Manchester United made it six wins in a row in all competitions as goals from Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford saw them record a comfortable three-goal victory over Bournemouth.
Casemiro gave United an early lead as he provided a composed finish from Christian Eriksen’s free-kick and Shaw – netting his first goal at Old Trafford since 2018 – doubled the lead with a right-footed finish following a cutting move from Erik ten Hag’s side.
United were breezing towards their sixth straight win in all competitions by the time Rashford added a third, tapping home from Bruno Fernandes ’s pinpoint assist – the England international has now scored in four successive games.
Here are five talking points from a comfortable night at Old Trafford for United, who strengthen their grip on a top four place.
Casemiro shows class again
Casemiro is swiftly establishing himself as a strong contender for Manchester United ’s best signing since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Granted, there are not many other contenders in that bracket. Bruno Fernandes. Possibly Luke Shaw, or one of the other influx of arrivals this summer under Erik ten Hag.
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But Casemiro has transformed United. This was his second goal of his United career – following his dramatic last-gasp equaliser at Chelsea in October – but his shielding of the team’s back four, positional awareness and technique on the ball are supreme.
The Brazilian may not have come cheap from Real Madrid but he is all too frequently the best player on the pitch, and was once again the star of the show against Bournemouth.
Maguire’s assured return
Harry Maguire had started just one Premier League match since United’s four-goal humbling at Brentford in the second game of the campaign. The club captain has been absent as Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez established themselves as the first-choice pairing, with Victor Lindelof also above him in the pecking order.
Yet with the absence of Martinez following the World Cup, Lindelof’s injury and Varane requiring a rest – this was Maguire’s opportunity to force his way back into Ten Hag’s plans after a strong World Cup with England.
Yet he was overlooked for selection for the win at Wolves as Luke Shaw was shifted centrally, with Casemiro occupying the position in the EFL Cup win over Burnley. However, Maguire was restored to selection tonight – playing alongside Lindelof as Varane and Martinez watched on from the bench.
This was a comfortable and assured performance from Maguire, who progressed the ball well out of defence and nullified Bournemouth’s attacking threat.
Shaw first home goal since 2018
Luke Shaw netted the decisive goal of the game as he doubled United’s lead four minutes after half-time to take the game away from the visitors. It was a fine, flowing team move which saw Shaw advance with the ball past the halfway line before providing a fine right-footed finish following Alejandro Garnacho’s assist.
It showed Shaw’s sky-high confidence; he is another of the United players that has shown a great improvement this campaign after a difficult season last time out. He is a regular in Ten Hag’s team, ahead of summer arrival Tyrell Malacia, and even impressed recently in central defence.
Not known for his goal threat, this was Shaw’s first goal at Old Trafford since 2018 – and was a fitting way to mark his continued upturn in form.
Donny’s dreadful luck continues
Donny van de Beek has endured a difficult two-and-a-half years at United – with tonight only his sixth Premier League start, with United playing 93 times in the division since his arrival.
The Dutchman has not enjoyed a significant resurgence in luck under his former Ajax boss Ten Hag, with only marginal involvement this campaign following his return from a brief loan at Everton. He was selected tonight as United switched their attacking setup, with Scott McTominay and Fred on the bench.
However, despite a solid opening half which showed signs of promise with his involvement in nice inter-linking play and progressing the ball through midfield, Van de Beek’s evening was ended five minutes before the break. Marcos Senesi lost his footing while making a challenge and flew into the midfielder.
Van de Beek walked off the pitch encouragingly, but his facial expression showed that he was in a lot of pain with concerns that he may now be facing a significant layoff. It was the most frustrating possible outcome of an evening that had promised much more for him.
Ten Hag changes pay off
Erik ten Hag entirely changed his central defence with the selections of Maguire and Lindelof, while he also ensured Donny van de Beek gained some much-needed minutes, despite the injury he sustained.
However, there was no negative impact on United’s output – they have now won six games in a row across all competitions and have secured four successive clean sheets. Since their humiliating Manchester derby defeat, United have now won 13 of their subsequent 16 matches – drawing twice and losing just once, at Aston Villa.
Cherries picked apart again
The Cherries had picked up just one point from their previous five visits to Old Trafford, since their initial promotion to the Premier League back in 2015 – while they had lost each of their most recent three trips away to the Red Devils.
Bournemouth’s last clash against United was a 5-2 defeat in July 2020, when football had returned in the midst of the pandemic. Their record in the fixture is significantly stronger on the south coast – where they have won two of the five meetings, but their poor record at Old Trafford has continued.
