Andreas Pereira was dreadful was Manchester United succumbed to their fourth Premier League defeat of the season against Bournemouth.
In treacherous conditions, a scrappy affair ensued, with chances coming few and far between. Manchester United looked the better of the two sides, even if marginally so, but Bournemouth would go on to break the deadlock, with Joshua King giving the hosts the lead at the stroke of half-time.
In the second half, Manchester United continued to dominate the bulk of the possession. But, the visitors lacked cutting edge, with Mason Greenwood’s shot against the upright the only time they came close to scoring. In the end, United were unable to get on the score sheet, as their run of away wins ended. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.
David de Gea: 6.5/10
A largely quiet outing for de Gea, who was hardly tested by the Bournemouth defence. Made himself big against Joshua King, but could not stop the former Manchester United man from scoring. A top class save denied Harry Wilson in the second half. Struggled to distribute the ball in the inclement weather.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: 5/10
As has been the case with Wan-Bissaka all through early days at Manchester United, it was hard to get past him on the right flank, with the Englishman getting stuck in and making crunching tackles. But, he allowed King too much time to turn and score, something that is not expected from him. Did not make much of impact going forward.
Victor Lindelof: 6/10
A decent performance by Lindelof, who kept a check on the dangerous Callum Wilson for much of the game. But, he was wasteful with the ball at his feet on the odd occasion and lost his marker in the lead-up to King’s goal. Still, one of the better performers for Manchester United on the day.
Harry Maguire: 5.5/10
Like Lindelof, Maguire was largely untroubled at the back for the most part. But, it was evident that he was not fully fit, meaning he was off pace at crucial moments, including when King scored the winner, as he was out of position. Dominant in the air, but not, otherwise.
Ashley Young: 5/10
Young, too, was one of those who were switched off when Bournemouth broke the deadlock, allowing Adam Smith enough space to get his cross in. Otherwise, he kept a check on Harry Wilson rather effectively. But, the Manchester United captain did not produce any sort of a threat in the final third and after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, he will be suspended next week.
Scott McTominay: 6/10
One of the better players for Manchester United, but that hardly says much. The unmistakable work-rate was there to be seen, but McTominay was wasteful in possession, with his end product leaving a lot to be desired. Won his personal duel with Philip Billing and was hardly troubled off the ball.
Fred: 6/10
A mixed bag of a performance by Fred, who was solid and diligent in his duties off the ball. With Manchester United pressing high up, the Brazilian won a lot of second balls. But, as good as he was without possession, he was equally bad with the ball at his feet, giving it away in sloppy fashion, while his finishing was poor.
Daniel James: 8/10
By far the best Manchester United player of the day. From the get-go, James looked purposeful and created an early chance that should have been buried by Andreas Pereira. An omnipresent outlet on the right flank, James had Diego Rico on the ropes for large parts of the game and showed a lot intelligence while passing the ball and with his movement.
Alas, he was not supported well enough by his teammates.
Andreas Pereira: 3/10
Pereira had one of Manchester United’s best chances in the game coming his way. But, the Brazilian midfielder slipped and missed his opportunity. Got into dangerous positions in the first half, but failed to make much of it. On the ball, Pereira was utterly wasteful, with heavy passes sapping any bit of momentum that Manchester United looked to create. An allround atrocious performance.
Marcus Rashford: 5/10
Like James on the opposite flank, Rashford was a lively outlet on the left flank. But, Bournemouth looked to clatter him down whenever he looked to charge forward. At times, his decision making was poor. But, he was one of the few players who were looking for ways to produce something. Just was not to be for him on the day.
Anthony Martial: 5/10
The inclement weather had its effect on Martial, who struggled to find his way into the game. His usual movement was nowhere to be seen, which made Bournemouth’s job that much easier. But, he should have been awarded a penalty when he was felled by Jefferson Lerma in the box. Strangled by the brilliant Nathan Ake, it was a game to forget for the Frenchman.
SUBSTITUTES
Jesse Lingard: 5/10
On for the dreadful Pereira, Lingard looked brought with himself a sense of urgency and opened up play well. But, just like Pereira, it was soon clear that the Englishman lacked ideas to make a sustained impact and fizzled out quickly.
Mason Greenwood: N/A
Introduced in place of James, Greenwood came the closest to scoring for Manchester United, striking the upright from point-blank range.
Brandon Williams: N/A
Started the move that led to Greenwood’s chance. Looked lively and is set for his first Premier League start next week.