Manchester United suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford for the second consecutive year. The result leaves Ruben Amorim‘s United side languishing in 13th in the Premier League standings at Christmas—their lowest position during the festive period since the 1989-90 season—while Bournemouth sit fifth, potentially securing a Champions League spot given the current standings of English teams in Europe.
Dean Huijsen opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a header, capitalizing on United’s continued vulnerability at set-pieces. Things worsened when Justin Kluivert converted a penalty after being fouled by Noussair Mazraoui, and Antoine Semenyo added a third just two minutes later, finishing a Dango Ouattara cross following a mistake by Kobbie Mainoo.
For United, it was another grim display, compounded by the absence of Marcus Rashford, who was omitted from the matchday squad for the third time under Amorim. Rashford was present at Old Trafford to witness the defeat, but the team desperately needs him back in form alongside other improvements if they are to turn their season around.
The performance bore troubling similarities to last season’s defeat to Bournemouth, which occurred under Erik ten Hag. A managerial change has not solved United’s set-piece frailties or defensive lapses, raising serious questions about the team’s direction as they head into the new year.
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