Premier League
BournemouthAFC Bournemouth0Man UtdManchester United2

Bournemouth 0-2 Manchester United

By Neil JohnstonBBC Sport
Chris Smalling slides in to give Manchester United the lead at Bournemouth
Chris Smalling (third from right) has scored in three consecutive Premier League away games, after scoring only once in his previous 101 matches

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.

'Comfortable' win over Bournemouth pleases Man Utd manager Mourinho

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."

Moments of quality key to Man Utd win - Eddie Howe

Man of the Match - Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)

Jesse Lingard produces the low cross for Chris Smalling to score for Manchester United against Bournemouth
Jesse Lingard's busy display included another assist. He has been directly involved in 19 goals in all competitions this season (13 goals, 6 assists), one more than he managed in his previous three seasons combined (18)

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?

BournemouthManchester United
v Southampton (a) 28 Aprilv Tottenham Hotspur (FA Cup semi-final) 21 April
v Swansea City (h) 5 Mayv Arsenal (h) 29 April
v Burnley (a) 13 Mayv 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

Home TeamBournemouthAway TeamMan Utd
Possession
Home44%
Away56%
Shots
Home13
Away13
Shots on Target
Home2
Away4
Corners
Home8
Away5
Fouls
Home9
Away8

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Bournemouth 0, Manchester United 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Bournemouth 0, Manchester United 2.

  3. Post update

    Hand ball by Jermain Defoe (Bournemouth).

  4. Post update

    Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Matteo Darmian.

  5. Post update

    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.

  6. Post update

    Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Matteo Darmian.

  7. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jermain Defoe.

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, Bournemouth. Jermain Defoe replaces Joshua King.

  9. Post update

    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.

  10. Substitution

    Substitution, Manchester United. Daley Blind replaces Paul Pogba.

  11. Post update

    Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Luke Shaw.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Anthony Martial (Manchester United).

  13. Post update

    Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Bournemouth. Dan Gosling replaces Andrew Surman.

  15. Substitution

    Substitution, Manchester United. Nemanja Matic replaces Ander Herrera.

  16. 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.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Matteo Darmian (Manchester United).

  18. Post update

    Callum Wilson (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  19. Post update

    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.

  20. Booking

    Andrew Surman (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

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As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Man City33283293256887
2Man Utd34235665263974
3Liverpool342010478354370
4Tottenham34208666313568
5Chelsea33186957332460
6Arsenal331661162451754
7Burnley33141093329452
8Leicester331110124947243
9Everton34119143954-1542
10Newcastle33118143542-741
11Bournemouth35911154158-1738
12Watford34107174260-1837
13Brighton34812143247-1536
14West Ham33811144159-1835
15Huddersfield3498172754-2735
16Crystal Palace34810163654-1834
17Swansea3389162746-1933
18Southampton33513153353-2028
19Stoke34610183164-3328
20West Brom34412182752-2524
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