AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth will be bidding to register an historic first league double over Manchester United when they host the 20-time English champions at Vitality Stadium on Saturday (5.30pm kick-off).
Goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi earned the Cherries a 3-0 win at Old Trafford in December, the club’s first victory at the iconic venue.
Three days after losing to Andoni Iraola’s team, the Red Devils exited the Champions League following a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, leaving them bottom of Group A.
United are currently sixth in the Premier League, 11 points behind Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Champions League qualification for next season.
Erik ten Hag’s team arrive in Dorset on the back of a three-match winless run which has seen them concede late goals against Brentford, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Kristoffer Ajer’s goal in the ninth minute of injury time cancelled out Mason Mount’s opener, which also came in added time, as the Bees battled back for a 1-1 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Cole Palmer completed his hat-trick by scoring twice in stoppage time to earn Chelsea a 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge, while Mo Salah’s late penalty saw Liverpool draw 2-2 at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Since losing to the Cherries in December, United have won six and drawn four of their 15 Premier League games, away victories coming at Wolves, Villa and Luton.
United have also progressed to the FA Cup semi-final where they will meet Coventry City having beaten Wigan Athletic, Newport County, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.
Ahead of Saturday’s clash, afcb.co.uk caught up with Dan Sheldon who covers the fortunes of the Red Devils for The Athletic.
MANCHESTER UNITED PROFILE
Founded: 1878
Ground: Old Trafford
Nicknames: The Red Devils, United
Record appearances: Ryan Giggs – 963 games (1991-2014)
Record goalscorer: Wayne Rooney – 253 goals in 559 games
Manager: Erik ten Hag (appointed April 2022)
Club captain: Bruno Fernandes
League position: Sixth
Leading goalscorer: Rasmus Højlund (13 in all competitions)
Last game: Manchester United 2 Liverpool 2 (Premier League)
afcb.co.uk: How would you assess their current form?
DS: Inconsistent would be the best word for that.
They have had so many false dawns where you think they are going to turn a corner, beating Liverpool in the FA Cup being one.
But then they came back from the international break and put in a stinker of a performance away to Brentford.
Then, there was the Chelsea game recently when they were leading going into injury time and came away with nothing.
But you go from the low of Stamford Bridge to the high of Old Trafford where they somehow managed to nick a point from a 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Sunday.
They are just – as they have been recently and the whole season – incredibly inconsistent.
afcb.co.uk: What are their realistic aims for the rest of the season?
DS: To qualify for the Champions League.
Fourth place looks like it’s going to be a mountain too high to climb.
They are 11 points behind Tottenham and the same number behind Aston Villa.
But with the additional places potentially up for grabs in the Champions League via UEFA’s coefficient they may sneak a spot.
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they go on a remarkable run and somehow finish in the Champions League spots.
That’s what their aim is and it should be the minimum requirement for any Manchester United team.
afcb.co.uk: What is Erik ten Hag like away from the media spotlight?
DS: He’s a man of principle and he’s intense. It sounds incredibly clichéd to say but he lives and breathes Manchester United.
He works tirelessly to try to turn things around. He’s not someone you think would be able to go home and switch off completely from football, he’s always thinking about it.
Every manager at Manchester United is under scrutiny, more so him at the moment due to the inconsistent results and the change of ownership, which adds a different kind of pressure.
He’s an intense character. He comes out with some funny remarks sometimes. But, at this stage of the season, he’s very intense.
afcb.co.uk: Can you put your finger on why United have conceded more shots in 2024 than any other team in Europe’s top-five leagues?
DS: At least they are top of the table in something!
Essentially, if you watch them play, you will notice there isn’t much of a midfield there.
There are acres of space between the defenders and the midfield that allows the opposing team to get forward in numbers and, inevitably, that leads to shots.
Against Liverpool, they conceded 15 in the first half and were fortunate not to concede four or five of those.
Ten Hag would say it’s fine, it’s okay to concede that many shots because not all of them are going in.
He was pointing to a stat last week that they’ve got one of the better defensive records.
However, they have a goal difference of minus one in the Premier League and they just give away so many chances.
Defensively, they have had issues because they have had so many injuries.
Ten Hag has had 26 different back-four combinations this season, which is quite astonishing for any team.
They have a new goalkeeper who initially struggled when he joined at the beginning of the season as well.
afcb.co.uk: Who would get your vote for player of the season?
DS: Diogo Dalot has had a good season. I know he made a mistake against Chelsea but he’s been pretty solid throughout.
However, momentum is a funny thing in football and you’re looking at someone like Kobbie Mainoo wondering if he could get it perhaps.
It’s probably too soon for him but, if not him, then maybe Alejandro Garnacho, who has really kicked on this season and scored some important goals.
Dalot’s been there throughout the entire season and has been consistent.
Mainoo has broken through and we all saw what he did for England. He’s an exceptional talent, as is Garnacho.
For me, if I were to pick, I like forwards and players who can get you on the edge of your seat, it would be Garnacho, but I can completely see why someone would go for Dalot instead.
afcb.co.uk: What has Rasmus Højlund brought to the team?
DS: He’s brought energy, he’s a quality player and he’s got goals in him. You don’t score the number of goals he has in the Champions League this season unless you’re a top striker.
This is a United team that the statistics show, certainly early on, that he just wasn’t being given that many chances.
There have been a couple of moments where he’s got a few goals and you think he’s going to kick but it hasn’t quite happened for him.
He’s still incredibly young and he came for a big price tag of more than £70m and he’s certainly a player for the future.
He’s got seven goals in the Premier League and five in the Champions League and is carrying the burden of the team at such a young age.
I think everyone can see they really could have done with signing another striker to perhaps ease some of that load on him while he gets up to speed with the Premier League and develops.
afcb.co.uk: Are any key players either injured or suspended against the Cherries?
DS: Central defenders Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are definitely out and ten Hag has said Scott McTominay is pushing to be available for tomorrow's fixture. Luke Shaw is also sidelined.
Marcus Rashford trained on Thursday and Friday and the expectation is that he will travel with the squad.
afcb.co.uk: How do you see this one panning out and what’s your score prediction?
DS: Bournemouth did a thoroughly good job on United at Old Trafford in December.
With this United team, the injuries and the inconsistency they have shown, you just don’t know what you are going to get.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they turned up and won 1-0. Equally, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up losing the game comfortably.
I’m going to be boring and sit on the fence with a 2-2 draw.
You can follow Dan on X (formerly Twitter) – @Dan_Sheldon_
Officials: Tony Harrington (referee), Derek Eaton (assistant), Matthew Wilkes (assistant), Graham Scott (fourth official), Jarred Gillett (VAR).
