Manchester United 0-3 AFC Bournemouth: 5 Hits and Flops as Red Devils suffer embarrassing collapse | Premier League 2023-24

Manchester United were completely outplayed by an energetic AFC Bournemouth side at home as they lost 3-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, December 9.

The Red Devils put in one of their best performances in recent months in a dominant 2-1 win over Chelsea midweek. Erik ten Hag made two changes from that side, with Anthony Martial and Sergio Reguilon replacing Rasmus Hojlund and Victor Lindelof.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, were on a four-game unbeaten streak. They were coming off a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace and looked to extend their good run of form.

It was a dream start for the visitors, who took the lead in the fifth minute. Manchester United's attempt to play out from the back backfired as Lewis Cook intercepted the ball and set up Dominic Solanke for a composed finish to make it 1-0.

The Cherries continued to enjoy better attacking chances in the first half as Manchester United struggled to establish a rhythm. Solanke hit the post just before the break as they continued to apply pressure.

Philip Billing, who came on as a substitute in the second half, made it 2-0 in the 68th minute after heading home from a cross from Marcus Tavernier.

It grew from bad to worse for the hosts, with Marcos Senesi soon making it 3-0. Tavernier was the provider yet again as United fell further behind.

It was a dull performance from Manchester United as Bournemouth extended their unbeaten run to five games. Here are five hits and flops from the game.

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#5 Hit - Dominic Solanke

Solanke has found a home for himself at Bournemouth after difficult spells at Chelsea and Liverpool.

The forward has begun the 2023–24 campaign brightly and has scored eight goals, already overtaking his tally of six from last season. He has been a key part of the Cherries' recent unbeaten run.

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#4 Flop - Anthony Martial

The Frenchman made just his fifth start of the Premier League campaign, with Erik ten Hag hoping to give Rasmus Hojlund some rest.

However, Martial struggled to impact the game and was subsequently taken off for the Denmark international on the 56-minute mark. He managed just a single shot and had just three touches in the Bournemouth box in his stint.

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#3 Hit - Bournemouth's tactics

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola put up a perfect plan, and the players executed it well to beat Manchester United convincingly.

The Cherries pressed well early on to force multiple errors from the hosts, who tried to build from the back. In the second half, they were resolute in their defense and effective in counter-attack, scoring twice from such situations.

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#2 Flop - Manchester United's midfield

The midfield pairing of Scott McTominay and Sofyan Amrabat continues to garner criticism as the pair struggle against Bournemouth. The visitors were dominant in the middle of the park, which was a key factor in their win.

McTominay was sloppy and sluggish with his play, while Amrabat was too careless with his passing, adding to a terrible showing from the Red Devils.

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#1 Flop - Manchester United's home form

Old Trafford has fallen far from the fortress it was in Sir Alex Ferguson's days. They have now lost 3-0 thrice in their last five home outings and have secured just 15 points from nine games at Old Trafford.

The loss puts them further away in the top four race. ten Hag will be hoping that United will be able to put this result behind them quickly before their vital Champions League clash against Bayern Munich midweek.