Manchester United retained their grip on second place in the Premier League on Saturday with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Burnley.

Anthony Martial bagged the winner nine minutes after the interval with a very cool finish after Romelu Lukaku assisted him with a quite wonderful pass.

While Martial will deservedly grab the headlines, given his goal and Alexis Sanchez's impending arrival, there was another Man Utd player who arguably performed even better.

SIGN UP NOW

Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Sign up now and submit a 250-word test article HERE

Jose Mourinho's men are yet to concede in 2018 and have impressively kept five consecutive clean sheets, and as Burnley piled on the pressure, one man stood up quite brilliantly.

Man Utd star shines in Burnley victory

That man is Phil Jones. The 25-year-old has started 19 of United's 24 league games this campaign and was superb at Turf Moor - which did not go unnoticed by Red Devils fans.

Lining up alongside compatriot Chris Smalling in the heart of Man Utd's defence, Jones carried the back four at times with his communication and some heroic blocks and clearances.

During, and after, the match against Burnley, United supporters on social media were buzzing about Jones' performance and singled him out for special praise.

United fans react to Jones' display

Whilst most were in awe of the England international's outstanding efforts and old-school instincts, some went as far as to claim he is now one of Europe's finest centre-backs.

One fan even suggested Jones is worth £130 million - check out the best reaction below:

In a post-match interview with MUTV, Jones said: "The character, the determination we showed, the fight, the willingness to close down today was terrific.

"When you come to places like this, that's exactly what you have to do. I'm pleased for the lads. As a team, we want to try and keep as many clean sheets as possible."

With Jones leading Man Utd's defence, they have a great chance of consolidating a top four place, while David de Gea may finally win his first Golden Glove award in English football.

Do YOU think Jones is Man Utd's best defender? Is he one of the best in the Premier League? Have YOUR say in the comments box below!