Point against Bournemouth doesnt help Man United

Manchester United's struggles continued as they barely managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, despite a late VAR decision that reversed a penalty for the home team. The match highlighted ongoing issues for Erik ten Hag's team, which has now failed to win in four consecutive games.

Kluivert shines against his former manager

The game at Bournemouth was notable for a standout performance from Justin Kluivert, who scored impressively, helping his team to initially lead the game. Playing against the team of Erik ten Hag, who was his manager at Ajax. Manchester United, however, found themselves on the back foot early with Bournemouth taking the lead through Dominic Solanke. The home team could have further capitalized on several United slip-ups, but their finishing was lacking.

Bruno Fernandes was a rare bright spot for United, striking a critical blow by scoring from an unforced error in the Bournemouth defense to level the score. Kluivert then quickly restored Bournemouth’s lead, with his shot finding the net after cutting inside beautifully, both Bournemouth goals being assisted by Marcos Senesi.

VAR saves United

As the game neared its conclusion, Manchester United looked set to suffer another defeat when the referee awarded a penalty to Bournemouth in the dying minutes—echoing late penalties scored against United by Liverpool and Chelsea in their recent fixtures. However, VAR intervention showed that the foul had occurred just outside the box, sparing United from a potential loss. In a game where they were often second best, United were lucky to escape with a draw, thanks to a second goal from Fernandes—this time from the penalty spot after an unfortunate handball by a Bournemouth player.

Ten Hag boils over

The result and the performance evidently frustrated Erik ten Hag, who expressed his discontent in a terse post-match press conference. When questioned about this season potentially becoming the worst in the club's history, Ten Hag refused to comment and abruptly left the room, highlighting the pressure he feels as United slipped to seventh place in the Premier League standings, now nine points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

This draw, while rescuing a point for Manchester United, does little to alleviate the broader concerns about the team's direction under Ten Hag. With defensive issues and a lack of decisive play in critical moments, United's path forward looks challenging as they attempt to salvage what remains of their season.