Premier League: An awful Saturday for Manchester United
Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth
Dominic Solanke's early strike set the stage for Bournemouth's historic triumph at Old Trafford, intensifying the scrutiny on beleaguered Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
Bournemouth secured their first victory at Old Trafford with second-half headers from Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi within a five-minute span, marking a memorable milestone in the club's history.
United faced the prospect of an even more dismal outcome, but a late goal by substitute Dango Ouattara was disallowed by the video assistant referee for handball during stoppage time.
This defeat comes just three days ahead of United's crucial Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, a match they must win to advance to the last 16. It compounds the woes for Ten Hag, who recently received the Premier League's Manager of the Month award.
With seven defeats in 16 league games and an equal number of losses and wins in all competitions, United's form has been inconsistent. The team has suffered 3-0 defeats at home on three occasions.
Few players in red shirts distinguished themselves in the match, and Ten Hag's decision to start Antony Martial backfired. Martial and Marcus Rashford had faced severe criticism after United's lackluster defeat at Newcastle, leading to their exclusion from the subsequent victory against Chelsea.
Despite being dropped midweek, Martial's quick return to the starting lineup did not yield positive results. The French forward failed to pose a threat to Bournemouth's goal, and his only notable shot lacked power.
In contrast, Solanke consistently menaced the United defense. His goal showcased adept finishing in challenging conditions, taking advantage of Lewis Cook's cross and static defending to guide the ball past the goalkeeper.
Solanke remained a persistent threat, striking the post with another shot and contributing to what initially appeared to be a second goal, later ruled out for offside. Even after Martial was substituted for Rasmus Hojlund, the home crowd's cheers brought little change.
Ultimately, Billing's header over Luke Shaw and Senesi's unmarked header from a corner exposed United's aerial vulnerabilities, sealing a sensational victory for Bournemouth before the hour mark.
You can watch the highlights in the video below.
One Bournemouth fan commented on the video saying: "Well done lads, a spectacular performance! Thank you for such a great game, and let's keep this going. Up the Cherries!"
This tweet showcases what it meant to the Bournemouth players and fans. One fan posted on his own profile: "That was a great win for us. This has been a fantastic season for us."
Jennie is a Bournemouth fan who made the long trip to Old Trafford. She spoke about how the match went, saying: "We have 19 points and have been playing so well in recent matches. The victory against Newcastle was also special."
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The best reaction from Man United fans
Liam, a Season Ticket holder for Manchester United, expressed, "Right from the kickoff, our concentration wasn't where it should have been. We conceded an avoidable goal. While errors can occur in the build-up, we should have had better positioning to prevent them from easily penetrating and scoring. This was something we were aware of beforehand, and from that juncture, it becomes a matter of following through on what we knew."
Another United fan, Olivia from Chorlton, said: "At the start of the match, our concentration wasn't where it needed to be. Conceding a goal in the build-up is understandable, but we should have had better defensive positioning to stop that from happening. We made an effort, staying competitive in the game with a good tempo, advancing into their half, and creating opportunities in the box. However, our execution and movement in the box fell short. Ultimately, the players we have aren't good enough. Time for serious changes."
