Sky Sports Premier League Podcast
Fletcher's Utd draw at Burnley | Semenyo scores winner in last Bournemouth game | City & Villa drop points in title race
07 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
You're listening to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Welcome along. A busy Wednesday evening saw eight live matches on Sky Sports, including a West London derby between Fulham and Chelsea and Manchester United's trip to Turf Moor to play Burnley. Here is how the evening unfolded. A crash course in the ups and downs of senior football management for Darren Fletcher.
whose team trailed in the first half to an own goal from Aiden Heaven but got back on an even keel in the second half by Benjamin Sheshko coming to life with two goals his first two since the two he'd scored in his entire United career to date. Jadon Anthony then came off the bench
and in a whirlwind scored a cracker of an equalizer but beyond that Manchester United still went close two long-range efforts from Shea Lacey one that crashed off the bar and another one that had Burnley Hearts fluttering late on that went wide Burnley have put up a good fight and for them it's a decent point but How do you address this one from Manchester United's point of view, Gary?
Chapter 2: What happened in the Premier League matches on this eventful Wednesday night?
Look, it's been a struggle for both teams recently. A change in management this week. I don't think there'll be too much joy at what they've seen tonight. It doesn't look like it anyway.
But...
they were better in the second half but they'll be really disappointed with that second goal that they conceded it was good from Burnley's point of view but I think Manchester United have to defend that better and another two points dropped against teams near the bottom of the league Wolves, Leeds, Burnley, West Ham dropped so many points this Manchester United team in this last three or four weeks and keep missing those opportunities to go into fourth place
Yeah, three draws in a row now for Manchester United, so fourth place again closes to them for now. As it finishes the turf, more Burnley 2, Manchester United 2. Good point for Burnley. I'm not sure how helpful that will be in their bid to escape the relegation places, but for Manchester United, it felt like they had it in their grasp after Cesco's double early in that second half.
Would it feel like two points dropped, Jamie? Absolutely. When you go 2-1 ahead and you're thinking, OK, they could go get three or four, it would start to enjoy it. They obviously never had that luxury. Congratulations, obviously, to Burnley. You know, Jade Nance comes on, scores a good goal, good equaliser from their perspective. But when you get in that position, you go 2-1 ahead.
But I think it just shows you the inconsistency right now. Gary Neville's right. They're dropping points against teams at the bottom. They haven't got the qualities to kill teams off. Tim, what else do you think we learn? What will Darren Fletcher and Manchester United have learned from that? Well, I think the positive is Cesco scoring. He's scoring two goals.
Hopefully he gets some confidence from that. He took six months to turn up at Man United. I'm pleased for the lad. He's had a tough run of it. I had him off the pitch at half-time, never to wear a Man United shirt again.
I wasn't going to remind you, Tim.
I wasn't going to take you there. Yeah, listen, I stand by what I'm saying. He's not good enough to play for Man United. But he looked it. He plays at that level, surely. Yeah, no, he's turned up for one game against Burnley who are going to get relegated. Look, fair play to him. Hopefully he gets some confidence and we start seeing something different for him. I'll put him in my fantasy team.
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Chapter 3: How did Manchester United perform against Burnley?
He knows there's a little swivel there and the way of pass and a good run from Cesco and a good finish. Does he almost dictate that movement from Cesco? Absolutely. Is he almost telling him where to go? Yeah. Absolutely. That's exactly what he does. But the pass has to be with the correct weight. I just think he's a special player, Bruno Fernandes. He really is. Yeah. It's great play.
I mean, the ball by Casemiro gets it on the half-turn. This is the goal you're talking about. When Dorgo is on that left-hand side, this is what he can do. Yeah. Now he's got his tail up. You can see him there. He's starting to have a bit of movement. He wants the ball. He's got a bit of run in here. He makes two runs. Opens his body up. Really good finish. Really good.
See, look, he's asking for the ball. He's checking his shoulder. Where am I going to be free? Gets onto his blind spot. Then he nips back in front of him. Lovely finish. Good for him. Good cross as well, but we see it so often with wingers with their opposite foot. I would like to see this become more of a thing now. It makes it a lot easier for strikers.
If you ask him, does he prefer a left-footed boy crossing it, of course he does. It looks simple, doesn't it, when it's executed like that. And in that period, between Burnley's two goals, it was almost total domination from Manchester United. 18 shots to three, 8-0 on target, and Burnley only had three touches in the opposition box.
during that quite lengthy period as Manchester United dominated possession as well. But Jadon Anthony was to have the final say in this game. Someone who was on fire at the start of this season, but he's had a long wait for this goal. Found himself on the bench of late, but what a strike. This is Tim. Yeah, he just takes it there on his back foot. He just wants to get on to his left foot.
Martin is defending his sopore. I mean, I'm not sure where he's going there, but he twists his whole body around. But you see Jadon there, a little glimpse over his shoulder, wants to get it onto his left foot. Martinez should know that, and he bends it into the top corner.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of Manchester United's draw for their title race?
