Old Trafford remembered Manchester United die-hard Terry Hall by playing We're Having All The Fun and Enjoy Yourself. United certainly did.
Progression to the League Cup quarter-finals, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham already eliminated, and one of City and Liverpool certain to be ejected on Thursday increases the chance of the Old Trafford museum ordering a plinth for the first time in nearly six years.
The trophy City have monopolised for much of the Pep Guardiola era represents the earliest date for United to end their trophy drought that is certain to stray close to six years and selecting remotely weakened teams is anathema to Erik ten Hag. United started their strongest available side, bar David de Gea.
Read more: United player ratings vs Burnley
Ten Hag refused to indulge any lethargy and had rarely been as animated as in the first 10 minutes, upbraiding a dithering Aaron Wan-Bissaka and then United's defenders for dropping too deep. Wan-Bissaka stepped up in both senses.
Burnley were felled by a one-two-three punch from Bruno Fernandes, Wan-Bissaka and Christian Eriksen in the 27th minute. United supporters have become accustomed to Fernandes' defence-splitting vision but not assists from Wan-Bissaka. His volleyed cross for Eriksen crowned a first Old Trafford start since February 26 for the right-back.
This was Wan-Bissaka's seventh squad appearance of the season and he was subdued in celebration. West Ham are interested and this, his first assist since May 2021, was a timely audition with Diogo Dalot absent through injury for United for the first time in 75 matches.
A concerned Ten Hag held a considerate conflab with Wan-Bissaka upon his removal in the 71st minute before a member of the medical staff assessed him in the dugout.
Denmark's group stage departure in Qatar benefited United. Eriksen's anticipation was identical to his first for United at Fulham 38 days earlier and his nose for a chance is reminiscent of Paul Scholes. Scholes relishes watching Eriksen dictate and his reading of United's patient play prior to Fernandes locating Wan-Bissaka was faultless.
Marcus Rashford, compared to Kylian Mbappe by his club manager while away in Qatar, produced his finest piece of play from the right-hand side, his step-over deceiving Jordan Beyer before rifling firmly into the bottom corner in the 57th minute. Rashford was promptly rewarded with relocation to his preferred place on the opposite flank.
That was the cue for United supporters to heckle the Burnley manager Vincent Kompany. They had begun the evening by bragging "once more than England, world champions twice". The World Cup could not end early enough for Old Trafford's denizens.
Burnley doubled as an invaluable warm-up for United's Premier League resumption with Nottingham Forest, only three places higher in the pyramid, due in Manchester on Tuesday. Kompany seldom lost as a player in derbies and only made three changes from the weekend win over Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough.
Kompany only left M16 defeated on only five occasions during his garlanded 11 years with City and Burnley are also unaccustomed to losing. This was only their third reverse in a season they are well poised to end as champions of the second tier. Kompany was flanked in the dugout by Craig Bellamy, showered with coins on his last appearance as an opponent at Old Trafford when a glass bottle narrowly missed his prone body.
Any early rustiness from United ought to have been rendered moot when Fernandes played in Alejandro Garnacho but he was caught colder than the weather and hit harmlessly at Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Rashford was more clinical.
Fernandes, emboldened by Cristiano Ronaldo's rancorous divorce, was particularly influential and some of United's World Cup participants were sharper than those present for the intense training camp in Spain. Casemiro eased into central defence and still passed proactively from 10 yards deeper than he is accustomed to. Antony and Luke Shaw also emerged in the second-half.
Casemiro diligently cleared off the line from Martin Dubravka's mistimed punch off. Dubravka, a curious recruit on loan, also let a back pass roll under his studs and towards goal. It remains mystifying that he has been treated to two starts in the League Cup when Tom Heaton, the superior 'keeper and outstanding in the friendly against Real Betis in Spain earlier this month, was reduced to a warm-up role again.
The unwell Harry Maguire has potentially missed his opportunity for a second Premier League start in four months with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez scheduled to report at Carrington on Boxing Day. Varane is only across the Channel and Martinez has started every Premier League match this season.
Martinez has certainly been having fun and enjoying himself.
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