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Match report
I’ll leave you with Jamie Jackson’s verdict from a thriller at Old Trafford. I’m off for a lie down. Thanks for joining me.
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Coming up for Manchester United: Aston Villa (A, Sun), Newcastle (H, 26 Dec), Wolves (H, 30 Dec), Leeds (A, 4 Jan).
And for Bournemouth: Burnley (H, Sat), Brentford (H, 27 Dec), Chelsea (A, 30 Dec), Arsenal (H, 3 Jan).
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Andoni Iraola gives his thoughts: “Difficult to explain – a nice game, it had everything. Moments we thought we had lost, moments we were winning – and we could have won at the end. Just a point, but we can take a lot from the game.”
“Both teams played aggressively; we attacked much better than we defended. The second goal was a cheap one, but we changed things tactically to match up with them. A very up and down game. At the end, could we win it? Could we lose it? We have to take a point.”
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Ruben Amorim gives his verdict: “A fun game for everyone at home. We started really well, the result should be completely different. We lost concentration, but we managed to get the lead back and we have to finish the game.”
He doesn’t want to talk about a back three or four, saying only “details” are important. There were “a lot of good things, but a lot of things to work on. We create so many chances, but we need to be more clinical. It’s frustrating, but the performance was decent.”
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Premier League table
Manchester United edge up to sixth, level on points with Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Sunderland. Bournemouth’s point lifts them two places to 13th. United have now scored 30 league goals – only City have netted more. The problem is the 26 goals conceded.
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A hat-tip to Jamie Jackson, who questioned United’s quantity of four-goal hauls in our Premier League preview last week.
“Manchester United have lost just one of their last nine Premier League games and equally encouraging is the fact that Ruben Amorim’s men have grabbed four goals twice, 15 matches into the campaign. Last season’s 4-0 home win over Everton was the sole time this occurred in the league in 2024-25.”
We can make that three times now, although this might not have been the result and performance Jamie was envisaging.
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Who’s going to be happier with that result? For Manchester United, there are signs that they’re finding an attacking swagger – but the defence remains a big concern. There have been dispiriting draws at Old Trafford recently, but this wasn’t one of them.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, do not look like a team on a seven-game winless run – they did brilliantly to fight back twice, and had the better chances at the death. Having won 3-0 here in their last two visits, they scored four this time – but didn’t win.
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A few stats from Sky: United had 25 shots to Bournemouth’s 14, with nine each on target. The hosts’ xG was 3.27, to the visitors’ 1.86 (which seems a touch low). Possession was 56-44 in United’s favour.
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To recap: United flew out of the traps and led through Amad Diallo’s header – but Bournemouth hit back, Antoine Semenyo punishing a defensive lapse to level. Casemiro nodded the hosts back in front just before half time, but things only got more frantic in the second half.
Evanilson netted within 45 seconds of the restart, and Marcus Tavernier’s free kick then put the visitors in front. United fought back, levelling with an even better free kick from Bruno Fernandes – and two minutes later, Matheus Cunha fired them in front.
Bournemouth would not give in, though, and substitute Eli Junior Kroupi struck a leveller six minutes from time – before David Brooks saw two chances saved by Senne Lammens in stoppage time. Phew!
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Full time: Manchester United 4-4 Bournemouth
The final whistle sounds on one of the best games of the season so far – one where both teams led, and both might wonder how they didn’t win. There were brilliant goals, defensive chaos – everything but the late winner – and after all that, it’s a point each.
Bruno Fernandes looks shell-shocked as he applauds the crowd. Photograph: Peter Powell/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 17.11 EST
99 mins: Yikes! Semenyo plays in Brooks, who gets a second chance to grab a winner – but again, he’s denied by Lammens! What a ridiculous game …
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97 mins: Eek! Zirkzee’s header across goal is hooked away from danger, and now Bournemouth can break one more time …
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96 mins: Adam Smith is sent to the touchline because his mouth is bleeding, and is completely livid at having to wait to come back on. In the meantime, Senesi’s shot is well struck, but saved by Lammens at his near post.
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95 mins: Ooooof! Instead, he throws it short (if that’s the phrase) to Gimenez, who whips in a brilliant ball across the United area. Brooks gets a head to it and seems certain to score, but Lammens sticks a leg out to save!
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94 mins: Brooks’ free kick is headed awkwardly behind by Zirkzee, and Bournemouth have a corner … which is flicked clear at the far post by Mainoo. Semenyo can launch another long throw …
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Updated at 16.56 EST
93 mins: Mbeumo is going off, as is Luke Shaw. On come Patrick Dorgu and Joshua Zirkzee.
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92 mins: Semenyo heaves a long throw into the box but United clear it and break through Sesko. He finds Amad, who moves it on to Fernandes, whose low cross zips beyond Mbeumo.
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90 mins: Tavernier and Kluivert go off, replaced by David Brooks and James Hill, a homegrown centre-back. Pulling down the shutters, Andoni? For shame.
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89 mins: Eight added minutes. Buckle up! Cunha tries an ambitious shot from the corner of the area that Petrovic gets behind easily.
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88 mins: Both teams have a chance to run at the other’s defence, the whole concept of midfields abandoned. Semenyo, and then Sesko, fail to make the most of the options in front of them.
