Man Utd 0-0 Burnley

Manchester United have failed to score in their last three Premier League games

Manchester United had manager Jose Mourinho and midfielder Ander Herrera sent off as they failed to break down Burnley and lost more ground on the pacesetters at the top of the Premier League.

On a fractious afternoon at Old Trafford, United were left frustrated by a series of unsuccessful penalty appeals, a string of saves by inspired Clarets keeper Tom Heaton and the woodwork.

Mourinho, who was incensed when Jon Flanagan was not punished for a challenge on Matteo Darmian inside the Burnley box, paid the price for allowing his frustration to boil over at half-time.

He sat in the main stand behind the dugout at the start of the second half but was quickly moved to the directors' box, with a go-between running up and down the stairs to pass on his instructions to his assistants.

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Herrera got his marching orders in the 68th minute, with referee Mark Clattenburg showing him a second yellow card for a challenge on Dean Marney, although the United player appeared to slip as he made the tackle.

That eased some of the pressure on Burnley, who had needed an inspired performance from Heaton to keep United at bay.

The former United keeper made a string of spectacular stops, with the pick of them being a Peter Schmeichel-style scissor save that saw him spread himself brilliantly at the back post to keep out a Zlatan Ibrahimovic volley.

When Heaton was beaten, United's frustrations continued with Juan Mata's shot hitting the outside of a post and Ibrahimovic's looping header coming back off the bar. They had 37 efforts at goal in total but none were successful.

United have won only one of their last seven league games and are now eight points behind Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, who all won on Saturday.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho sat with the fans before being moved and he ended up in the directors' box

Zlatan still cannot find the target

Zlatan Ibrahimovic had more shots - 12 - than any other player against the Clarets but his fruitless run in front of goal continued.

Nothing summed up his current form more than the late chance he spurned when Paul Pogba found him unmarked at the back post, but he failed to find the target with the goal gaping.

The 35-year-old Swede has had more shots than any other Premier League player this season, with 57 in 10 games, but he has not scored in this competition in six games since his goal against Manchester City on 10 September, his worst run since his time with Inter Milan in 2007.

He has managed a goal in the Europa League but his record in all competitions is not much better, with just one goal in his last 10 games. The correlation between his form and United's is surely no coincidence.

Burnley are hard to break down

The graphic shows Manchester United's attempts at goal. Green circles are shots on target, red means off target with the yellow ones showing blocked efforts

Heaton was the standout performer and he will rightly make the headlines with his saves.

But Burnley's whole team deserve credit for their defensive efforts in holding out against a siege that continued even when they faced 10 men.

The Clarets rarely threatened at the other end, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson's first-half strike their only effort to bring a save out of David de Gea.

They have only managed a total of four shots in their four away league games to date, but that statistic matters a lot less when they mount a rearguard action like this.

Man of the Match - Burnley's Tom Heaton

Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton made 11 blocks or saves during the goalless draw

Only one candidate. The pocket of Clarets fans at Old Trafford chanted "England's number one" throughout the game in recognition of a brilliant performance by their goalkeeper.

The stats you need to know

Mourinho's start as United boss sits in between David Moyes and Louis van Gaal

• Manchester United had 37 shots in this match, their most in a Premier League game since 2003-04 (when Opta records began).

• Ander Herrera was shown his first red card in the Premier League, having been sent off five times in La Liga.

• The last time Manchester United were shown a red card at Old Trafford at home in the Premier League was in September 2014 (Wayne Rooney v West Ham).

• Tom Heaton made 11 saves in this game, the joint-most by a keeper in a Premier League game this season (also Heaton v Southampton).

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic has gone six league games without scoring for the first time since December 2007 with Inter Milan.

• Ibrahimovic had 12 shots in this game, the most by a player in a Premier League match since Robin van Persie for Arsenal in December 2011 (v Wolves).

• Manchester United have won just one of their last seven Premier League games (drew three, lost three).

• Burnley had lost their previous three away games this season prior to today.

• The Clarets have managed just four shots on target in four away games this season.

What next?

United travel to Turkey to take on Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, then go to Wales to play Swansea on Sunday in their next Premier League game. Burnley are at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday.