Bournemouth humiliate Manchester United at half-empty Old Trafford
After Stands Manager Justin Martin Manchester Wire Kluivert Amorim Side's Goal Second Dejected Bournemouth's Ruben Rickett/pa Scored Picture: His United
Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United reign lurched further into crisis with an emphatic and embarrassing defeat to Bournemouth that was greeted by boos at a half-empty Old Trafford on the final whistle
Andoni Iraola’s visitors were full value for a victory that underlined the depths to which United have sunk and the enormity of the task facing Erik ten Hag’s successor.
The 3-0 win was a repeat of the result at the start of December last season and reinforced the fact that ten Hag’s dismissal has brought about no short-term gain for United.
They also still face the complications surrounding Marcus Rashford who, for a third straight game, was left out of the match day squad by Amorim for “selection” reasons.
United fell behind just before the half-hour in depressingly familiar fashion, conceding from a set-piece for the ninth time in the Premier League this season.
It came from a free-kick, awarded for a foul on the wing by Tyrell Malacia on Adam Smith, the latest in a number of errors made by the Dutch defender.
Ryan Christie swung in the free-kick and teenage defender Dean Huijsen was unmarked to head in from six yards, arriving between Bruno Fernandes and Joshua Zirkzee.
So unimpressive was United’s organisation that it was not immediately apparent who was responsible for the failure but Zirkzee looked prime culprit.
It was also, incredibly, the 17th set-piece goal United have conceded in the calendar year - a new worst mark in Premier League history.
At least United showed some sort of response, in the foul wintry conditions, and could have been level by the interval with Fernandes presented with three good chances in the last five minutes of the half alone.
First, he was set up by Amad Diallo for a shot which he screwed wide from 15 yards.
Then Kobbie Mainoo’s assist, following a mistake by Huijsen, saw Fernandes draw a good flying stop out of keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Then, after United threatened from late first half corner, Fernandes ended the period with a shot that just drifted wide from 25 yards.
Amorim rang the changes, three of them inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half, and there were some moments of threat from the Reds - notably from a 55th minute corner which Lewis Cook did well to clear from under his bar.
But the situation worsened on the hour when Patrick Kluivert sprinted into the area and was tripped from behind by Noussair Mazraoiui, a penalty decision by referee Craig Pawson which VAR confirmed.
Kluivert, who recently became the first player in Premier League history to score three penalties in the same game at Wolves, made no mistake with a cool finish.
Two minutes later, a bad afternoon turned positively catastrophic as Bournemouth scored a third after Mainoo gave the ball away in midfield.
Antoine Semenyo broke upfield before finding Evanilson who timed his pass perfectly for Dango Ouattara to run onto.
The winger selflessly picked out Semenyo in the area and, with Lisandro Martinez rooted to the spot and failing to close him down, Semenyo swept in an excellent finish.
Alejandro Garnacho, dropped along with Rashford for last weekend’s derby win, came off the bench and could have pulled a goal back when played clean through but hit his shot straight at Kepa from the edge of the area.
Fellow sub Rasmus Hojlund also forced a good save out of the Bournemouth keeper, begging the question why he had not started the game.
Onana 5; Mazraoui 4, Maguire 5, Martinez 5; Dalot 5, Ugarte 5 (Garnacho 54, 5), Mainoo 6, Malacia 4 (Yoro 46, 5); Diallo 7, Fernandes 7; Zirkzee 5 (Hojlund 54, 6). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, Evans, Antony.
Kepa 7; Smith 5 (Cook 46, 6), Zabarnyi 7, Huijsen 8, Kerkez 7; Adams 7 (Hill 89), Christie 7; Semenyo 9 (Brooks 89), Kluivert 8 (Billing 78, 5), Ouattara 7; Evanilson 7 (Unal 71, 6). Substitutes (not used) Aarons, Brooks, Hill, Kinsey, Travers, Winterburn.
C Pawson 7