Bruno Fernandes couldn’t hide his frustration after Manchester United twice blew a lead to draw with Bournemouth in an eight-goal thriller at Old Trafford on Monday evening.
The Red Devils turned on the style in what has already been dubbed the best game of the Premier League season and no-doubt thought they’d snatched all three points when Matheus Cunha put them 4-3 up on 79 minutes.
But Cherries substitute Eli Kroupi Junior had other ideas and levelled just five minutes later after squeezing through the middle of United’s defence and slotting home an accurate finish on his left past Senne Lammens.
Bournemouth ultimately looked the most likely to win it in added time, with Lammens twice denying David Brooks at the death to ensure Ruben Amorim’s side earned a point.
However Fernandes, who scored a stellar free-kick for United’s third, looked distraught in videos posted to X moments after the final whistle as his side failed to win at Old Trafford for the third consecutive game.
While in conversation with Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro, the 31-year-old appeared to flail his arms around as if to gesture that United could have done better.
It was a sentiment echoed by Fernandes’s fellow countryman Amorim post-match, who urged his side to be more ‘clinical’ in weeks to come.
‘If you follow the club like I follow the Premier League for so long, you have a duty not just to win the games but the way to play is so important for the fans,’ said the United boss.
‘They are desperate to win but also to be inspired. Today was inspiring, but there is also the feeling of frustration from not winning.
‘We take a lot of good things out of the match, but also a lot to work on. We need to understand the momentum of the game and be more clinical. We created so many chances to win the game so we should have got the three points.
‘It was a fun game for everyone at home. People enjoy more to see Manchester United this season, but we need to put both things together. We are lacking quality when we defend our goal. It is something we need to address.’
United face a difficult festive period in which they travel to Aston Villa on Sunday before hosting Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Boxing Day.
The Red Devils have now lost Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the Africa Cup of Nations while Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire remain sidelined with injuries. Casemiro will too miss the trip to Villa Park through suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.
It means Amorim, who once claimed not even the Pope could make him change his 3-4-3 system, may be forced into a rejig. The Portuguese indeed appeared to opt for a back-four at times against the Cherries, particularly after the introduction of Lisandro Martinez.
Amorim admitted in his post-match interview with MUTV that he will have to find a solution to his absentees, saying: ‘That is the fun part of being a manager, we will try to find solutions with the players that we have.
‘After last season, I think we are ready to cope with whatever they present in front of us. So let’s move on, and we already knew we had some injuries, all the teams in England have injuries. We will try to find a way to score goals in a different way.’
For Bournemouth, the draw means they’re without a win in seven fixtures.
They face Burnley, Brentford and Chelsea before the turn of the year.
