Bournemouth 0-1 Man Utd: Erik ten Hag’s side close in on Champions League return with narrow win
Free match report and highlights as Manchester United claim 1-0 win at Bournemouth; The result means Erik ten Hag’s side need just one point from their last two games to secure a Champions League return; Three points thanks to Casemiro’s first end
Casemiro’s acrobatic volley secured Manchester United a narrow 1-0 victory at Bournemouth and left them within a point of qualifying for the Champions League in their last two games.
Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa – coinciding with United’s game at the Vitality Stadium – saw Jurgen Klopp’s side drop valuable points en route to the top four.
Liverpool have just one game left – at Southampton next Sunday – and are three points behind their rivals. It means Erik ten Hag’s side will finish in the Champions League places if they score points against Chelsea on Thursday, live on Sky Sports or against Fulham next weekend.
United failed to impress at Bournemouth but clinched all three points thanks to Casemiro’s first volley. The midfielder fired the ball impressively into the top corner and ensured United were on course to return to Europe’s top flight.
How Casemiro and De Gea secured the decisive victory
Marcus Rashford dealt United an early setback when he was unable to travel to the south coast due to illness, while Bournemouth’s David Brooks was back in the starting XI for the first time since September 2021 after recovering from cancer. But Casemiro made United forget Rashford’s absence by scoring the game’s only goal after just eight minutes when Marcos Senesi failed to clear Christian Eriksen’s deft pass.
United continued to dominate the opening fixtures but faltered midway through the first half while Bournemouth – who have nothing tangible left to play after avoiding relegation – grew in the game.
David De Gea parried Dominic Solanke’s deflected shot sharply and Raphael Varane made a crucial save for Ryan Christie after Antony, another disappointing performance, gave the ball away with a faulty heel.
De Gea deflected a raucous shot from Brooks just after half-time before United finally regained control, Neto saving Wout Weghorst before fending off Bruno Fernandes’ superb volley.
However, as the game progressed the visitors retreated into their own half and Bournemouth came close to equalizing twice. De Gea made a crucial save on Kieffer Moore’s close-range shot before Marcos Senesi saw a sensational late volley fly just over the bar and United secured the all-important three points.
Ten Hag: Casemiro keeps surprising us
Ten Hag praised Casemiro’s impact in his first season at Old Trafford, saying: “He never fails to surprise us. He’s such a brilliant footballer.”
“We know him as a very good organizational, positioning and anticipation player who intercepts a lot of balls, wins duels, a beater. In possession of the ball too, in his passing game and his distribution, but also in the end. Just a great player.”
Asked whether Casemiro has exceeded expectations since his arrival from Real Madrid last summer, Ten Hag replied: “Absolutely, by a long way.
“We were missing a player in midfield. We searched and it wasn’t easy because there aren’t many in the profile whose level matches Manchester United’s level. We are happy to have found him and his contribution is enormous.”
Ten Hag also brushed aside the significance of the events at Anfield, saying: “It’s not important, I’ve been telling you for weeks that it’s not about our opponents.
“We are in the lead, it just depends on us. We have everything in our hands, we don’t have to look back. We have to do our job. It has nothing to do with another team, it has to do with the opponent on the day.”
Man Utd prioritize results over performance
Ten Hag’s successes in his first year at Old Trafford shouldn’t be underestimated, with the manager taking control of a shattered side and guiding them to Carabao Cup glory and on the verge of a Champions League return .
But the Dutchman will be under no illusions about his side’s current performance, with United limping over the finish line to close out on the Champions League after a year’s absence.
United have won just three of their last six Premier League games, including a draw against Tottenham Hotspur after a two-goal lead, as well as defeats to West Ham and Brighton.
But Ten Hag’s side grind results when they need to, beating Wolves and Bournemouth in back-to-back matches to hold off Liverpool. Apart from the first 20 minutes, their performance at Vitality Stadium was neither impressive nor pretty – but at this stage of the season only results matter.
O’NEIL: Job interviews speak for themselves
O’Neil says one of the benefits of Bournemouth staying in the Premier League with several games to play this season is that they have made progress with their plans for the summer.
The Cherries travel to Everton with little to play on the final day of the match as their hosts’ survival hangs in the balance and O’Neil said: “Everyone thought the Everton game was going to be crucial for both clubs. , so it doesn’t show us what a great effort it was on the part of the players.
“It’s one thing to stay up, but it’s another thing to have four games left. Very impressive from a group that a lot of people doubted. “It’s nice that we can enjoy training and shift attention a bit. We are talking about next season with the recruiting team, now that we know which league we will play in.”
“If we’re successful this early, we can start planning.”
The late-season losses will not dent O’Neil’s rookie season
Bournemouth’s season may be a little dull, with three consecutive defeats after securing the Premier League, but that won’t detract from Gary O’Neil’s fine work this season.
After taking over a team his predecessor had deemed unfit to survive in the top flight, the rookie manager steered the Cherries to safety by a wide margin.
O’Neil hasn’t been afraid to change tactics this season either, with the way Bournemouth have gone from a 4-4-2 formation in possession to a 3-4-3 formation in possession. upward.
Right-back Adam Smith transitioned into full-back when his team had the ball, while Lloyd Kelly moved to become another centre-back on the opposite side of the pitch, allowing the home side to regularly create overload on their right during the first half .
Jadon Sancho was unable or unwilling to track down Smith – something that summed up his ineffective performance – leaving Luke Shaw to face danger alone. Bournemouth’s best work has come from the right side and some excellent saves from De Gea shouldn’t hide the impressive tactical work O’Neil did against United.
What’s next?
The last day of the Premier League season is Sunday 28 May with every match starting at 4.30pm. Free match highlights will be released on Sky Sports digital platforms shortly after the match has ended.
Bournemouth face relegation-threatened Everton in their final appearance of the campaign. Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford on Thursday – live on Sky Sports, kick-off at 8pm – before ending the season at home to Fulham.
Manchester United
Chelsea
Opta stats: The Goddess claims the Golden Glove for the second time
With 17 clean sheets, David de Gea won the Golden Glove for the second time, at the beginning of 2017-2018. He is the second Manchester United goalkeeper to keep multiple clean sheets in a single Premier League season, after Peter Schmeichel (1994-95, 1995-96 and 1997-98).
Bournemouth have lost nine Premier League games against Manchester United, including their last three. The Cherries have only lost more games to Manchester City (12) than the Red Devils in the competition. Manchester United have scored just 22 away league goals this season. The Red Devils managed fewer away games throughout the 2014/15 Premier League season (21).
Bournemouth have conceded 70 Premier League goals this season, only Leeds (71) have conceded more across the competition. In fact, it’s the most total the Cherries have ever conceded in a bumper season (also 70 in the 2018-19 season).