Ayden Heaven reluctantly made history at MU

The young center-back Ayden Heaven inadvertently scored against Burnley in the 12th minute, which indirectly prevented MU from winning at Turf Moor on the first day under caretaker manager Darren Fletcher.

MU entered the match against Burnley in the 21st round of the Premier League without Ruben Amorim on the sidelines. The Portuguese tactician was dismissed following disagreements with the club’s board. He was forced to leave after just 14 months in charge at Old Trafford, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. In fact, Amorim’s tenure was only longer than David Moyes’. The temporary coaching duties were handed over to Darren Fletcher.

However, Fletcher's first game did not go smoothly as MU conceded a goal in the 12th minute. In this play, Hannibal — a former MU player — threaded a pass to Humphreys who sprinted down the left flank before crossing into the box. The ball deflected off Heaven’s leg, altering its path and making it impossible for goalkeeper Lammens, who could only watch.

According to Opta, Ayden Heaven is the youngest player to score an own goal for MU in the Premier League, at 19 years and 107 days old. Within just 6 minutes, from the 60th to the 66th minute, Sesko scored twice in succession to give MU a 2-1 lead.

In fact, within a brief 10-minute span under Darren Fletcher, Benjamin Sesko scored as many goals as he had in 17 appearances under former coach Ruben Amorim. Previously, during Amorim’s entire tenure, the striker had only netted 2 goals despite being given many chances.

The impressive display at Turf Moor not only ended Sesko’s goal drought but also signaled positive changes in Manchester United’s playing style under the new coaching staff. The connection between key players like Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu, and Sesko is becoming sharper.

Unfortunately, in the end, MU failed to secure 3 points against Burnley. The home team equalized 2-2 in the 66th minute thanks to Anthony. In the remaining time, MU tried hard but could not score again, resulting in a disappointing draw. Currently, MU has dropped to 7th place, 2 points behind the Top 4 but having played one more game.