate passages of play, although it took 24 minutes to test Sergio Romero, with Alex Iwobi shooting straight at the Reds' keeper.

United were slow to get going in attack but were clinical when opportunities were created and it was former Arsenal star Alexis who opened the scoring. The Chilean - booed at every opportunity by the home crowd - latched on to a brilliant reverse ball by Romelu Lukaku, rounded Petr Cech and lofted a brilliant finish into the net when it looked like he might have taken it too wide.

Lingard doubled the lead two minutes later following a devastating counter-attack, Lukaku again providing the assist. Our Belgian no. 9 made the most of the space afforded to him by the Arsenal defence, picking out Lingard who had time to take a touch in the box before coolly passing it beyond the reach of Cech.

Arsenal rallied in the final 15 minutes of the first half and reduced the deficit just before the break, through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Aaron Ramsey shimmied past Eric Bailly in the penalty area and the Gunners’ frontman was there to tap in from close range.

The home side picked up where they left off in the second half and could have equalised within a minute of the restart but for an excellent save. Ramsey was again involved for the Gunners, this time heading an effort towards the top corner from close range. Romero reacted brilliantly to keep it out, pushing over the bar.

The first booking of the match came shortly after; Paul Pogba, leading the United charge, was pulled back by compatriot Laurent Koscielny in a dangerous position just outside the penalty area. Lukaku stood over the free-kick but couldn’t make the most of the opportunity, firing his effort over the bar.

That was Koscielny’s last involvement as he went off injured following an accidental clash with Lukaku.
The hosts continued to threaten but Romero again kept them at bay, saving well to his left from a fierce Lacazette shot. Ramsey and Xhaka tried their luck from long range, but it was United who got the decisive fourth goal of the game.

Both attacking substitutes Martial and Marcus Rashford - on for Lukaku and Alexis - were involved as Pogba went on another driving run at the Arsenal backline. The Frenchman delayed his decision on whether to pass or shoot, eventually deciding to test Cech. The veteran keeper - who earlier this month announced he plans to retire at the end of the season - could only parry the effort out to Martial who fired home on 82 minutes.

Even though 10 minutes of stoppage time were added for the delay caused by Koscielny's injury, the tie was effectively over at 3-1 and that's exactly how the tie of the round ended, with United now looking forward to Monday evening's fifth-round draw and eyeing the chance to match Arsenal's record of winning the FA Cup 13 times.

MATCH DETAILS

Arsenal: Cech; Maitland-Niles, Sokratis (Mustafi 21), Koscielny (c) (Ozil 64), Kolasinac; Torreira, Xhaka, Ramsey; Iwobi (Guendouzi 74’), Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Subs not used: Leno, Mustafi, Monreal, Lichtsteiner, Elneny.

Booked: Koscielny, Kolasinac, Guendouzi.

United: Romero; Young (c), Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Lingard (Jones 87), Lukaku (Martial 71), Alexis (Rashford 71).

Subs not used: Grant, Dalot, Fred, Mata.

Booked: Young, Lingard, Rashford.

Scorers: Alexis (31), Lingard (33), Martial (82)

Referee: Craig Pawson.

Attendance: 59,571.

Solskjaer previews our FA Cup tie at Arsenal

Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spoken exclusively to us to preview our Emirates FA Cup fourth-round tie at Arsenal this evening.

In our sit-down interview, the Norwegian discussed our intense rivalry with the Gunners during his playing days, the FA Cup, Alexis Sanchez and our opponents. Here's what Ole had to say...

A Friday night game under the lights between two of the most famous teams in FA Cup history. Is that something to really relish?
“Yes, of course it is. When you get the draw and you see that it’s Arsenal, it’s one of those ‘wow’ moments. It’s a tough one but it’s a fantastic challenge. We’ve played Arsenal so many times in the FA Cup. I’ve actually played in two semi-finals against them in 1999 and 2004 and we won both of them, so let’s hope that’s a good sign.”

You played 19 times against Arsenal in your playing career – more than against any other team – when the rivalry was at its height when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were in charge. How intense was it to be right at the sharp end of that rivalry?
“I have to say that those were the games that you looked forward to because, as you said, it was between the two of us [United and Arsenal] to win the league and the Double. We won the Treble one year, of course. You looked at them, they had great players. It was a great team with that famous back four and David Seaman [in goal]. I think I only scored one goal against David Seaman and it wasn’t easy to go past that back four. The games were really, really fierce – there were some tackles flying in. We had so much respect for each other – they had it for us too. There were a couple of fights in the dressing rooms and stuff, so that’s what the rivalry was about but it was all good.“

Those two semi-finals you mentioned in 1999 and 2004 were both magical, weren’t they?
“I have to say the 2004 one was when I came back from injury and I played up front on my own. It was at Villa Park, wasn’t it? I was happy with my contribution but of course the 1999 one with Giggsy’s fantastic goal was at Villa Park as well when Peter [Schmeichel] saved that penalty which I think tipped the balance in our favour. They would have probably won the Double if it wasn’t for that save, but then we won the Treble!”

Is the FA Cup still magic as far as you’re concerned?
“I think so. It [the final] is the one big game I looked forward to every year as a youngster back in Norway. It’s the last game after the [league] season is done, seeing the teams walk out at Wembley. We’ve got a chance [to win the competition] but it’s a tough, tough challenge and we are looking forward to it.”

This will be Alexis Sanchez’s first return to Arsenal since he joined us a year ago. He might get a bit of a hot reception…
“He’ll be involved. I think he’ll love it if the crowd turn against him. As a player, pride kicks in and you think ‘I’ll show all of you’. He’s been fantastic in training, his attitude has been spot on so hopefully he’ll enjoy the game.”

