Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes in motion with AFC Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook within the Premier League match on April 13, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Bruno Fernandes equalised twice to rescue an unconvincing 2-2 draw for Manchester United at Bournemouth on Saturday as they dropped to seventh place within the Premier League desk.
The Portuguese got here to the rescue after Bournemouth had deservedly led with targets by the in-form Dominic Solanke and Justin Kluivert and though the guests pressed for a winner, it might have been undeserved.
United had been left relieved as Bournemouth had been awarded a penalty in stoppage time when Ryan Christie’s run was ended by a foul however a VAR verify dominated it was simply exterior the realm.
United, who’ve now gone 4 league video games and not using a win, are on 50 factors from 32 video games, under Newcastle United on objective distinction after their 4-0 rout of Tottenham Hotspur.
It was one other patchy show by Erik Ten Hag’s facet who had been once more responsible of permitting opponents far too many makes an attempt at objective, Bournemouth having 20 to United’s eight.
United remained 10 factors behind fourth-placed Aston Villa who’re within the closing assured Champions League place and are in peril of lacking out on Europe altogether.
“We have to win our games and we have dropped too many unnecessary points in the last few games,” Ten Hag mentioned.
Twelfth-placed Bournemouth created a number of early possibilities and led by way of Solanke’s scientific end within the sixteenth minute.
Solanke strike
The striker was performed into house and made no mistake as he lower in to drill residence his seventeenth league objective of the season — prompting extra dialogue about an England call-up for this summer time’s European Championship.
“I would love to be there, everyone would love to be there, playing for your country in a big tournament,” mentioned Solanke, who trails solely Ollie Watkins and Erling Haaland within the Premier League scoring charts this season.
“I just need to keep scoring and try and get as many as I can and I can be in with a shout.”
Luis Sinisterra was agonisingly shut to creating it 2-0 whereas Milos Kerkez had a shot saved by Andre Onana as Bournemouth appeared like scoring each time they went ahead.
United equalised when Fernandes reacted beautifully when a ball bounced up off a Bournemouth defender and he swivelled on the spot to blast a volley previous Neto.
But the guests didn’t heed their lesson and had been undone all too simply minutes later as a ball by Marcos Senesi discovered Kluivert in house and he drilled a low shot previous Onana.
Kerkez the headed towards the crossbar as United wobbled and Bournemouth had been to remorse their failure to kill off the sport as Kobbie Mainoo’s shot took a deflection and struck Smith’s arm for a penalty was awarded.
Fernandes rolled residence the spot-kick for his eighth league objective of the season however United nonetheless wanted a late slice of luck to emerge with some extent from one other disjointed show.
“When you come into the final stage of the season this is not enough,” mentioned Ten Hag, who was spared a dangerous defeat by the late VAR intervention.
“The truth is we did not deserve more today. We have to do better, control the game, score goals and not give as many chances away.”
