27 April 2025
Bournemouth 1 Man Utd 1
Bournemouth are still hoping they can find the form needed to secure themselves European football next season but needed to get back to winning ways. They welcomed Man Utd to the Vitality Stadium who had a big Europa League semi-final in midweek to keep one eye on. The Cherries were looking to do the double over the Red Devils for the first time in a league campaign.
It was the hosts who started on the front foot but the visitors who came closest to breaking the deadlock. As Man Utd came forward, it was worked to Garnacho just outside the box. He looked to drill an effort towards the far corner, which seemed to have Kepa beaten. The Spaniard will have been mightily relieved to see it just go the wrong side of the woodwork.
The Cherries were just lacking that killer-pass in the final third to unlock the visitors. Semenyo did well losing Casemiro on the flank before trying to work it into the middle. As the ball broke clear, Adams lunged in on a challenge on Garnacho, with the Argentine left rolling around on the floor. The referee issued a yellow card and a VAR check agreed with his decision.
Dorgu lost the ball out wide in his own half and it was quickly worked into Evanilson by Kluivert. He laid it off into the path of Semenyo, who smashed a crisp half-volley past Onana to give the hosts the lead. The Vitality Stadium was bouncing and the fans were enjoying what they were seeing from their side out on the pitch in the spring sunshine.
Andoni Iraola’s side almost gifted the visitors a way back into the game when the defenders left a ball for Kepa to collect. Garnacho ghosted in behind them and looked to lift it over the Spaniard but he got a telling touch to take it behind for a corner. This was a second warning for The Cherries that they could ill-afford to switch off in defence if they wanted to secure victory on the south coast.
Bournemouth headed in at the interval with their slender lead intact. It would take some motivational words from Ruben Amorim to spark his side into life in this match. More so defensively as they looked all over the shop whenever The Cherries ran at them with the ball. To be fair, their attackers had been creating chances in the first-half.
After the break, Dorgu was shown a yellow card for a challenge on Smith out wide. Looking at the replay it was a bizarre decision as the Man Utd player won the ball and the Bournemouth midfielder had in fact kicked his opponent. It almost got worse for the visitors as Ouattara looked to beat Onana at his near post but his effort came crashing back off the frame of the goal.
You felt the hosts needed another goal to give themselves some breathing space in the game. While Man Utd were not creating many chances, you are always open to that sucker-punch with such a slender lead. It was a high-octane game with both sets of players flying into the challenges. Bournemouth were the better side overall but football does not tend to take notice of such things.
Then came the game-changing incident in this one. As Mazraoui came to win the ball, Evanilson was tracking back to make a challenge. The Brazilian slipped as he went into the tackle and wiped out the Man Utd defender. The referee awarded a free-kick and brandished a yellow card. VAR then reviewed it and sent the referee to the monitor.
This is the point where Premier League referees seem to be mindless drones. Whenever a review sends them to the monitor, irrelevant to what they see on the screen, they will change their initial decision. Incredibly, the official then showed Evanilson a red card. It was madness. Everyone could see he slipped and there was no intent but common sense does not seem to factor with these people.
The Cherries were down to ten men and this was to completely change the flow of the game. The Red Devils felt the game was there for the taking. As a cross came into the box, Mount looked to steer it into the far corner. It seemed to have the keeper beaten but a deflection took it narrowly wide of the far post. Fine margins.
Fernandes was the next player to try his luck from the edge of the box as the ball broke to him. So often from these positions we expect to see the net bulge when the Portuguese midfielder is lining one up. On this occasion, he sent it narrowly wide of the top corner. Bournemouth were living on the edge in this game, trying desperately to hold on for the three points.
In the sixth minute of added time, Shaw put a low cross into the box and Ugarte looked to get a shot off. Hojlund reacted quickly to steer his effort into the bottom corner to grab a late point for the visitors. It was a crushing blow to The Cherries’ European hopes, which all stemmed from that sending off. The fact that the decision was later overturned in the week says it all.
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