Manchester United scored in the 96th minute at Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon to rescue a point and climb to 14th in the Premier League table.
Andoni Iraola’s side have been one of the most consistently entertaining sides in the division in 2024-25 and took an early lead via a smart finish from Antoine Semenyo, a player United boss Ruben Amorim admires.
The main incident in the second half was a red card for Bournemouth’s Evanilson for a foul on Noussair Mazraoui that was initially deemed a yellow card offence by referee Peter Bankes, before the VAR team intervened. And eventually — helped by nine minutes of injury time — Manchester United found an equaliser thanks to a smart finish from Rasmus Hojlund, who turned Manuel Ugarte’s shot into the Bournemouth net from close range.
Carl Anka and Anantaajith Raghuraman break down the key talking points from United’s trip to the south coast.
Where does this leave United ahead of Thursday’s semi-final?
There was a brief moment close to the 20-minute mark when Alejandro Garnacho went scampering after the ball down the right channel. Spotting the danger, Milos Kerkez went to shield possession while his team-mates reconfigured into a better defensive shape.
Garnacho came up second-best to the Bournemouth full-back during this test of strength. His shoulder barges and nudges simply wouldn’t move the sturdy Kerkez and the ball eventually rolled out for a Bournemouth throw-in.
A little over 15 minutes later, Semenyo dropped deep into central midfield to bully Bruno Fernandes off the ball. United team-mates paused momentarily to ask for a foul, only to realise the oncoming storm of Bournemouth players beginning a counter-attack.
The draw sees Amorim’s side climb out of the bottom six of the Premier League table. There are positive touches here and there, but they often go about league duties akin to a recently promoted Championship team, one that is still adjusting to the leap in speed and quickness of the top tier.
“We need to bring intensity. We need to be focused,” said the United head coach to Sky Sports before Sunday’s kick-off, but again his team were found wanting at key moments. Harry Maguire and Casemiro are the only United players who can reliably win their aerial duels. Fernandes’ attacking qualities are clear for all to see, but he cannot be in two places at once.
Amorim has made revisions and alterations to his starting XIs and passing patterns, but there’s only so much room for growth when so many Premier League opponents can strong-arm the ball off United players.
“I’ve felt a difference in the Europa League compared to a Premier League game. That small space of time can give us an advantage to play,” said Amorim in early April before facing Lyon. European competition has become essential to United, but also a reprieve from the rough and tumble of the Premier League. The head coach — and his team at large — need to find a way to play effective football, even when they are denied that extra fraction of a second to think.
Oihan Sancet’s uncertain injury status may hand a slight boost to United’s chances on Thursday, but Bilbao’s Athletic Club are no slouches when it comes to battling for loose balls. A nervy Europa League semi-final awaits.
Carl Anka
Semenyo shows United what they’re missing
Bournemouth’s first-half goal was — in a nutshell — what Andoni Iraola wants from Bournemouth and Amorim does not from United.
From a free kick on the edge of their own box, Andre Onana played a wobbly pass to Luke Shaw, who waited for Bournemouth pressure to arrive before passing to Patrick Dorgu. United had got away with a couple of those situations earlier in the game, with Adam Smith a second too late to push up the pitch, but this time the Bournemouth captain closed Dorgu down well to win the ball and keep it in play.
Smith dribbled to the byline before crossing for Evanilson, who flicked the ball back to Semenyo for a first-time finish with his ‘weaker’ left foot.
In the minutes before the goal, Onana kicked long under pressure from Justin Kluivert rather than playing the riskier short pass to Shaw. The end result was a turnover in possession, which led to Bruno Fernandes turning to his goalkeeper and animatedly gesturing in frustration to stay calmer under pressure.
That was followed fairly quickly by United adding another to their growing catalogue of avoidable concessions for the season.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
How did Luke Shaw get on?
This match-up represented Luke Shaw’s first United start since February 18, 2024. In that game, played 434 days ago, the defender managed 45 minutes before a hamstring injury ruled him out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
“If the manager asks me to play, I’m never going to say ‘no’, but I shouldn’t have played (at Luton),” Shaw said last June while on England duty. “It’s kind of everyone’s fault. Partly my fault, partly the (United) medical staff.”
The defender has made only five matchday squads for United this season, with Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu supplanting him as options at left-back/left wing-back while he focused on recovery. Before facing Bournemouth, Amorim made clear that Shaw’s best position is now as a left-sided centre-back in a three, rather than as a buccaneering runner up and down the flank.
However, the defender bore some signs of ring rust at the Vitality Stadium. Shaw lacked his previous sharp timing in his tackling, picking up a booking in the 78th minute for a lunge on Dango Ouattara when in the Bournemouth half. Similar to his 74-minute long appearance against Lyon, he can make defensive blocks and clearances to a competent degree, but is better when given the ball away from his own penalty area.
An overlapping run and low cross to Chido-Obi Martin in the 74th minute showed some of the on-ball quality remains, but he is — understandably — not the one-vs-one defender he used to be and his fitness issues mean he has become a bonus rather than something United (or indeed England) can build around.
A vocal section of United fans may want the club to cut ties with the defender and sell him in the summer, but any clubs in need of a left-back may be more inclined to look at Kerkez than the 29-year-old Shaw. The England international is a quality football player on his day, but his injury history makes those occasions fewer and further between.
A fully fit Shaw may instead become a squad option for United between now and the end of the season. And perhaps into 2025-26, too.
Carl Anka
In praise of Manuel Ugarte’s cameo
United have several issues to sort out, but the problem that has plagued them for the longest time is the absence of a settled pairing at the base of midfield. Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro started as the No 8s in this match. The former’s neat one-touch passing with Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho early in the first half and Casemiro’s aerial prowess were valuable, but United struggled to progress the ball through the middle against Bournemouth’s press.
That changed once Manuel Ugarte came on as the Uruguayan dropped between the centre-backs time and again to drive forward with the ball. One particular move stood out as he weathered multiple challenges to help United work the ball to the left flank, with the cross causing indecision before Kerkez cleared.
Ugarte, while not boasting Casemiro’s ability in the air, is excellent on the ground and has added late runs into the final third to his game, one of which helped him assist Hojlund’s last-gasp equaliser.
This game reiterated that he is an undisputed starter in central midfield, but the search for his ideal partner goes on. All the signs point to Fernandes starting there again alongside him on Thursday against Athletic Club.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
What did Ruben Amorim say?
The United boss accepted it had been a difficult afternoon for his side on the south coast, but that they had improved during the match.
“It was tough in the beginning, high intensity, pressure from the opponent. We had some difficulties there but then during the game we were improving. We had our opportunities, we didn’t score. But then in the second half especially, we had a sense that we pushed the opponent to their own half, we created situations, and we managed to save a point. But I think if you look at the game, I think we lost two points.”
Amorim also spoke about the surprising decision to keep Luke Shaw on for the entire game. “Was not the plan to give him 90 minutes, but you need to win games. He was the guy that could overload that [left] side. He has quality in the final third, a good pass. When losing and drawing you do not think about the next game, you need to win.”
What next for United?
Thursday, May 1: Athletic Club (Away), Europa League semi-final first leg, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
(Top photo: Getty Images)
