Five talking points as Manchester United’s Casemiro scores in Bournemouth win

Manchester United meander to a 1-0 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League to take one step further in securing Champions League qualification.

With Marcus Rashford ruled out of the fixture due to injury, there was an initial scare that Luke Shaw would have to withdraw from the starting XI due to injury in the warm-up, however, Manchester United confirmed just ahead of kick-off that he would start.

United started in a dominant fashion, retaining the majority of possession and going a goal up inside 10 minutes. It was Casemiro who handed the opening goal after a lovely early cross from Christian Eriksen found its way to the Brazilian, who thumped the ball into the net with an acrobatic effort.

The fixture saw pretty end-to-end moments dotted in between a fixture that felt fairly stop-start between the 30th and 70th minute, however, the substitution of Alejandro Garnacho in place of Jadon Sancho saw the game come back to life, with United seeing out an eventual victory.

Manchester United just need one more win to secure Champions League football for next season.

#1 – Casemiro is still brilliant

Much has been made of Casemiro’s form of late, with the second half of the season seeing the Brazilian midfielder suffer multiple suspensions and some performances that brought criticism of late.

None of that mattered in the ninth minute of the fixture against Bournemouth, with Casemiro finishing brilliantly with an overhead kick from close range to volley the ball into the roof of the net.

With the goal coming as his eighth of the season, Casemiro once again explained exactly why United pulled the trigger on a £60 million transfer last summer for the ex-Real Madrid man.

#2 – United started well away from home

Manchester United’s form away from home across Ten Hag’s opening season as manager has left much to be desired – however, the opening 25 minutes against Bournemouth showed signs of a new, more dominant team.

Having had a week’s rest for two consecutive weeks for the first time in 2023, United certainly looked fresh and full of ideas in a fixture which, had it been played three weeks ago, may have been a tonne more worrying.

United were relentless, creative, quick, and decisive during the opening 25 minutes of the game, which bodes well for the future as the club lead up to their potential Champions League qualification for next season.

Bournemouth grew into the game as the first half went on, finding shots on target on a couple of occasions, however, United were able to see the game to halftime and reset momentum.

Overall, the fixture did feel like United started to sleepwalk their way to the end of the game once their lead was established, however, luckily this did not come back to bite them.

#3 – Victor Lindelof continues to impress

When Lisandro Martinez was ruled out for the remainder of the season and Raphael Varane for over a month during April, many thought the logical solution would be that Luke Shaw would pair with either Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire in order to keep the left-footed dynamic.

Lindelof, however, has proven his worth in the left central defender position over the last month or so, putting in some fantastic performances in key fixtures for Ten Hag.

This was once again the case today, with Lindelof arriving at the perfect moments on multiple occasions on the South Coast, especially when the club were under pressure defensively.

With Lindelof originally picked as one of seven players set for a transfer out of the club this summer, the Swede’s performances may make Ten Hag rethink this decision.

#4 – United’s missing link will arrive soon

It’s damningly obvious that United are suffering from the lack of an out-and-out striker – the front line looks patchy without one.

Despite Anthony Martial starting, play did not quite flow as would have been desired, with the Frenchman being substituted just before 60 minutes in place of loanee Wout Weghorst.

United still look disjointed up front with creative players such as Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, and Jadon Sancho still unable to rely on a consistent and reliable body up front to play through and towards.

However, Harry Kane/Victor Osimhen/Goncalo Ramos may fix this.

#5 – One eye on the final

In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester United will face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday 3 June.

With United chasing a second trophy of the season and Manchester City aiming to complete the treble for the first time in their club’s history, it is sure to be a feisty affair.

While the players no doubt would have been concentrated on making sure all three points were brought back to Manchester on the sunny Saturday afternoon, there is no doubt that everyone involved will have the final in the back of their mind.