Such precision there with the strike. It's a wonderful strike from Jadon. Scott Parker's sides, they lack quality, but they never go away. They always fight until the end. Plenty of effort. A great goal. Really good finish. But you're right about Martin. He gets caught and he chops it back inside. You completely lose him. Great finish though. Please for him. Can you see any way out for Burnley?
No. No, I can't really. Not if I'm honest. I'm a big fan of Scott Parker as a person, as a manager. But it's very difficult for him. They haven't got the players, the quality. They didn't really have that go and the recruitment that Sunderland had. that's really paid off, hasn't paid off for Burnley so far. So, no, it's going to be really difficult for them.
They've got to go on an incredible run. And like tonight, they're the games that you somehow got to get three points. It's going to be very difficult for them. The results tonight were really bad for them as well. All the other teams at the bottom won. And for West Ham, not a good couple of nights for them. They haven't really had their breaks so far.
They certainly got one in the first half when that deflected cross from Bashir Humphries, who's only just come into the side recently, saw him claw one off the line earlier as well. But he was celebrating this as if this is very much his goal, Tim. Yeah. Heaven goes out there. He tries to defend with the wrong foot. He's got more interest in putting his hands behind his back.
But Casemiro here, Ugarte, they're so deep. And Casemiro goes and engages. Dalot knows he's got a problem there, 3v2. But he just switches off. Humphries just running behind him. And he whips a decent ball in there, but...
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Chapter 5: What role did Benjamin Sesko play in Manchester United's match?
Heaven, for me, has to go with his right foot. He's more interested in putting his arms behind his back. Yes, they get fortunate. Of course they do. Loops over the top of Lammens into the back of the net. Fortunate for Burnley. They haven't had much of that this season. And they'll take advantage of that. And you thought from there on in, they'd get their tails up. But Man United stuck with it.
You know, I think he made a few tweaks, second half, Fletcher. Hopefully they can go on a run now. But, you know, it's still poor, isn't it? You know, we talked about control. Did the system look better, though? It's not about the system. All right. Isn't the point of getting your best players in the right position? Yeah, but people talk about... Free at the back is not a bad system.
It's a good system. But the players that he's played in those systems and the mistakes that he's made along the way have been the mistake. You know, that's where it's all fundamentally gone wrong for him. And taking off players... When you're... If you have to... When things aren't going your way, you have to maybe go to a back four or change it. Or maybe, look, we're losing this game.
They've got a man sent off. You don't stay free at the back. And that's what Amrim kept making. Those are the mistakes. So even as the next manager comes and wants to play three at the back, you can still have success playing it. Do I think it's the way forward for Man United? No, because it's more of a counter-attacking system. But it is still a good system.
Just on that point, Jamie, we can show you the stats from the game. You talk about the counter-attacking system of the three at the back and the difference that maybe it makes if you do play four at the back for Manchester United. And you get Bruno Fernandes playing up high on the pitch. 30 shots that Manchester United have had. The most they've had in a Premier League game this season.
This has come away from home, remember, as well. An expected goals figure is two more than Burnley. So you'd normally expect to be winning a game on that basis, but... They've had one fly in from the deflecting in the first half and then Jane Ante scored that cracking equalising goal as well. Did you see the evidence that this is the way forward?
Is that enough evidence that this is the way forward for four at the back? Three in midfield. I think it's easier for every player to learn to play four at the back. I think they're better set up to do that. They need to get in support of Cesco. So it helps you get support of him. Get Bruno Fernandes on the ball, further up the field. Ugarte and Casemiro is not the answer in the midfield area.
They need someone in there. If they're going to get Bruno on the ball and Cunha on the ball, they need them on the ball higher up the field and more often than what they did tonight. And if they do that, I think they can cause problems. They can create chances and they can win football matches. But I go back to what Jamie says.
Whether it's three at the back or whether it's four at the back, the same mistakes are being made. We saw that there with Casemiro letting Humphries go for that first goal. You know, that has nothing to do with systems. That's just the fundamentals of running back and being disciplined and being responsible when you need to defend.
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Chapter 6: What does the draw mean for Burnley's relegation battle?
We knew, looking back a few games ago, we weren't where we wanted to be on the table. Performances weren't what we wanted to be and still probably need some work on that as well. But certainly, yeah, these last three results have been massive.
Got us right back up there and pushing on now. And you're challenging on so many fronts as well in so many different competitions. Will this be just the thing the players need, you feel, to help push on?
Yeah, no, it's a busy period, especially this month. There's a lot of games and we want to do as well as we can in every competition. We're an ambitious club and we want to do well and win trophies. So we're not going to take any of the competitions lightly. We want to push on, do well in all of them and it's going to be tough. But yeah, we're ready for it. Well done today. Thank you. Cheers.
What a moment for him and for Newcastle. Nine for the season for Harvey Barnes, four in the Champions League. That's five now in the Premier League, but none got the roar that that one did in the 102nd minute. That's a great result for Newcastle, Jamie, and just keeps this run going. It was devastating equally for Leeds United.
Yeah, it's important to keep that run going, as you say, especially at home, that connection there with the fans. We've played that very enough times. When they get going and they start to roar, they get behind them like that, it becomes very difficult. Big result, big moment. And look where it can take you. If you manage to string a few results together, that's three on the bounce.
