Manchester United and Bournemouth played out a stunning 4-4 draw on Monday evening as the spoils were shared at Old Trafford.
Rúben Amorim was able to call upon Bryan Mbeumo and Amad, despite concerns over their availability due to the Africa Cup of Nations, as Manchester United hosted Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Monday night.
United began the Premier League encounter on the front foot and were rewarded early on when Amad nodded home from close range. Bournemouth responded well and restored parity through Antoine Semenyo, shifting the momentum in the visitors’ favour.
Just before the interval, however, Casemiro found space at the back post to head in a Bruno Fernandes corner, sending United into half-time with a narrow advantage. That lead was short-lived, as Evanilson struck within a minute of the restart to make it 2–2.
Bournemouth then took the lead for the first time when Marcus Tavernier curled in a superb free-kick. Amorim reacted by introducing Kobbie Mainoo, Benjamin Šeško and Lisandro Martínez, and the changes paid off as Fernandes rifled in a stunning free-kick with 15 minutes remaining to level the score once more.
Moments later, Matheus Cunha appeared to have won it for United by firing them ahead, but the drama continued when Eli Junior Kroupi finished clinically to make it 4–4.
Senne Lammens produced two outstanding saves in stoppage time to preserve the draw, though the home side were left feeling deflated after letting victory slip away.
Bruno Fernandes incensed at full time
Fernandes was once again pivotal in dragging this Man United side back into the game after two quick-fire Bournemouth goals at the start of the second half could have completely deflated The Reds.
When it looked like United’s famous run of never losing a game at Old Trafford when leading at half-time looked in serious jeopardy, the captain stepped up with a fantastic free kick to bring the scores to 3-3.
The Portuguese midfielder also played in the corner that Casemiro headed in on the stroke of half-time, making it his seventh assist of the season, more than anyone else in the league.
Fernandes couldn’t hide his emotion after the full-time whistle blew, visibly looking enraged by his side’s performance.
Fernandes is wasted as a deep-lying playmaker
It was clear to see that United’s captain was playing further forward than usual, pulling the strings in the midfield, while also not ignoring his defensive duties with seven defensive contributions.
Fernandes’ goal and assist on the night meant that he joined a legendary list of United players when it comes to games where they have both scored and assisted.
Read More: Man Utd 4-4 Bournemouth: Player ratings as Rúben Amorim star handed 9/10, another gets 3/10
He now sits joint third with David Beckham, beaten by only Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney. Fernandes now also boasts nine goal contributions in his last nine Premier League games, more than any other player across Europe’s top five leagues since November.
With the prospect of Amorim tinkering with his tactical setup once AFCON gets underway, the rumoured three-man midfield would allow the 31-year-old to push further forward more frequently and contribute even more to a side that has scored the second-most goals in the league this season.
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