Manchester United won a fourth consecutive Premier League game on Tuesday, beating Bournemouth 3-0 at Old Trafford.
Goals from unlikely figures in Casemiro and Luke Shaw, as well as a late strike from Marcus Rashford, wrapped up the victory for Erik ten Hag’s side, and it’s a result that sees the Red Devils move level on points with third-place Newcastle United.
It was a quiet opening to the game, with a wayward Anthony Martial header the only chance of note in the opening quarter of the game. That was until Casemiro gave United the lead when he slotted the ball beyond Mark Travers in the away goal.
Christian Eriksen’s exquisite free-kick picked out the Brazilian in the box and, from around six yards out, he placed a first-time volleyed finish into the back of the net.
But it was a quiet first period, impacted slightly by the wet conditions, with Eriksen’s deflected free-kick United’s best attempt other than the goal. As for Bournemouth, they produced half chances via free-kicks from Jaidon Anthony and Philip Billing, while Dominic Solanke’s header floated wide.
But within minutes of the second half starting, United were two goals ahead. Rashford and Shaw started off a superb counter attack well inside their own half, and seconds later it was Shaw who tapped the ball into the back of the Cherries’ net from just a few yards out.
Martial went close with a header soon after from a floated Casemiro cross, before the visitors enjoyed their best spell in the game around the hour mark. David de Gea, virtually untroubled up to then was forced into three saves to keep out headers from Billing and Solanke in quick succession, before he palmed away a strike from Anthony.
But after a sloppy 15 minutes United rallied again, with Rashford fizzing a shot wide, before Alejandro Garnacho’s curling effort clipped the outside of the post. The winger also forced a save from Travers in the 82nd minute just after Diogo Dalot tested the Bournemouth stopper.
Rashford continued his excellent run of form late on when he netted a third of the game, with Bruno Fernandes squaring the ball for the attacker to easily dispatch from just a few yards out. De Gea had to be on hand to keep out a late Anthony shot, while Siriki Dembele’s cross did smack off the crossbar in injury-time, but United held on for a fourth straight clean sheet.
Here’s how we rated the players...
1. David de Gea- 7
Made three good saves just before the hour mark, and produced another stop in the final stages to deny Anthony.
2. Aaron Wan-Bissaka- 8 (off 68)
Put in another solid defensive display and was selected to start ahead of Dalot, who was named on the bench.
3. Harry Maguire- 7
Defended well against the physical Solanke, but Maguire did have a few sloppy passes during the game.
4. Victor Lindelof- 6 (off 88)
Solid yet unspectacular from the Swedish centre-back.