It's crazy, Tim, isn't it? Look at Brentford. I mean, Newcastle, yeah, everyone was talking about how poor they are in the league. Like you say, string a few wins together, it pushes you right up the table. Confidence is flying high. I maintain they do not win that game without being at home. Not with that fan base, like the Sunderland fan base as well. Likewise, they drive you on.
They drive you on right to the end of the game. What was it? 99 minutes or whatever it was. 102. 102 minutes. The latest winning goal on record.
102 minutes.
Give the belief to all of them players that they could go on and actually win that game. Not satisfied, just 3-3. Brilliant result for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United. Yeah, and equally crushing for Leeds United, whose unbeaten run has finally come to an end. Sunderland's also came to an end at Brentford tonight.
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Chapter 7: What were the key moments in the Newcastle vs. Leeds match?
So I worry for Thomas Frank, I really do. I hope he doesn't lose his job, but I think we've seen Chelsea pull the trigger. We've seen Man United do it. I hope Tottenham don't do it, but I just, I wouldn't hold my breath here to say he's not going to get sacked. It's a poor run of results that they are on, just two wins in 12.
And if you think back to the start of the sequence, they're actually up in third place. They'd had a decent run, particularly away from home where they were picking up points quite freely, but they just haven't been able to crack it, have they, in front of their own fans?
No.
And what is it now? One win in six. Jamie, it's not just that. I suppose, as Tim says, it's the entertainment factor as well. What does he need to do to make sure that he is the guy that is able to stay there and turn this team, this club around? Yeah, well, you showed an incredible graphic at the right of the start of the show, David.
I think it was Ed not scored an open goal in six games, was it? Yeah, they did manage to score one tonight. They did tonight. Yeah, it was a slightly lucky one. But I think where I've been surprised with Thomas Franco, I watched a lot of them at Brentford and I thought, really good manager. I always thought they were expansive.
You know, they had obviously, you know, Ivan Toni or Bermo, Vissar, Sharda. Really thought they were an exciting side to watch. And what he's really shown, what he has to now tell everybody and show everybody that he's not just a set-piece coach, because that's what he looks like right now. Unless they get a corner, a free kick, you don't feel Tottenham are going to score a goal.
Good managers, they know how to open teams up from open play. Thomas Frank is not showing he's got that capability right now. And that's what Tottenham fans demand. They want to see it. So for that reason, he's under the pressure that Tim says. And that's what he's got to turn around very, very quickly.
Well, there was a set-piece coach at Brentford who is now in charge, and that is Keith Andrews. And his team are showing all sorts of ways to open other sides up like this.
brilliant tonight against Sunderland Janot's been in great form Charlie Janot with that lovely free ball Thiago with his 15th of the season and Brentford had much the better of the first half and then at the start of the second half Sunderland improved Brian Brobbey brought down by Christopher Ayer and here was Enzo Lefebvre to equalise doesn't get better does it every time we look at it
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Chapter 8: How did Bournemouth secure a last-minute win against Spurs?
He's going to learn more in the training sessions as well. He's got a very talented group of players. He just has to put the jigsaw together. You know, it's hard. You know, he's never had a squad of such.
depth in all his all of his career so he's gonna have to learn how to keep people happy who are not playing and find the right solutions going forward and defending so uh he's an astute manager i'm pleased he's got the opportunity to to prove himself at one of the biggest clubs in england He goes flying into it.
He's got Charlton, no Cucurella the weekend in the FA Cup, and then it's Carabao Cup on Wednesday night against Arsenal. Would that be one of the Charlton games, do you think? I mean, is the FA Cup something that would be high on their priority list? Got to be for him. I think it has to be. If he goes and wins an FA Cup this season, unbelievable. It would absolutely take that right now.
Yeah.
And then get in the top four, win an FA Cup. I'm sure every fan would be delighted with that. They've got a lot of games. You mentioned, we interviewed him earlier on, Dave, and he came across fantastic. And you can see here how fast and furious these games are going to come for him. He didn't seem to be sort of intimidated or overall by the fact they got so many games so quickly. Not at all.
I mean, he wants to get into it. He wants to get his teeth into it. I think he's relishing the challenge. I think he's a good coach. I think he realises that he's there to... Not only win football matches, but to develop the young players what he's got at his disposal. That's what he's done at Strasbourg. And I think he'll continue doing that at Chelsea. I wish him luck.
I hope he does well for all the English managers' sake. First game as a manager tonight for Darren Fletcher, who's the interim head coach of Manchester United. And they managed a two-all draw away at Burnley. And he gave his reaction to Luke Shanley. From a personal point of view in terms of Benjamin Sesko, how much did he need that tonight?
He needed it massively and obviously I spoke to him before the game and tried to reiterate what a good player he is and how much I'd watched him over the years and we got the service into the box for him.
He made great movement, great runs and he took his two goals fantastically. They were well-taken goals, both of them. How are you feeling after this, after having the experience of that 95 minutes? It's an amazing experience. I'm disappointed we didn't win the game, so I can't hide that.
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