Man Utd lost miserably in the Premier League

Man Utd suffered their seventh defeat in the Premier League, losing 0-3 to visiting team Bournemouth in round 16.

Having just won the "treble" of monthly awards in the Premier League, Man Utd suffered three goals at Old Trafford against their opponents ranked 13th. Using almost the strongest possible lineup, Erik ten Hag's army was still lackluster in attack and loose in defense. Two of the three goals of the away team came from close-range shots without any home players marking them.

Man Utd conceded a goal in the fifth minute. Photo: PA — Man Utd conceded a goal in the fifth minute against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, Manchester, round 16 of the Premier League on December 9, 2023. Photo: PA

For the first time in Premier League history, Man Utd have lost by three or more goals to a team in the bottom half of the table at Old Trafford. They had just beaten Chelsea 2-1 convincingly at the same venue, but the audience did not see such eye-catching attacking play on the evening of December 9.

The home side's disappointment came in the 73rd minute when Bournemouth were awarded a corner kick on the right. Heavy rain and strong winds caused the corner flag to bend to one side. Midfielder Marcus Tavernier took the free kick and sent the ball to the second post for centre-back Marcos Senesi to head into the far corner in an open position, making it 3-0. At that moment, many Old Trafford spectators began to stand up and leave. When the final whistle blew, many areas of the stands had more empty seats than spectators.

The audience had a reason to leave, when Man Utd had 20 shots but only three were on target. The red shirt players' chances were not really dangerous, when Anthony Martial in the first half and Rasmus Hojlund in the second half both played poorly. Near the end of the match, midfielder Bruno Fernandes argued with the referee and received his fifth yellow card of the season, meaning he is suspended for the next match against Liverpool.

Man Utd players were stunned after the third goal. Photo: Reuters — Man Utd players were stunned after the third goal. Photo: *Reuters*

Man Utd could not maintain the intensity of the previous match, as shown by the first goal conceded. Defender Sergio Reguilon misplaced the pass on the left, allowing Lewis Cook to run down the sideline. Captain Bruno Fernandes and Sofyan Amrabat looked at each other without chasing their opponents, giving Cook plenty of time to look around and then cross for striker Dominic Solanke to tap into the far corner to open the scoring.

The home side's second goal also came from an individual error, this time a poor pass from Luke Shaw in midfield. Bournemouth counter-attacked quickly, passing the ball to the left for Tavernier, who crossed it to the second post for Philip Billing to head high past Andre Onana. Billing took advantage of the space left by Shaw as he failed to get back into position. Shaw was also substituted immediately after this situation.

Man Utd could have lost more when striker Dango Ouattara put the ball into Onana's net in the second half's stoppage time. However, after VAR Paul Tierney intervened, referee Peter Bankes ruled out the away team's goal because Ouattara handled the ball. Coach Andoni Iraola's face showed no emotion after this incident, as it did after the previous three goals.

Centre-back Marcos Senesi (second from left) celebrates scoring the winning goal in Bournemouth's 3-0 victory. Photo: PA

Man Utd were in top form in the Premier League before this match, but after the final whistle that position belonged to Bournemouth. After a winless first nine Premier League matches, Iraola's team has transformed to win four and draw one of their last five matches. This victory is historic for Bournemouth, as it is the first time they have triumphed at Old Trafford.

Unable to be as cold as Iraola, coach Ten Hag showed a frown after the final whistle. Ahead of Man Utd are two difficult matches, against Bayern Munich and Liverpool respectively. If they continue to play like they did against Bournemouth, coach Ten Hag and his team could continue to suffer a miserable defeat.

Hoang An

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