Bruno Fernandes brace earns Manchester United point at Bournemouth
Manchester United twice fought back from behind to prevent Bournemouth from securing a victory, but their winless streak in the Premier League stretched to four games.
Captain Bruno Fernandes netted both goals for the visitors, who initially trailed to Dominic Solanke’s opener before Justin Kluivert gave Bournemouth a deserved halftime advantage.
Solanke capitalized on a positive start from the hosts, slotting a composed finish low into the corner after outmaneuvering Willy Kambwala in the 16th minute.
However, Bournemouth’s early lead only spurred them on further, yet their profligacy was punished when Fernandes equalized from Alejandro Garnacho’s cut-back.
Kluivert reinstated the hosts’ lead five minutes later, capitalizing on the gap between Diogo Dalot and Kambwala after a simple ball from Marcos Senesi.
Despite Bournemouth’s missed opportunities to extend their lead, Fernandes leveled the scoreline again midway through the second half, converting a penalty awarded for handball after Kobbie Mainoo’s shot deflected off Adam Smith.
Manchester United’s hopes of securing European football suffered another setback as they dropped to seventh place following Newcastle United’s 4-0 victory over Tottenham earlier on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth, who remain in 12th position, thought they had won a late penalty. However, after a lengthy VAR review, Kambwala’s foul on Christie was deemed to have occurred outside the box.
Fernandes earns point for faltering United
It’s a troubling sign of Manchester United’s second season under Erik ten Hag that even after 32 games into the campaign, observers are still uncertain about what to anticipate from the Dutchman’s squad from match to match and half to half.
United’s Premier League struggles persist since their last victory on 9th March, which was a home triumph over Everton, marking their sole win in seven league encounters. Their most recent away league triumph dates back to 18th February against Luton Town.
The Red Devils squandered leads against Brentford, Chelsea, and Liverpool within a span of nine days last week, resulting in a club-record 15 points dropped in the Premier League this season, seemingly ending their aspirations of Champions League qualification.
However, they failed to impose themselves in the late-afternoon sunshine on the south coast, with Fernandes’ two equalizers representing United’s only shots on target.
Under pressure, Ten Hag fielded the same starting 11 that mounted a second-half comeback to secure a point against title-contending Liverpool, yet there was a lack of momentum, and Garnacho, typically lively, was substituted at halftime.
Fernandes, whose impressive attempt struck the bar before halftime, stood out as a rare source of inspiration for United. The Portuguese captain expressed frustration when his teammates failed to heed his call for a quick free-kick as they trailed, before he calmly converted from the penalty spot.
United escaped with a fortunate point in this encounter, shifting their focus to maintaining their last hope of silverware in the FA Cup semi-final against Championship side Coventry City at Wembley next Sunday.
Bournemouth’s progress clear
In stark contrast to the turmoil evident in the visiting team, the progress overseen by Premier League Manager of the Month Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth is unmistakable.
The Cherries are poised to achieve their best-ever Premier League season, now merely five points shy of surpassing the 46 points achieved in the 2016-17 campaign.
This remarkable improvement comes despite not clinching their maiden league victory under the Spaniard until their 10th fixture at the end of October. The club’s patience with the former Rayo Vallecano manager is undoubtedly paying off.
Bournemouth initiated the match with an aggressive stance and maintained their pressure throughout, creating a plethora of high-quality opportunities as they consistently exposed their opponents’ defense.
Shortly after Solanke’s opening goal, Andre Onana was called into action to thwart Milos Kerkez’s attempt at his near post. Luis Sinisterra narrowly missed the target, and Ryan Christie came close on two occasions during a dominant first-half performance.
Energetic wing-back Kerkez also had chances, including a header that struck the crossbar, while Kluivert was unable to beat Onana from close range.
Despite their 20 attempts compared to the visitors’ eight, an unfortunate turn of events for Smith and a VAR intervention, which overturned referee Tony Harrington’s on-field penalty decision in the seventh minute of stoppage time, prevented Bournemouth from securing their first league double over United following their 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in December.