Joshua King’s goal on the stroke of half-time gave Bournemouth their first win since September and brought Manchester United’s three-match winning run to a halt.
United made a positive start after going four unbeaten but their new-found belief seemed to evaporate in driving rain and swirling wind on the south coast.
The hosts gradually got a foothold in the game and former United trainee King struck moments before the break to claim Bournemouth’s first goal in nearly six hours.
The 27-year-old striker, who scored the winner in Bournemouth’s only previous Premier League win against the Red Devils in 2015, was allowed to chest down Adam Smith’s cross into the box before turning Aaron Wan-Bissaka and volleying between David de Gea’s legs from close range.
The Cherries carried that momentum into the second half and Harry Wilson twice went close to doubling their lead as United struggled to regain the dominance they enjoyed early on.
The late introduction of Mason Greenwood lifted them and the young striker hit the post moments after coming on but United could not prevent Bournemouth securing their first win in six, which sent them back above the Red Devils to sixth in the table before the rest of Saturday’s games.
United, though, have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 11 Premier League away games and their haul of 13 points is their lowest after 11 matches of a league campaign since 1986-87 (11).
Martial not the answer to all United’s problems
Having gone unbeaten since the international break, holding league leaders Liverpool before claiming three straight wins for the first time this season, United fans hoped the club had turned a corner.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt confidence was building and Anthony Martial’s return to the side for last week’s win at Norwich looked to have revived the United attack. After all, the Red Devils had won 65% of their games with Martial starting under Solskjaer, compared to 41% without.
After winning at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, Solskjaer reverted to last Sunday’s starting line-up and Daniel James created two early chances from the right. Andreas Pereira blazed over while fellow Brazil midfielder Fred scuffed a shot wide.
James then won a free-kick which led to the Wales winger firing narrowly wide from 20 yards. Yet United failed to show the same fluency they did at Norwich, particularly Martial and strike partner Marcus Rashford, and Bournemouth made them pay.
United left King unmarked before Wan-Bissaka committed himself, allowing the Norway international to control the ball on his chest, flick it over his head and hammer past De Gea.
The Spanish keeper kept United in it with a string of saves after the break, before Solskjaer made a double substitution, bringing on Greenwood and Brandon Williams with 10 minutes left.
Greenwood volleyed Fred’s cross against the woodwork at the back post before Scott McTominay and Fred tested home keeper Aaron Ramsdale from outside the box, but those chances came more through desperation than design.
Cherries end goal drought
While Bournemouth conceded just one goal in three games in October they also failed to score, but manager Eddie Howe backed his attacking players in Friday’s news conference and made only one change to the side which drew 0-0 at Watford.
Harry Wilson came in and the Liverpool loanee had the Cherries’ first shot, which was deflected wide, before a Bournemouth break saw Ryan Fraser shoot straight at De Gea.
Yet the Cherries seldom managed to get behind the visitors’ defence until Harry Wilson and Fraser combined to find Smith in the right side of United’s box. The full-back lifted the ball towards King, who showed great composure to convert his fourth goal of the season.
After the break Bournemouth looked more like the side which went third in the table after a 3-1 win at Southampton on 20 September.
Fraser steered a volley straight at De Gea, who had to rush out to deny King and Harry Wilson in quick succession.
De Gea then had to produce a fine low save to keep out Harry Wilson’s left-footed strike before ever-present keeper Ramsdale made two late saves to ensure the Cherries kept a third straight clean sheet.
‘We fully deserved to win’ – what they said
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Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: “Today we were much more like ourselves with the ball and also very determined without the ball.
“We managed to keep three clean sheets in a row so I am really pleased with that and the attacking play was back today so I think we fully deserved to win.
“These results could be season defining. In our previous Premier League campaigns we have beaten top teams and we know what these results can do for our confidence in the longer term.”
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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: “You are always very down when you lose and considering the form we were in we were hoping to take the three points. It is a step back for us today, but we need to shake it off and go again.
“We could not capitalise on the good start and a moment of magic won the game for them, sometimes you just hold up your hands and say ‘well done’.
“Mason Greenwood was unlucky when he hit the post, I saw him scoring those chances more than missing them, but he will come good.
“I thought Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial defended very well against them, but in games like this one it is so important to get the first goal and they [Bournemouth] did it.”
King second only to Solskjaer – the stats
- Manchester United have lost all six Premier League away games in which they’ve fallen behind under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
- Bournemouth ended a seven-match winless run against United in the Premier League (D1 L6), picking up their first win against the Red Devils since December 2015.
- Six of Bournemouth’s eight Premier League victories against ‘big six’ opposition have come at Vitality Stadium.
- Joshua King netted the 45th Premier League goal of his career – the second-highest total by a Norwegian player in the competition’s history after United manager Solskjaer (91).
- Since the start of last season no player has been shown more yellow cards than Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma (17).
What’s next?
Manchester United have a Europa League group game at home to Partizan Belgrade on Thursday (20:00 GMT) before hosting Brighton in the Premier League next Sunday (14:00), while Bournemouth visit Newcastle next Saturday (15:00).
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Bournemouth
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Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Bournemouth 1, Manchester United 0.
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bournemouth 1, Manchester United 0.
Attempt saved. Fred (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jesse Lingard.
Booking
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card.
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) has gone down, but the referee deems it simulation.
Attempt blocked. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Brandon Williams.
Attempt missed. Harry Maguire (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ashley Young with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Diego Rico.
Brandon Williams (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joshua King (Bournemouth).
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Lewis Cook replaces Harry Wilson.
Offside, Manchester United. Jesse Lingard tries a through ball, but Harry Maguire is caught offside.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Steve Cook.
Foul by Harry Maguire (Manchester United).
Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Scott McTominay (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth).
Attempt saved. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fred.
Mason Greenwood (Manchester United) hits the right post with a left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box. Assisted by Fred with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Adam Smith.
Offside, Bournemouth. Ryan Fraser tries a through ball, but Callum Wilson is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Brandon Williams replaces Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Mason Greenwood replaces Daniel James.
Foul by Scott McTominay (Manchester United).
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Adam Smith.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Adam Smith.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adam Smith (Bournemouth).
Scott McTominay (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joshua King (Bournemouth).
Scott McTominay (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Callum Wilson (Bournemouth).
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by David de Gea.
Attempt saved. Harry Wilson (Bournemouth) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Callum Wilson.
Attempt missed. Fred (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jesse Lingard.
Attempt missed. Jefferson Lerma (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ryan Fraser.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Adam Smith.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Jesse Lingard replaces Andreas Pereira.
Attempt missed. Harry Wilson (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick.
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