Premier League: Man Utd slumps to humiliating 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth
Bournemouth’s victory did not flatter it in the slightest, and the south coast club have now won four of its last five league games to climb to relative safety in 13th place.
Published : Dec 09, 2023 22:44 IST - 2 MINS READ
Manchester United’s Harry Maguire looks dejected after AFC Bournemouth’s Philip Billing scores their second goal. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Manchester United was humiliated 3-0 at home by Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday as the pressure ratcheted up once again on manager Erik Ten Hag.
A midweek victory over Chelsea had offered cause for optimism but in-form Bournemouth exposed just how far Ten Hag’s United have fallen behind this season.
The Dutchman looked forlorn as he watched on in the teaming Old Trafford rain as his shambolic side were comprehensively outplayed and fortunate not to lose by more.
They were loudly booed off at the final whistle, although many fans had long since trudged off.
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United’s fourth home league defeat of the season hardly inspired much hope ahead of next week’s must-win game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
For Bournemouth, which won with goals by Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi, it was a fourth victory in five league games, and its relegation fears are rapidly receding.
It took the lead after five minutes when Lewis Cook burst through a non-existent United defence and squared the ball for Solanke to finish tidily.
United were finally beginning to threaten an equaliser in the second half but were floored by two goals in five minutes for Bournemouth -- Billing and Senesi both scoring with thumping headers from Marcus Tavernier deliveries, as United’s defence went AWOL.
Bournemouth hunted for more goals and were denied a very late fourth when Dango Ouattara bundled through and netted, but his effort was ruled out for handball after a VAR check.
Bournemouth’s victory did not flatter it in the slightest, and the south-coast club is up to the relative safety of 13th place. For sixth-placed United, it remains one step forward and two steps back as they undid all the good work of Wednesday’s impressive victory over Chelsea.