The fortunate thing for anybody concerned about Manchester United’s defending of set-pieces in the past couple of matches is that Watford have recorded the fewest chances created from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.



United’s next opponents, who they meet at Vicarage Road on Sunday, have fashioned only 14 scoring opportunities from dead balls so far this campaign and even with Nigel Pearson now in charge — a man who, in his playing days as a defender was a threat in the opposition box — Watford’s best moments in his first game at Liverpool last weekend came through incisive breaks in open play.



The bad news for United is that Burnley lurk around the corner, at Turf Moor on December 28, and the evidence from matches against Everton and Manchester City indicates that work needs to be done to limit the risk posed by Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes.



Burnley have created 28 chances from set-pieces this season...