By CHRIS WHEELER, NORTHERN SPORTS WRITER
Published: 17:13 EST, 15 December 2025 | Updated: 17:18 EST, 15 December 2025
Another manic Monday for Manchester United saw Ruben Amorim's side slug it out with Bournemouth in an eight-goal thriller on a quite exhilarating night at Old Trafford.
A week after putting on a show for the cameras in a rather chaotic 4-1 win at Wolves, United took it to another level. Three times they led in this game but still failed to put away a Bournemouth side who had scored three goals on each of their last two visits to Old Trafford and incredibly got another four here.
It meant that for the fifth time in six attempts this season, United had wasted a chance to move into the top-five when it was there for the taking.
This was a puzzling night for United who played the best attacking football their fans have seen for a while, certainly during Amorim's first year in charge. Old Trafford lapped it up, at least until Bournemouth tore up the script.
Maybe this is why Amorim has stuck to a system he knows so well. Maybe this is why the United boss prefers to stay in his lane.
On a night when Amorim tinkered for once and took off the handbrake, United hit top gear but careered headlong into an excellent Bournemouth side who have still not won in their last seven games.
Manchester United three times threw away a lead against Bournemouth as they drew 4-4
The result meant United missed the chance to move into the top five for the fifth time in six attempts this season
Both Marcus Tavernier (left) and Bruno Fernandes scored stunning free-kicks for their sides
There had been talk in the build-up to the game that Amorim could tweak his system in the absence of Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire, and maybe even abandon his trademark 3-4-2-1 system.
'The formation is not the most important thing, it's the way you set up your team to try to take advantage of the opponent that is important,' he said before kick-off. 'Of course, we need to think about the future. We need to have more variation in our game.'
There was certainly something different about United, both in how they set up and how they set about taking the game to Bournemouth from the very start.
Diogo Dalot alternated between a full back and wing back role on the left as United switched between a back-three and back-four.
Up front, they had two, three and even four attackers at any given time as Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha swarmed all over the visitors.
United had six shots in the opening 10 minutes, their most in a Premier League game in more than three years. By the 20th minute, it was 10 shots and they had a richly-deserved lead.
Diallo started and finished the move but Dalot made the telling contribution, cutting in from the left and delivering a cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Cunha went for it and at the very least put off Djordje Petrovic who got his left hand to the ball which bounced up invitingly for Diallo to head over the line.
VAR checked foe the faintest of touches by Cunha that could have rendered his team-mate offside, but the Ivorian had his second goal of the season.
Senne Lammens had to be alert to salvage a point for his side late on as he saved from David Brooks in stoppage time
Petrovic also kept out Mason Mount's first-time shot and a tamer effort from Mbeumo who then volleyed over from Cunha's sublime pass.
Until the 40th minute, Bournemouth's only effort on goal had been Marcus Tavernier's free header straight at Senne Lammens from close-range.
MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Lammens 6; Yoro 6.5 (Martinez 69, 6), Heaven 6, Shaw 5; (Dorgu 90) Amad 8, Casemiro 6.5 (Mainoo 61, 6), Fernandes 8, Dalot 7.5; Mbeumo 7 (Zirkzee 90), Mount 6.5 (Sesko 69, 7.5); Cunha 7
Subs not used: Bayindir, Malacia, Fredricson, Ugarte
Booked: Dalot, Casemiro
Goals: Amad (13), Casemiro (45+4), Fernandes (77), Cunha (79)
Manager: Ruben Amorim 8
AFC Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Petrovic 4; Smith 7, Diakite 5, Senesi 5.5, Truffert 6; Adams 4 (Scott 5, 6) Tavernier 8 (Brooks 90); Jimenez 7, Kluivert 6.5 (Hill 90), Semenyo 7.5; Evanilson 7 (Kroupi 78)
Subs not used: Dennis, Araujo, Soler, Unal, Adli
Booked: Semenyo, Senesi, Smith
Goals: Semenyo (40), Evanilson (46), Tavernier (52), (Kroupi 84)
Manager: Andoni Iraola 7
Referee: Simon Hooper 5
But having relinquished the lead at Wolves a week earlier after dominating the first half, United did it again and it was the 'special player' Amorim had warned his players about beforehand who did the damage.
Mount passed back to Luke Shaw who was barged off the ball by Justin Kluivert on the left touchline, and suddenly Antoine Semenyo was off. The Ghana international – perhaps a little fortunate to only be booked for grabbing Dalot by the throat – accelerated away from Mount into the box and picked his spot before beating Lammens with a shot off the far post.
It meant United have only kept a solitary clean sheet in 16 league games this season but they dusted themselves down to regain the lead in first half injury-time, scoring from a corner for the seventh time this season.
Bruno Fernandes delivered from the left and found Casemiro who had peeled away from Adrien Truffert and was unmarked to meet with a downward header that Petrovic should really have prevented creeping inside his near post.
It had been an exhilarating half of football and Bournemouth were level within 37 seconds of the restart. Tavernier's pass picked out Evanilson racing between the young defensive pairing of Yoro and Ayden Heaven, and the Brazilian took one touch before drilling in a low shot.
Five minutes later, Casemiro brought down Tavernier in full flight on the edge of the box and Bournemouth's No16 picked himself up to swerve a free kick through the United wall and inside Lammens' right-hand post.
Amorim's side rallied and levelled with an even better free kick in the 77th minute as Fernandes guided the ball laser-like into the top corner from 20 yards after Adam Smith was penalised for handball.
Two minutes later United had another. Sesko, on as a substitute, surged forward and squared into the middle where Truffert got the ball caught under his feet, and Cunha only had Petrovic to beat from close range.
Back came Bournemouth in the 84th minute. Alex Jimenez managed to get the ball to Junior Kroupi inside the box and it was too easy for him to guide an equaliser past Lammens.
It took a fantastic reflex save from the United keeper to deny David Brooks a winner deep into injury-time.
BournemouthManchester United