Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney made the most of rare starts by scoring first-half goals in Manchester United's 2-0 win at Burnley in the Premier league on Sunday, lifting the team to within a point of the Champions league qualification positions.
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured and Marcus Rashford rested, Martial started as the center forward and opened the scoring in the 21st minute at Turf Moor after exchanging passes with Ander Herrera on a quick counterattack.
Rooney, playing on the left wing for only his third appearance in 2½ months, scored United's second goal - with the aid of a slight deflection - from close range in the 39th after Martial had a shot saved.
United stayed in fifth place but is now a point behind fourth-placed Manchester City, with the cross-town rivals meeting in an eagerly anticipated derby match at City's Etihad Stadium on Thursday.
Unbeaten in the league in 23 matches, United will go into the derby with confidence and with options in attack in the absence of Ibrahimovic, who sustained a serious knee-ligament injury in the Europa league match against Anderlecht on Thursday.
Rashford played 120 minutes against Anderlecht, so Jose Mourinho began with the 19-year-old striker on the bench and handed a start to Martial, days after the United manager warned the France international that he wanted to see an improvement in his attitude.
Martial impressed with his movement and work rate, while his goal is set to cost United 10 million euros owing to a reported clause in his contract that says Monaco is owed that sum if Martial reaches 25 competitive goals for the English club. Martial moved to United for an initial 36 million pounds (then $55.5 million) in September 2015.
Burnley has one of the strongest home records in the league and Mourinho made eight changes to the team that beat Anderlecht 2-1, making the prospect of an upset somewhat likelier.
United — in the middle of a grueling run of games domestically and in Europe — coped well in the circumstances and avenged a frustrating 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in the first game between the teams, when United had 37 shots at goal but couldn't beat Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
Arsenal into FA Cup final
lONDON: Alexis Sanchez ensured Arsenal's stormy season will end with an FA Cup final after securing a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in extra time at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Chilean striker struck in the 101st minute to secure an all-london May 27 final against Chelsea. Arsenal is chasing a third title in four seasons in the competition that has provided a comfort blanket for Arsene Wenger during a 13-year Premier league trophy drought.
But with Arsenal languishing in seventh place in the Premier league, and set to miss out on the Champions league, the heat remains on the manager whose contract expires at the end of the season.
"People can question my decisions but not loyalty and commitment to this club," Wenger said coyly about his managerial future after goals from defender Nacho Monreal and Sanchez gave him a shot at a seventh FA Cup triumph next month.
But Pep Guardiola's first season in charge of City will end without silverware, and he even faces a fight for a Champions league spot. That's not what City was expecting when it hired the serial winner who had won titles in every campaign with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But Guardiola was outwitted by Wenger, who has adopted the three-man defense that has served the Premier league's top two teams, Chelsea and Tottenham, so well this season.
"Maybe we found in a period we needed a bit more security ... a bit more defensive stability," Wenger said.