As United tasted a bitter throw in the EFL Cup final after reaching the crescito yet stepping back, United will be eying to bounce back when Bournemouth come to Old Trafford for the upcoming Sunday’s Premier League match.
Ruben Amorim’s men lost 4-3 to Tottenham Hotspur in Thursday’s match of the day, whereas the Cherries earned a point from the possible one in their 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Monday as credited to Turkish delight.
Misery was heaped on both Man United and Tottenham on Thursday night, as after Postecoglou’s spurs dismantled the Red Devils and established a three-goal lead in the EFL Cup quarter finals, two catastrophes from Fraser Forster handed the Red Devils two opportunities to find a equalizer in the second half.
However, for Forster’s blushes, his counterpart Altay Bayindir missed the boat when appealing for a foul after Son Heung-min’s corner which cut straight into the net and Jonny Evans’ header at the death was too little too late.
While the always-unflappable Amorim remained fairly chipper during his post-match interview on the sideline, one could still see him briefly hug Postecoglou after trying to rein in his excitement for what could still be construed as the teams promising position in the greater scheme of things – particularly given last week’s tension-filled 2-1 Manchester derby that had no significant bearing on the title race.
It sits 20th in the premier league after they being the champions of England currently occupying the 13th position mathematically is closer to the champions league position than the relegation zone and can occupy one of the top half position in the next weekend if it is lucky with draws.
Lose, however, and Man United will be down in the dumps on the 25th of December as a bottom half Premier League team for the first time ever, albeit in fighting form; more specifically, with Amorim’s side having scored at least two goals in each of their last five home matches across all competitions.
The motif of Bournemouth's most recent Premier League match was late goals as well. Enes Unal outscored the Brazilian in the dead-ball duel, and Lucas Paqueta's penalty put the Vitality on the verge of taking home the trophy.
The Turkish striker for the Cherries lined up a free kick a good thirty yards from goal with at least ninety minutes remaining. He then beat Lukasz Fabianski with an incredible strike into the top corner, extending his team's winning streak in the top flight to four games.
Bournemouth's three-game winning streak ended when they lost to the relegation-threatened Irons, but Andoni Iraola's team still starts gameweek 16 seven spots higher in the standings than the Red Devils, two points behind Manchester City in sixth place.
Bournemouth is out to score for the tenth consecutive Premier League game on Sunday and could win three straight top-flight away games for the first time in a year. They have the second-most shots in this season's competition, behind Man City, and consistently demonstrate an unwavering commitment to attacking football.
Iraola's team coincidentally defeated Man United 3-0 at Old Trafford in December 2023 and held the Red Devils to a 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium in April. Bournemouth had never lost three straight games against the hosts previously.
Marcus Rashford was left out of the Man United team for the EFL Cup match against Tottenham, just like at the Etihad. The Englishman has made it clear that he wants to leave, but Amorim claimed at full time that there might still be a chance for him to return to the Theatre of Dreams.
Only Marcus Tavernier (thigh), Marcos Senesi (thigh), Julian Araujo (thigh), Alex Scott (knee), and Luis Sinisterra (thigh) are believed to have a possibility of making a comeback before 2025.
Considering that Evanilson has now failed to score in five consecutive Premier League games and that his Turkish opponent has scored goals in back-to-back appearances off the bench, Unal's incredible free kick on Monday night might have given Iraola some fuel for thought up front.
Victor Lindelof, who sustained yet another injury in the first half of Thursday's loss, and Rashford's availability for Sunday's match are both expected to be unknown until the official squad sheets are made public.
Amorim will undoubtedly be without Luke Shaw (calf) and Mason Mount (leg), and Matthijs de Ligt is also doubtful after missing Thursday's game due to illness.
