Full Time: Manchester United 1-0 Bournemouth
David De Gea precisely proved why he is called the ‘flying Spaniard’ with yet another excellent performance last night as Manchester United beat Bournemouth 1-0. The Cherries looked quite imposing and made things tough for the Red Devils. Romelu Lukaku scored the only goal of the match in the form of a fine header, which helped the club to seal all 3 points. Marcus Rashford also came close to scoring but his set-piece effort bounced off the post when he came on as a substitute.
This victory will once again put United 3 points ahead of Chelsea and their 2nd place in the table seems safe for now. Let’s take a look at how the players fared.
Manchester United Player Ratings
David De Gea – 9/10
The goalkeeper put on a quality display as Bournemouth’s attackers never shied away from testing him. He made about four saves in the first-half itself.
Antonio Valencia – 6.5/10
Valencia was defensively solid but could not offer much support for the attack since he was deployed in a deeper role.
Phil Jones – 8/10
Jones was a pivotal figure for United at the back until he picked up a knock but he returned last night to show why he is one of their most important defenders. He was effective in the attack as well as in the defence.
Chris Smalling – 7/10
Smalling was defensively solid and seemed to be a lot better at his job with Jones’ presence beside him.
Luke Shaw – 7.5/10
The moment that most United fans were waiting for – Luke Shaw finally came on to the field and it felt as if he never went out. He put up a strong show at the back while also providing an attacking outlet on the left.
Nemanja Matic – 7/10
Matic did his duty quite well against Bournemouth. He maintained fluidity in possession while proving to be the glue that held the attack and defence together.
Scott McTominay – 6.5/10
The player looked overwhelmed for most of the game but he was tidy on the ball. That said, he failed to make as much of an impact even though he kept things ticking.
Juan Mata – 7/10
It was Mata’s cross that led to the creation of the sole goal of the match and the midfielder dominated his side of the terrain quite well.
Anthony Martial – 6/10
Martial was not at his best but he was involved in the goal. In fact, Shaw seemed to provide more of a danger element on the left side than Martial.
Jesse Lingard – 6.5/10
Let’s be clear – Lingard did not play poorly by any measure. However, he did not do much as the team’s chief playmaker. He was reliable enough to aid the attack at all times though.
Romelu Lukaku – 7/10
He missed a couple of early chances and even got booked. But he was responsible for the only goal of the night.
Subs:
Marcus Rashford – 8/10
Rashford seemed a lot stronger on the left in Martial’s absence and was unlucky to miss out on scoring.
Ander Herrera – 6/10
Herrera did the basics right like always but did nothing extraordinary.
Ashley Young – N/A
He came on quite late and did not have much time to make an impact.