Premier League: Man United drop points again
AFC Bournemouth 2 - 2 Manchester United
Manchester United's hopes of securing European football were dented again after they dropped one place to seventh following Newcastle United's 4-0 win over Tottenham earlier in the day.
They are currently two points clear of West Ham United having played one game less. They're 6 points ahead of Chelsea, however, the London side has played two games fewer.
A brief match report
Bournemouth's positive start was rewarded by Dominic Solanke's goal in the 16th minute. Solanke got the better of Willy Kambwala and finished the ball confidently, low into the corner of the net. This goal motivated the home side further, as they continued to dominate the proceedings.
The home team missed several opportunities to score, and they ultimately paid the price when Fernandes scored from a pass by Alejandro Garnacho. Kluivert quickly restored the hosts' lead five minutes later with a straightforward pass from Marcos Senesi that exploited the large gap between Diogo Dalot and Kambwala.
Bournemouth should have probably been out of sight before the interval but, instead, Fernandes equalised again midway through the second half. This time he converted a penalty awarded for handball after Kobbie Mainoo's shot deflected onto the unfortunate Adam Smith.
Andoni Iraola's side thought they had been given a late penalty. However, following a lengthy video assistant referee review, Kambwala's foul on Christie was determined to have taken place outside the box.
What's going wrong at Manchester United?
United have not won in the Premier League since 9 March. A home victory over Everton represented their only win in seven games in the competition. Their last away league win came against Luton Town, on 18 February.
Last week, they couldn't hold on to leads against Brentford, Chelsea and Liverpool within nine days. This increased their total number of dropped points to a record-breaking 15 in the Premier League this season. It seems that their chances of qualifying for the Champions League have ended.
In this match, they never appeared capable of establishing a lead in the late afternoon sun on the south coast. It was ultimately a very poor performance from United. They still have a great chance of qualifying for European competition, but they will need to improve their performances.
Remember this match from December? Premier League: An awful Saturday for Manchester United
The reaction from Manchester United fans: "We shouldn't be battling to just qualify for the Europa League..."
A poor performance from Manchester United.
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) April 14, 2024
Bournemouth 2 - 2 United
All the reaction coming up here: https://t.co/VnnVvr3dsc pic.twitter.com/uIAfG1Mpag
Liam, a Manchester United fan, said: "That was another awful performance from us. We really shouldn't be battling to just qualify for next season's Europa League. I would say though that the injuries have been a huge reason why the team has struggled. The manager said after the match that we have only used the same backline a few times this season."
Adam, a Bournemouth fan, said: "We had a lot of very good and clear chances. Sometimes Onana saved them, sometimes we did not have the finishing touch. It's just a shame that we could not score more goals. We played well. However, United always finds a way to score goals. When you don't finish against these kinds of teams, they find a way to score and get back into the game."
Jamie, another Bournemouth fan, added: "We just didn't have the quality to win this. Yes, we played very well at times but didn't have the quality to win the match. That being said, I am very happy with where we are at now. Onwards and upwards."
