Manchester United lost to Bournemouth 3-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League for the second season in a row on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils had trailed in their previous home game and suffered the same fate in the 29th minute when Dean Huyson headed home from a free kick, with the home side unable to find an equalizer before half-time as Bruno Fernandes wasted three chances.
Justin Kluivert doubled United's suffering after an hour of play, winning and scoring a penalty kick, before Antoine Simenho provided a surprising third goal just two minutes later after a sweeping move.
The hosts continued to press in the final minutes, looking for some solace, but Bournemouth kept a clean sheet while the Red Devils held on to an empty goal.
How the game unfolded
Amad Diallo was the winner of last weekend's Manchester derby It was presented with United's first opening of Sunday's competition. The ball fell gently to the short Ivorian from 12 yards but he was unable to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga with his powerful shot. With the level he is at, he should have done better.
Bournemouth They managed to pull off a stunning win in this fixture last season and showed early – and ultimately correct – ambition to repeat the feat at Old Trafford. Their bright start was rewarded just before the half-hour mark when they took the lead, Huijsen's header causing Ruben Amorim's side further misery from set-pieces.
united They looked worryingly toothless for most of the first half but exploded into life at the half-time whistle. The captain had three promising chances, with Fernandes warming Kepa's gloves between two misguided efforts.
Amorim made three changes shortly after the start of the second half in an attempt to turn things around but soon found his side two goals down on the hour mark. Noussair Mazraoui's late lunge on Kluivert earned Bournemouth a penalty, and the Dutch striker made no mistake from the resulting spot-kick.
It took just two minutes for Bournemouth to score a shock third goal at Old Trafford as United's mediocre defense was torn apart. Excellent movement down the left flank for Bournemouth saw Dango Ouattara pass to Simenho in the box, and the Ghanaian calmly finished off the ball to put the cherries in dreamland.
Substitute Alejandro Garnacho was supposed to provide an immediate response when he was sent home, but the winger's shot was comfortably blocked by the onrushing Kepa as Bournemouth maintained their lead.
United saw many chances come and go in the final 20 minutes but struggled to deal with Kepa, with Bournemouth continuing to pose a major threat at the break. In the end, the home side were unable to spark any late drama, and suffered their worst defeat of Amorim's reign to date.
Check out the player ratings for Manchester United vs Bournemouth here.
Amorim's start to life at Old Trafford was mixed – that is, if you're being optimistic. The Portuguese has yet to change the style of the Red Devils, who have similarly been lethargic and unconvincing since the departure of Erik Ten Hag.
It's quite clear that Sunday was the worst defeat of Amorim's tenure to date, with Bournemouth outplaying their own side. The Cherries were better in every aspect, all over the field. United simply could not cope with their strength, and were unable to consistently break down an impenetrable defence.
Amorim promised to bring new ideas and an exciting philosophy to Old Trafford, but the home fans are yet to see significant evidence of major changes. There is always pressure on the manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world and he will have to answer to his critics over the festive period.
Amorim will be given plenty of time to make the necessary improvements in Manchester, but results and, more importantly, performances should improve in the near future.
Andoni Iraola's Cherries are known for their high-density pressing. Such perseverance and determination is what enabled Bournemouth to taste such a convincing victory at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Premier League Last season.
However, United were unable to learn from the humiliating defeat they suffered last season. The Red Devils were under attack and pressure from the first whistle, as the visitors played with remarkable intensity throughout the pitch. Whether deep in United's box or in the central circle, Bournemouth were always chasing the red shirts.
United struggled to play with a well-organised press and repeatedly surrendered the ball, often in key defensive areas. They finished with 23 shots but were well beaten, with Bournemouth outscored in almost every defensive measure.
It was an agonizing defeat for an Amorim side who are still miles from where they need to be in possession and off the ball to compete under their new Portuguese coach. If you learn more in defeat than in victory, then Amorim has received a good education in recent weeks.
United's struggles from set pieces have been well documented this season and their organizational problems were exposed once again against the Cherries. It was no surprise that Bournemouth took the lead from a set-piece, and the ease with which they broke through the Red Devils is extremely worrying.
The award of the free-kick was called into question when Adam Smith was brought down by Tyrell Malasia on United's left side, but the ensuing defending was not good enough. Howesen, who also scored from a free kick against Tottenham Hotspur recently, was able to evade Joshua Zirkzee with great ease at the near post before heading in a wonderful shot.
After Bournemouth scored from the penalty spot in the second half, United have now conceded 45% of their Premier League goals from set-pieces this season – the highest percentage of any team in the division by a significant distance.
One of Amorim's New Year's resolutions has to be to improve his team's defensive organization on set-pieces.
