Bournemouth put on a stunning performance on Sunday, securing a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, leaving many stunned by the commanding display.
The match kicked off with both sides eager to assert their dominance, but it was Bournemouth who struck first. Dean Huijsen opened the scoring for the visitors with a powerful header from Ryan Christie’s free-kick. The 29th-minute goal marked the beginning of what would become a challenging afternoon for United.
Despite Manchester United's attempts to respond—culminated by several shots from captain Bruno Fernandes and young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo—they found themselves thwarted by Bournemouth's solid defending. By halftime, Bournemouth maintained their lead, 1-0.
The game took another turn just five minutes after the second half began. Justin Kluivert capitalized on United's defensive mishaps and confidently converted a penalty awarded after Noussair Mazraoui fouled him inside the box. This was the cream on top; sending the United goalkeeper, Andre Onana, the wrong way firmly put Bournemouth on the path to victory.
Just two minutes later, the momentum carried over as Antoine Semenyo scored Bournemouth's third, connecting beautifully with Dango Ouattara's assist, firing past Onana with precision. The fans erupted with joy as it became increasingly clear—Bournemouth was far from finished.
This victory solidifies manager Andoni Iraola's remarkable managerial record against United, boasting two wins and one draw across three matches, without conceding any goals at the iconic Theatre of Dreams. Post-match, Iraola described the win as important but noted, “We won 3-0 but it was more difficult than it looks when you see 3-0. I think we’ve been quite solid; it was a mature performance.”
With the win, Bournemouth now occupies fifth place on the Premier League table, surpassing renowned teams like Aston Villa, Newcastle United, and Manchester City, pulling themselves firmly above the mid-table chaos by reaching 28 points after 17 matches.
Meanwhile, for Manchester United, this defeat marks another step down the table. They now find themselves 13th with just 22 points, facing the grim prospect of spending Christmas outside the top half of the Premier League table for the first time ever. United defender Lisandro Martinez said post-match, “We are playing so well and unfortunately, we couldn’t score today. At this club, we have to win every game, and we know we must believe.”
The scenes at Old Trafford deteriorated rapidly as the visitors’ support out-sung the home fans, chanting, “Man United, it’s happened again!” reflecting on Bournemouth’s previous successful outing at Old Trafford last season when they also won 3-0.
Manchester United’s struggle was all too evident, especially compared to their prior week’s exhilarating 2-1 victory against rivals Manchester City. United’s head coach, Ruben Amorim, lamented: “It’s hard to push for two, three wins. This game was hard for us. We suffered again on set-pieces, and we were a bit nervous. The penalty and another goal are really hard here.”
Despite possessing 23 shots compared to Bournemouth’s 10, United could not convert their attempts alighting the fans' frustrations and fueling calls for action. Players like Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes had golden chances to shift momentum, but hesitation and poor execution plagued their efforts.
Compounding United's woes, the team remains without forward Marcus Rashford, left out for the third consecutive match amid speculation about his future with the club. The 27-year-old, who attended the match, appears to be falling out of favor, perhaps seeking new opportunities elsewhere.
Bournemouth’s performance serves as both confirmation of their rising potential and warning signs for Manchester United as the latter looks to rectify its course moving forward. Both teams face pivotal challenges, with Bournemouth seeking to continue their ascent and Manchester United searching for answers.