Bournemouth Humble ManUnited Again: A Tale of Two Teams

Another disaster at Old Trafford! Bournemouth humbled Manchester United 3-0, leaving the Red Devils stuck in their worst Christmas position since 1989.

December 22, 2024
5:59 pm

Bournemouth pulled off another amazing upset at Old Trafford, taking down Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League for the second year in a row. This leaves Erik ten Hag’s struggling team sitting in the bottom half of the table at Christmas—a spot they haven’t been in since 1989.

In a wild twist of fate, Bournemouth showed up at the Theatre of Dreams with a three-point lead over United. The Red Devils, still reeling from their midweek EFL Cup loss to Tottenham, were itching for a win. But what happened on the field only made things worse.

The match kicked off slowly, with both teams feeling each other out. But, as usual for United, they fell behind first. Bournemouth took advantage of a well-executed set-piece just before the half-hour mark. Ryan Christie’s curling free-kick found Dean Huijsen, whose glancing header beat a helpless André Onana for his first Premier League away goal. It was a big moment for the Dutchman, quickly followed by a near-mistake as he gave the ball away deep in his own half. Luckily for Huijsen, Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga made a crucial save against Bruno Fernandes.

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Down at half-time, United manager Ruben Amorim didn’t waste time looking for answers.
Just nine minutes into the second half, he brought on Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund to shake things up. But instead of sparking a comeback, the changes led to more embarrassment.

Noussair Mazraoui’s reckless challenge on Justin Kluivert in the box left the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Kluivert, on fire from 12 yards, coolly converted, sending Onana the wrong way and doubling Bournemouth’s lead. Moments later, Antoine Semenyo delivered the final blow, finishing brilliantly after a clever cut-back from Dango Ouattara. The third goal silenced Old Trafford and sent the traveling fans into a frenzy.

Bournemouth could have scored even more, but they settled for a solid victory that capped off an impressive run. With four wins in their last five matches, Andoni Iraola’s team now sits fifth in the table, dreaming of European football. For United, the nightmare continues. Thirteenth in the standings and lacking inspiration, their season is spiraling out of control.