AFC Bournemouth 2-1 Man UnitedHome team scorersJunior Stanislas 2
Joshua King 54
Away team scorersMarouane Fellaini 24
Bournemouth extended the greatest period in their league history by humbling Manchester United a week after winning at Chelsea. Junior Stanislas and Josh King scored either side of a goal by Marouane Fellaini, leaving Eddie Howe celebrating unprecedented achievements as United fans question harder what Louis Van Gaal’s philosophy really means for their club.
The midweek elimination from the Champions League made this a critical fixture for Van Gaal, whose team have now failed to win in five matches. United returned to domestic duty with a side even more depleted than the one beaten in Wolfsburg in midweek, with Bastian Schweinsteiger suspended and Chris Smalling and Matteo Darmian adding to the club’s long casualty list. So Van Gaal was forced to field an improvised and inexperienced back four, Paddy McNair and Guillermo Varela joining Daley Blind and the Premier League debutant Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.
But sympathy has been in short supply for Van Gaal, whose pre-match grumbles about United fans’ unreasonable expectations did little to raise the mood around the club. And Bournemouth certainly had no time for sob stories from the visitors, as Howe has had to contend with a fraction of United’s resources and an injury roster just as debilitating.
The hosts did not lack confidence and after triumphing at Chelsea last week, they quickly demonstrated their eagerness to topple another giant. Bournemouth went for United’s suspected weak spot immediately, tearing into the rejigged defence. They almost opened the scoring in the first minute when Dan Gosling hurled himself at a free-kick from the left. Marouane Fellaini deflected the midfielder’s header behind for a corner.
United’s woes were about to deepen, as Stanislas scored directly from the set piece, David de Dea’s fingertips not strong enough to prevent a curling delivery from going in at the back post. De Gea had hitherto been United’s most consistent performer in an underwhelming season and the sight of him being beaten from a corner did not suggest the club’s fortunes were about to soar.
United sought to banish that impression quickly. Artur Boruc had to excel to stop the visitors equalising in the fifth minute, tipping away a 10-yard shot from Fellaini after the Belgian pounced on a loose ball, and then diving to save Michael Carrick’s headed follow-up. It was an encouraging reaction from United, who benefited from an unwitting assistance from Stanislas in the 18th minute, when a wayward pass from the forward led to Anthony Martial racing clear through on goal. The striker fired a low shot inches wide. Stanislas could have celebrated that reprieve by treating himself to another goal when United’s defence was bisected by a wonderful pass from Gosling. But this time De Gea dived to dispossess Stanislas as he tried to skip past the goalkeeper at the edge of the area.
That chance exemplified Bournemouth’s menace on the counterattack as United enjoyed the majority of possession. Van Gaal’s side did not attain the level of control that their manager craves but, on the other hand, they were not as ponderous as they have been on occasions this season, playing with a higher tempo and, due mainly to the presence of Fellaini, with more directness. With Bournemouth full of zest and defiance, the game fairly zipped by.
United fans were growing concerned by the absence of more clear scoring opportunities and gave an airing to the familiar “attack, attack, attack” appeal in the 23rd minute. Moments later their team drew level. Carrick aimed a fine pass over the Bournemouth defence and the lively Memphis Depay ran on to it and killed the ball on his chest before opening fire from 12 yards. Boruc saved but Fellaini reacted sharpest to bundle the rebound into the net.
Still, things remained far from rosy for United. And they suffered yet another injury on the half-hour when Jesse Lingard had to be replaced by Andreas Pereira.
The scoreline of 1-1 at the break seemed just and United could be satisfied with the showing of their youngsters, although Martial was at times wasteful. Howe also had reason to be cheerful – even more so when his team regained the lead early in the second half.
Simon Francis, a centre-back, marauded all the way into the United box in the 52nd minute and unleashed a shot that De Gea battted behind for a corner. Bournemouth enacted a well-planned set piece and Blind lost track of King, allowing the forward to hammer Matt Ritchie’s low delivery into the net from eight yards.
United grew frantic in their search for another equaliser and their raggedness left them more vulnerable to the speed of Bournemouth, who did not merely sit on their lead although they had to defend plenty. Francis’s foiling of Fellaini on the hour was one of several excellent blocks.
Glenn Murray had a great chance to make life easier for the hosts when he beat United’s shoddy offside trap but the striker sent his shot skywards.
Van Gaal again tried a puzzling solution, introducing Nick Powell and Phil Jones as Ashley Young and Morgan Schneiderlin stayed on the bench.
United haphazardly chased an equaliser that Bournemouth made sure never came.
Guardian
