Premier League: Manchester United 4 (Amad 13, Casemiro 45+4, Fernandes 77, Cunha 79) Bournemouth 4 (Semenyo 40, Evanilson 46, Tavernier 52, Kroupi 84)
From near-total control to collapse to late Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha goals that seemed to put Manchester United on the right end of a 4-3 thriller. But, then, yet more horrific defending allowed Eli Kroupi, a substitute, to score Bournemouth’s third equaliser and at final whistle the points were shared.
Fernandes’s strike was a pinpoint curled free-kick on 77 minutes, Cunha’s finish came 120 seconds later when Benjamin Sesko’s cross from the left hit Adrien Truffert and diverted into his path.
Before the two goals United were heading for Aston Villa in a foul mood and staring at a miserable Christmas Day if another defeat followed. Instead, despite Kroupi’s intervention, a single defeat in 10 games is a run of form that tells of United’s upward trajectory under Ruben Amorim, though their defending is amateurish.
Twelve minutes in and United came alive. Amad Diallo began and finished the move. From the right he pinged the ball to Casemiro who relayed it to Diogo Dalot along the left.
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One stepover later and he was firing a diagonal into Bournemouth’s area. Matheus Cunha rose and missed the header and the ball hit Djordje Petrovic, leaving the goalkeeper helpless to prevent the Ivorian nodding in from under the bar. The strike was the culmination of a bright United phase. A smart Cunha-to-Diallo pass from halfway ended with a Bruno Fernandes effort. Then, two United corners sandwiched Tyler Adams being forced off – for Alex Scott – five minutes in. Luke Shaw’s dart down the left and cross had Mason Mount blazing at goal, Petrovic saving before the livewire Cunha set up Casemiro for a shot that was blocked.
Scoring – for once – is not United’s problem this season. Defending is, as Amorim acknowledges. So, a long Antoine Semenyo throw hurled high needed Casemiro’s aerial acumen to clear. Then, when Justin Kluivert popped up on the right, a delivery picked out Marcus Tavernier whose close-range header was beaten out by Senne Lammens before the ball rebounded to safety.
Amorim’s set-up was interesting, considering the hue and cry over his 3-4-3. A moment of intrigue came in the warm-up when United had a quartet of defenders in luminous bibs. Was the head coach finally about to send out a back four of Dalot, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, and Shaw? The answer was no as Diallo then donned a bib. Yet while United defended in a five, when attacking, the No 16 pushed ahead to leave a four.
Diallo was enjoying himself before jetting off to join up with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. A zigzag run took him into the area, before being thwarted by Adam Smith. And, now, a moment of fantasy that was a throwback to the great United sides. A no-look Cunha cross swerved on to the boot of a flying Bryan Mbeumo whose volley came agonisingly close to thundering home.
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United were pummelling Bournemouth and still they conceded. Shaw was bullied by Kluivert on United’s left touchline. Smith fed Semenyo and, 40 yards out, he dashed in and beat Lammens, shooting across the keeper, into the corner. Shaw was as furious with himself as Amorim surely was.
Then came a Dalot-Semenyo flare-up. The former shoved the latter over, backing in when Semenyo was mid-air – so the Bournemouth forward grabbed his throat. Each was booked.
But, now, the half ended sweetly for United. Fernandes’s corner from the left was headed in by Casemiro, past Petrovic’s powder-puff hands – and Shaw had an equal in the culprit stakes.
Bournemouth’s second equaliser was due, in part, to more guilty parties in Yoro and Heaven whose defending was lax, plus a killer Tavernier pass that split the youngsters and a cool Evanilson finish, who rolled the ball beyond the stationary Lammens – to his left.
If this left Amorim visibly stunned further uncertain play – from Dalot – ceded possession and presaged Tavernier’s goal. The Portuguese lost the ball, United were turned as he raced at goal, so Casemiro felled him. The Englishman’s free-kick was drilled past a United wall that had Cunha and Fernandes to the side and this error was compounded by Lammens, who allowed the ball to pass him on his side.
United needed to locate some of the backbone Amorim likes to say they have.
His team had allowed their grip to be loosened far too easily and on the hour, to a raucous cheer, the manager introduced Kobbie Mainoo for Casemiro. Could the 20-year-old, barely trusted by Amorim, help pull the contest from the fire? United did revive, Mbeumo, Mount, Cunha and Fernandes all threatening.
Amorim sent for Sesko and the No 9 from Slovenia, who has had an injury-hit season, wished the ball fell to him when Mbeumo blasted over. Now came the helter-skelter ending.
What United require is a defensive solidity. Amorim’s system is supposed to give this but is just not doing so. – Guardian