Do you think he’s got the personality to relish that reception he might get?
“I think you will do when you’re a Man United player because, if you don’t have that mentality, I don’t think you’re at the right club.”

Finally, Arsenal played really well in their 2-0 win over Chelsea. They pressed really well and swarmed all over them. Are you expecting the same from them on Friday?
“Yes, you have to say that the game against Chelsea was impressive. They really took control of that game and pressed high as you said. They scored two goals and they have got counter-attacking threat as well but it’s not just that part of it – they’ve got pace up front so we know we’ve got to be on song.”

Who has Ole picked to face Arsenal?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has named his Manchester United team to face Arsenal in the Emirates FA Cup fourth-round clash.

Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez are back for the Reds in attack with Jesse Lingard, who netted twice in the 3-1 Premier League win at the Emirates last season and against the Gunners in December, lending support.

Lukaku and Alexis are two of five players coming into Solskjaer's side; the others are Sergio Romero, Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw who replace David De Gea, Phil Jones and Diogo Dalot.

Lukaku scored in the third-round win against Reading at Old Trafford and this evening will be the first return to the Emirates Stadium for Alexis since his move to United last January.

Romero, meanwhile, will be between the posts for the Reds after keeping a clean sheet in that home win over the Royals in the last round. Shaw is back after illness forced him to miss the win over Brighton, while Bailly comes in for Jones in the centre of defence.

Paul Pogba, meanwhile, is making the 300th appearance of his club career as he looks to continue his excellent form of late.

Ole spoke to MUTV before the match and confirmed that Romero will be his chosen keeper for the FA Cup.

“You know that Sergio is a fantastic goalkeeper. When we looked at the whole season, Sergio is the FA Cup keeper. To keep players like him at this club, he needs to play in big games as well,” explained Ole. “He is a fantastic keeper so I am looking forward to seeing him. He was Man of the Match against Reading, so I am very confident.”

On having Alexis and Lukaku in attack, the manager added: “They give us something different. Obviously Rom with his physical presence, we might get some more crosses in for him, and Alexis has played here and played for them so I am sure he will be up for the game to show them what they have missed.

”We want to go for it, of course. We want to go through. To win this cup you need to beat a few good teams on the way and you can't get a bigger challenge than away to Arsenal in the cup. These are two clubs with fantastic traditions and histories in this cup.“

Arsenal: Cech; Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Kolasinac; Torreira, Xhaka, Ramsey; Iwobi, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Subs: Leno, Mustafi, Monreal, Lichtsteiner, Elneny, Guendouzi, Ozil.

United: Romero; Young (c), Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Lingard, Lukaku, Alexis.

Subs: Grant, Dalot, Jones, Fred, Mata, Martial, Rashford.

Herrera: 'We don't fear anyone'

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera says winning the Emirates FA Cup is one of the main priorities for the squad this season.

United made it all the way to Wembley last year, only to be beaten 1-0 by Chelsea, due to an Eden Hazard penalty in the first half. This time around, Herrera wants to go one better and steer the Reds to a record-equalling 13th FA Cup triumph.

Standing in our way in the fourth round are the team who have lifted the trophy the most times, Arsenal, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men travel to the Emirates Stadium.

The Reds overcame Reading 2-0 to make it to this stage and, while some argue the cup has lost some of its allure, Herrera insists this is not the opinion in the United changing room.

“Of course, the Premier League is the main objective for everyone,” the 29-year-old told MUTV. “But it’s really nice to win a trophy and I think Manchester United always fight for titles and for trophies.

“We are not going to throw this competition away - no chance. We have a lot of expectations, we are out of the League Cup, so the FA Cup is the only English competition, apart from the Premier League, that we are involved in, so we go with everything.

“We still think our main objective is the league, of course, but Manchester United is about trophies, it is about titles, so we are not going to throw it away.”

Herrera has enjoyed some of his best moments in a red shirt when playing in the FA Cup. The Spaniard scored in his first-ever game in the competition, a 2-0 win against Yeovil Town in 2015, provided an assist for Anthony Martial’s winner in the semi-final a year later, and, last season, he scored the winner at the same stage against Tottenham Hotspur.

“I really like this competition,” he said. “I like the way English football organise this competition. It’s very exciting, it’s very emotional for the fans, for everyone. In Spain, the games are two legs, because you have to play at home and you have to play away, but, in England, the fact you have to play only one game and, in case you draw, you have the replay makes the competition very, very emotional and very exciting.

“I have very good memories. I have lost the final, I have won a final. I have played in some of the stadiums, all the stadiums, also in some of the stadiums of lower teams, so I really like this competition. I think the atmosphere is always really, really good.”

Ander has already faced Arsenal in the competition in his time at the Reds, yet it was a disappointing evening in 2015, as we lost 2-1 to the Gunners in the quarter-finals.
However, four years on, both clubs have changed significantly and Herrera is hoping for a different outcome this time around.

“It’s a game between the most successful clubs in this competition, so it’s going to be exciting,“ he said.

“It’s a new challenge for us. We are in a very good moment, in a very good run of results, but Arsenal is a new challenge. They come from that victory against Chelsea, so they will be full of confidence as well, but I think we are in a good moment.

“We don’t fear anyone. I think we have the qualities in the squad to beat any team and we go there without fear. Everyone wants to beat Manchester United, but that’s something that we are used to coping with.”

During that FA Cup meeting in 2015, Alexis Sanchez was playing for the Gunners. This week marked a year since the attacker joined United from the London club and Herrera believes there is plenty more to come from the Chilean.

“He [Alexis] did amazing for them,” said United’s number 21. “He was the best player for them every single season he was there, so I think Arsenal fans will receive him in a good way, because he has been fantastic for them.

“He has given everything and now we have him. Now we want to enjoy him. His character makes him a really special player and I think we are going to see the best of Alexis in 2019.”