BREAKING NEWS: In football everybody makes mistakes,even Him Fernandez have cost us before in the past but nobody said anything,what He said to me in the dressing shows how mannerless he can be as a captain”, Maguire finally reveals his outburst with Bruno Fernandez after the penalty incident
Harry Maguire was sent off as Manchester United were held to a draw in a drama-filled second half against Bournemouth. Both sides scored penalties as referee Stuart Attwell took centre stage on the south coast and the Cherries claimed a fifth successive Premier League draw.
Amad stung the palms of Djordje Petrovic before Bournemouth went straight up the other end through Marcus Tavernier and threatened on the counter-attack. Senne Lammens was forced to push a powerful effort wide from Rayan.
Bruno Fernandes should have put United ahead from Diogo Dalot’s back-post cross, but saw his volley kept out by Petrovic’s leg. But the United skipper got the chance from the penalty spot after Alex Jimenez pulled back Matheus Cunha and he stuck it away with confidence.
The game then sprung into life and, after Amad was denied a penalty for a similar shirt pull, Ryan Christie found the bottom corner with a precise finish. The away side went back in front when a corner deflected off Marcos Senesi, narrowly missed Maguire’s famous head, hit James Hill and went in for 2-1.
Bournemouth hit back and Alex Scott rattled the bar before Maguire was shown a straight red card for barging clumsily into Evanilson. Junior Kroupi buried the spot-kick to make it 2-2, but United held on relatively comfortably during the nine minutes of added time to secure the point. Here are the talking points.
1. Sesko benched
Eyebrows were raised among some United fans after Michael Carrick left Benjamin Sesko on the bench on the south coast. Sesko has scored eight in his last 10 matches for United and his sheer weight of goals had earned him a place in the starting line-up lately.
But Carrick likes the fluidity Bryan Mbeumo offers as a withdrawn No.9 and the threat of Amad on the right wing, meaning Sesko was left twiddling his thumbs in the first half. It was hard not to wonder whether the Slovenian may have gobbled up one of the chances United missed in the first 45 minutes.
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick
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2. Lammens solid
Senne Lammens is the most low-key of United’s summer signings. With £200million spent on attacking additions, the late arrival of a goalkeeper from Royal Antwerp didn’t match up to his fellow signings. But with Andre Onana expelled on loan to Trabzonspor and Lammens assuming the No.1 role, the Belgian has calmly and understatedly changed the entire mood of the United backline.
Lammens is just 23 years old and playing in the Premier League for the first time, yet already looks so assured. And the way he dealt with whatever Bournemouth threw at him – and the fact we are no longer surprised at how comfortably he does so – serves to underline how shaky things had got with Onana between the posts. He saved and held long-range pot shots with such ease so as to let his opponents know they would have to create clearer openings if they wanted to beat him.
Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens sends the ball wide
3. Cunha provides the spark
The game had settled into a lull and could have been headed for a fourth 0-0 draw in Bournemouth’s last five Premier League matches when Cunha darted in between two defenders and into the penalty area. An exhausted Jimenez – who had just missed a header to present the chance – tugged at his shirt and a penalty was given.
Cunha deserves particular praise for his performance, given that he is the one playing out of position on the left of United’s front three. United got rid of Jadon Sancho, Antony and Marcus Rashford in the summer and, without Patrick Dorgu, have been left short in the position. But it was Cunha that provided the spark.
Matheus Cunha of Manchester United is fouled by
4. VAR inconsistencies
Barely a game goes by without a VAR controversy – and, unfortunately, we are left picking the bones out of another. United’s penalty was undeniable: Jimenez pulled Cunha’s shirt and Attwell was on hand to point to the spot. The away fans would argue that Adrien Truffert’s pull on Amad’s arm was the same. And yet, it wasn’t given.
The fact that Bournemouth went up the other end and scored upped the stakes for VAR. Would they really overturn a home goal and award a penalty at the other end? The answer, as many no doubt guessed, was no.
Ryan Christie of Bournemouth celebrates
5. Maguire’s day turns sour
Maguire’s Friday had gone great. He was recalled to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel. And then the news emerged that he was close to signing a new one-year extension with Manchester United, as reward for his solid form under Carrick’s management.
But Bournemouth’s incisive pass and Evanilson’s perfect first touch saw him undone. He barged into the Brazilian striker, upended him and was rightly dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. The double jeopardy – not to mention the one-game ban he will serve – may seem harsh but Attwell applied the rules correctly.
