Five things learned as Manchester United blow Bournemouth away 3-0 in style

Manchester United started their 2022 in style as Erik ten Hag’s men sunk Bournemouth 3-0 in the Premier League.

After a slow opening 20 minutes, it was the two midfield summer signings in Christian Eriksen and Casemiro who combined to open the scoring for Erik ten Hag‘s squad.

The first half ended on a sad note as Donny van de Beek had to be substituted due to injury after he was subject to a horrible challenge, being replaced by Alejandro Garnacho as the first half drew to a close with Manchester United a goal ahead.

The second half was much more exciting than the first, with Luke Shaw storming the length of the field to score United’s second… but more on that later. David de Gea was called into action on multiple occasions as Bournemouth looked to get themselves back into the fixture, however once Marcus Rashford netted the third, the point was moot.

Here are five things learned from the victory:

1) It’s impossible to overstate how good Casemiro is

After a slightly slow start to his Manchester United career, featuring on the bench on a number of occasions, Casemiro is now high and flying in a Red shirt.

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Opening the scoring tonight with a thumping volley from close range, he looked not just settled into the Premier League, but that he feels completely comfortable bossing pretty much every single midfield he faces.

2) Christian Eriksen is quietly creating

It may come as a slight surprise to learn that only Kevin de Bruyne has more Premier League assists this season than Eriksen.

Quietly, the Danish international has pulled himself up to joint-second in the league this season in terms of assists, sharing the podium with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka on six assists each.

The partnership he has formed with Casemiro on the field has been instrumental for Erik ten Hag so far, and will likely continue to be as the new year turns into the business end of the season.

3) Donny van de Beek just can’t catch a break

Much to the disappointment of many, Van de Beek’s career at Manchester United has gone from hope to despair, with the midfielder having to leave the field with a painful looking knee injury just before the end of the first half.

With the Dutchman not featuring as much as fans would like so far under Ten Hag, tonight looked like the perfect opportunity to stamp his authority in the midfield side and earn more regular game time, but it was not to be.

We wish Donny van de Beek all the best in his recovery and hope the injury is not as serious as it looked.

4) Shawberto Carlos is well and truly back

What a stunning goal from Luke Shaw that was!

Starting deep in his own half, carrying the ball almost the entire length of the pitch before receiving the ball back via Garnacho and slotting the ball into the Stretford End net. He was also instrumental in Rashford’s goal, finding Fernandes with a world class cross-field ping.

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After initially being benched by Tyrell Malacia, Shaw has come into a new level of ability under Erik ten Hag this season, and is becoming one of the most integral players in the current United squad.

5) Alejandro Garnacho is well settled

At this point in time, Garnacho seems just another member of the first team squad, rather than a young gun from the youth.

With the young winger still just 18 years of age, his progression this season has been brilliant to witness, and is an encouraging sign for Ten Hag and Manchester United fans alike at such a young stage in his career.

He picked up his third assist this season for Shaw’s goal, with his composure allowing him to look up and cut the ball back to the left-back rather than just blindly fire the ball across goal.