Manchester United 2-1 AFC Bournemouth: 5 Talking Points & Analysis

#3 Difference in quality of the players reflects in the end

Pogba was a class apart!

Bournemouth were definitely the better side in the first half. As explained in the earlier slide, they were tenacious and determined to ensure that they imposed their quality over United. The away team struggled and succumbed to some extent due to the pressure exerted by Howe’s men. However, the difference in the quality of players and the experience of having fought back from losing situations was clearly visible in the end.

United required just one undisturbed and cohesive attacking move to notch the equalizer. Sanchez and Young teed up well in the right flank and then the Chilean’s low cross was met well by Anthony Martial who scored through a deft left-footed finish. Whereas, Bournemouth were unable to score more goals due to some blunt finishes and the brilliance of David de Gea.

Then, the Cherries failed to recover properly after United’s equalizer and were pegged back in the last 45 minutes. Pogba’s sumptuous shimmy and cross, which led to the winning goal was a testament of the class and talent that the midfielder possesses.

Bournemouth would rave about the number of goal-scoring chances that they missed in the first half an hour of the game. Certainly, considering their partial dominance over United, Howe’s men should have plundered a couple of more goals and thus put the game to bed quite early into the match.