Manchester United and Bournemouth served up a pulsating Premier League encounter at Old Trafford, with both teams leading at different stages before settling for a dramatic draw in an eight-goal thriller.
United went into the break 2–1 ahead, but their advantage disappeared just seven minutes after the restart as Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier struck to swing the momentum in Bournemouth’s favour. The hosts responded swiftly, with Bruno Fernandes curling in a free-kick before Matheus Cunha finished clinically just two minutes later to restore United’s lead.
However, the drama was far from over. Six minutes from time, 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi drove home a late equaliser to secure a point for Bournemouth in a breathless finale.
Amid the chaos, Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim’s tactical adjustment almost went unnoticed. He modified his preferred five-man defence and was rewarded by pushing Amad Diallo into a more advanced role. The Ivorian opened the scoring after 13 minutes, heading in from close range following a ferocious United start that saw them register six shots in the opening 10 minutes their fastest tally in a Premier League match since October 2022.
The contest developed into a remarkable spectacle, with the two sides combining for 38 shots. Casemiro’s booking means he will miss Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa, while late stoppage-time efforts from David Brooks forced sharp reaction saves from United goalkeeper Senne Lammens to deny Bournemouth a dramatic victory.
The draw saw United drop out of the top five, while 13th-placed Bournemouth extended their winless run to seven matches.
Manchester United analysis: Amorim alters his system
Ruben Amorim’s much-debated 3-4-2-1 formation came under renewed scrutiny. The former Sporting Lisbon coach has long defended the system that brought him success in Portugal, once insisting nothing would convince him to abandon it. Recently, however, he has hinted at greater flexibility and this match reflected that shift.
Rather than a wholesale change, the tweak saw Amad Diallo given greater attacking freedom, tracking back less and operating more narrowly. The approach paid off with his early headed goal, while United also benefited from a goalkeeping error when Djordje Petrovic pushed Casemiro’s tame effort into his own net. The home crowd responded with rare enthusiasm at half-time, unaware of the twists still to come.
Bournemouth analysis: Cherries fight to the finish
Bournemouth had won 3–0 on their previous two visits to Old Trafford and came close to repeating their scoring feat. After seizing control early in the second half with Evanilson finishing after a fine Tavernier pass and Tavernier himself exploiting weak goalkeeping they showed resilience to respond once again late on.
Petrovic could not prevent Fernandes’ free-kick or Cunha’s composed finish, which seemed set to be the winner. Yet Bournemouth refused to concede defeat, and Kroupi’s late strike ensured they left with a share of the spoils, surpassing their previous goal returns at the ground, if not the same reward.
The final whistle brought a mix of relief and frustration for both sides, with exhausted players collapsing to the turf after an extraordinary contest.
What’s next
Manchester United travel to Aston Villa for their next Premier League fixture on Sunday, 21 December (16:30 GMT). Bournemouth return home to face Burnley on Saturday, 20 December (15:00).