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86 mins: Sir Alex Ferguson is watching on in utter bemusement as both sets of players steel themselves for stoppage time. Does this ridiculous see-saw battle have a knockout blow?
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United seemed to have swept this game away from Bournemouth again, but their defence stands off here and get punished. Jimenez prods a ball into the path of Kroupi, under pressure, who drills the ball into the bottom corner and backflips away in celebration. Outrageous, egregious, preposterous.
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GOAL! Man Utd 4-4 Bournemouth (Kroupi 84′)
Come on, this is getting silly now. Substitute Eli Junior Kroupi has Bournemouth back on level terms … again!
Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi scores their side’s fourth goal. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PAShare
Updated at 16.52 EST
81 mins: A bit of admin to cover off – Smith and Senesi were both booked for their complaints before Bruno’s free kick, which feels like a long time ago already.
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Bournemouth just couldn’t get organised after Bruno’s goal, and Sesko carries the ball down the left. He aims a cross towards Diallo and although Truffert intercepts, he stumbles and presents the ball to Cunha, eight yards out. He takes a touch and drills it home!
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GOAL! Man Utd 4-3 Bournemouth (Cunha 79′)
What a comeback. What a game! Manchester United retake the lead with Bournemouth all at sea – and it’s Matheus Cunha who gets the goal!
And then Matheus Cunha makes it four! Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.47 EST
78 mins: Iraola makes a change, bringing Eli Kroupi on for Evanilson. Has the pendulum swung again in this game?
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Updated at 16.40 EST
GOAL! Man Utd 3-3 Bournemouth (Fernandes 77′)
Oh, wow. You could almost sense this was coming, as Fernandes steps up and sends an unstoppable free kick into the far corner, flicking off the crossbar as a final flourish. United are level, and time’s on their side …
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United scores to make it 3-3. Photograph: Paul Currie/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 16.47 EST
76 mins: Bournemouth don’t get the ball away and United get a free kick on the edge of the area after Fernandes’ cross is handled by Smith. Bruno will take it …
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Updated at 16.58 EST
75 mins: Another opening for the hosts as Mainoo picks up the ball again and finds Cunha, whose swerving shot stings Petrovic’s palms!
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74 mins: Mainoo moves forward and tries to find Sesko, but Senesi does well to nick the ball away.
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73 mins: From a Bournemouth corner, Amad leads a charge downfield and crosses for Mbeumo – but his attempted through ball to Shaw is overcooked.
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72 mins: Sesko has joined Mbeumo up front, with Cunha dropping to the left. Gary Neville believes this is a proper back four, but I’m not sure – Dalot has moved to the right, but Shaw now seems to be further forward.
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70 mins: Cunha’s shot is charged down, leading to big calls for handball – but in the meantime, the rebound lands to Mbeumo, who blazes over from five yards out! He’s had chances tonight but just seems to keep snatching at them.
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68 mins: Two more United changes – Lisandro Martínez replaces Yoro, and Benjamin Sesko is on for Mount. The big striker was due back from a knee injury but then suffered a bout of food poisoning.
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66 mins: An unconvincing night for Petrovic continues, as the keeper palms Cunha’s cross-shot off the bar and behind. The corner ricochets into his arms, while Smith is left on the deck and looks a little dazed.
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Updated at 16.44 EST
64 mins: United are far from resigned to defeat here, still poking plenty of holes in the visiting defence. Mount hooks in a teasing cross that evades Petrovic – but Cunha is just in the wrong place and the ball sails beyond him.
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“When was the last time United lost a league game at home after having the lead at half-time?” asks F. “I am thinking it must be close to 40 years.” It’s never happened in the Premier League era, and I think the last time was in 1984, against Ipswich Town.
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62 mins: Mainoo’s energy is needed in midfield, where Casemiro and Fernandes have been getting overrun. On the edge of the Bournemouth area, Mount finds Mbeumo, whose hurried shot lacks any real power.
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61 mins: Amorim makes his first change, and it’s a popular one with the home fans – Kobbie Mainoo is coming on for Casemiro!
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60 mins: At the other end, frustrated home fans urge Amad, then Mbeumo, then Fernandes to shoot from the edge of the area, and groan as the latter tries a scoop pass that doesn’t come off.
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59 mins: United give the ball away and Bournemouth have a three-on-three – but Heaven does well to read Kluivert’s pass and clear the danger.
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58 mins: Amad sends a cross skipping and bouncing across the area, but nobody is there to meet it and Mount can’t keep it in on the far side.
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“To play like Bournemouth requires self-belief,” says Kari Tulinius. “If a lesser side gave up a goal as silly as United’s second, heads could drop. Especially given their run lately. But they back themselves, and now they’re ahead.” Yes, credit where it’s due. The United of the first half don’t seem to be out here now, though.
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55 mins: United are trying to haul themselves off the canvas, but Fernandes sends a chipped cross well behind Petrovic’s goal.
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54 mins: Gary Neville thinks Lammers should have done better with that Tavernier free kick, suggesting the keeper was caught on his heels. I think he was unsighted by Fernandes and Cunha, who left a big gap between them for some reason.
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