Match ends, Bournemouth 0, Manchester United 2.
Manchester United's "professional" 2-0 win at Bournemouth proved the players want to feature in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham, according to manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho made seven changes to his side as United bounced back from Sunday's surprise home defeat by bottom club West Brom.
Chris Smalling and substitute Romelu Lukaku scored in either half at the Vitality Stadium to give United a four-point lead over third-place Liverpool in the table, with four games remaining.
Mourinho had described this match as an opportunity for players to secure a place in the team to face Spurs in a competition which represents United's final chance of winning a trophy this season.
He said Lukaku, Antonio Valencia, who was rested, and Nemanja Matic would return to the starting line-up at Wembley, while others had given him plenty to think about.
"I will not play this XI but all of them told me they want to play," said Mourinho.
"This win was based on good attitude, professionalism and a determination to win an important match for us because now it's difficult to not finish in the top four."
Who played themselves into Mourinho's Wembley plans?
This was the reaction Mourinho demanded after the deflating result against West Brom, which confirmed neighbours Manchester City as champions.
With the title gone and patience running thin, Luke Shaw, Marouane Fellaini and Matteo Darmian were among those recalled while goalkeeper David de Gea, who captained the side, Smalling, Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba were the only survivors from the weekend.
This was far from vintage United yet it was an improvement on the performance against West Brom, which Mourinho described as "complicated".
In contrast to Sunday, Pogba was solid, if unspectacular, while Herrera's defence-splitting ball for Lingard to tee up Smalling to slide in for the opener was the pass of the night.
Lingard has a healthy goalscoring record at Wembley and his energetic performance against Bournemouth might earn him a starting place against Spurs.
United's 49th competitive game of the season had an end-of-season feel about it but their goals were well crafted and the points hard earned.
Lukaku's finish, eight minutes after replacing Lingard, came after a driving run and pass by Pogba.
Cherries set for a fourth Premier League season
Bournemouth have now won only one of their past nine league games but, barring a spectacular sequence of results, they will be playing in the Premier League for a fourth successive season.
That in itself is a tremendous achievement for boss Eddie Howe and his players.
The Cherries, 11th in the table, are 10 points above the relegation zone, although they have played two games more than some of the teams below them.
"We're not quite safe - I'm getting bored of saying it. We have three massive games left and we need to get over the line," said Howe, whose side have beaten Arsenal and Chelsea in 2018.
On another day, Callum Wilson might have won a penalty. With the score 1-0, Shaw appeared to make contact as the Bournemouth striker failed to divert Joshua King's cross over the line, before Lukaku's 16th league goal of the season ended the home side's hopes of a fightback.
"We gave everything. We were decent for large spells," added Howe.
"United didn't have a huge amount of chances either but took their goals well. You have to admire the quality of the opposition at times."
Man of the Match - Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
De Gea's season to remember - the stats
- Goalkeeper David de Gea has kept more clean sheets in all competitions for Manchester United in 2017-18 than he has in any other season for the club (21)
- United have won six of their past seven Premier League games, scoring two or more goals in each victory
- After winning their first Premier League meeting with Man Utd (2-1 in December 2015), Bournemouth have lost four and drawn one of the subsequent five matches
- Romelu Lukaku has scored seven goals in six Premier League appearances against Bournemouth
- No player has provided more Premier League assists in away games this season than Paul Pogba (7 - level with Tottenham's Christian Eriksen and Manchester City's David Silva)
- Bournemouth keeper Asmir Begovic has kept only one clean sheet in his past 22 Premier League games - and none in the past 10
The run-in - who plays who?
Bournemouth | Manchester United |
---|---|
v Southampton (a) 28 April | v Tottenham Hotspur (FA Cup semi-final) 21 April |
v Swansea City (h) 5 May | v Arsenal (h) 29 April |
v Burnley (a) 13 May | v Brighton & Hove Albion (a) 4 May |
v West Ham United (a) 10 May | |
v Watford (h) 13 May |
What's next?
Bournemouth are not in action again until 28 April when they travel to face Southampton in the Premier League (15:00 BST). Manchester United will look to keep alive their hopes of ending the season with a trophy when they face Tottenham at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday (17:15 BST).
Line-ups
Bournemouth
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 27Begovic
- 2Francis
- 3S CookBooked at 62mins
- 5Aké
- 11Daniels
- 33IbeSubstituted forMoussetat 56'minutes
- 16L CookBooked at 49mins
- 6SurmanBooked at 68minsSubstituted forGoslingat 75'minutes
- 24Fraser
- 17KingSubstituted forDefoeat 82'minutes
- 13Wilson
Substitutes
- 1Boruc
- 4Gosling
- 7Pugh
- 8Arter
- 18Defoe
- 31Mousset
- 42Simpson
Man Utd
Formation 4-3-3
- 1De Gea
- 36Darmian
- 12SmallingBooked at 61mins
- 4Jones
- 23Shaw
- 27Fellaini
- 21HerreraSubstituted forMaticat 72'minutes
- 6PogbaSubstituted forBlindat 80'minutes
- 14LingardSubstituted forLukakuat 62'minutes
- 19Rashford
- 11Martial
Substitutes
- 3Bailly
- 7Sánchez
- 9Lukaku
- 17Blind
- 18Young
- 31Matic
- 40Castro Pereira
- Referee:
- Graham Scott
- Attendance:
- 10,952
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away4
- Corners
- Home8
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away8
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bournemouth 0, Manchester United 2.
Post update
Hand ball by Jermain Defoe (Bournemouth).
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Matteo Darmian.
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Attempt missed. Dan Gosling (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Callum Wilson following a corner.
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Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Matteo Darmian.
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Attempt blocked. Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jermain Defoe.
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Jermain Defoe replaces Joshua King.
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Attempt missed. Lys Mousset (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Lewis Cook.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Daley Blind replaces Paul Pogba.
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Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Luke Shaw.
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Foul by Anthony Martial (Manchester United).
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Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Dan Gosling replaces Andrew Surman.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Nemanja Matic replaces Ander Herrera.
Goal!
Goal! Bournemouth 0, Manchester United 2. Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Paul Pogba with a through ball.
Post update
Foul by Matteo Darmian (Manchester United).
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Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Attempt saved. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Matteo Darmian.
Booking
Andrew Surman (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Comments
Join the conversation
Just throw Smalling up front, seems to have more success...
Get him on the plane
Christopher Smalling
He's better than Kane
But can the BBC explain why it is "Brilliant News" that ManU have appointed a woman to the role of chief operating officer? (BBC sport facebook page) Surely her gender does not matter, she was just believed to be the best person for the job - which is all that matters.
Its time for the BBC to stop pushing a gender war that isnt there. Your bias is unbecoming.
What a waste of money!
From a Liverpool and football supporter.
The guy who sits next to my mate every week on the Kop travels from Bristol. He never misses a game. How can you claim he's not a true supporter? We're in our local half an hour after the final whistle, he still has at least another two hours to drive! He's more of a supporter than the prats who've never been inside the ground throwing bottles at a bus, however close they live!
Just enjoy the game.