Manchester United and Bournemouth have fought out a jaw-dropping 4-4 draw as substitute Junior Kroupi struck late in one of Old Trafford’s most chaotic matches ever.
Monday night’s Premier League encounter will live long in the memory as play swung from end to end, with maddening moments going hand in hand with flashes of brilliance.
Reacting on Sky Sports, pundit Jamie Carragher hailed it as the game of the season.
“We have just seen the best game of the Premier League season so far. That’s what makes the Premier League the greatest league, the greatest product or whatever you want to call it, in the world.”
He continued: “I think it’s the best I’ve seen Man Utd play, certainly in the first half, under Amorim, maybe going back to the first game of the season with Arsenal.
“Man Utd were fantastic in those first 25 to 30 minutes. It was almost a throwback to Sir Alex Ferguson – fast, attacking football, people being energetic, making runs forward, being positive being on the front foot, winning the ball back early. There as lots of that.
“Bournemouth were not at the races in the first half but they were fantastic in the second half.”
United dominated early on and Amad Diallo opened the scoring in his final match before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations, only for Antoine Semenyo to level before avoiding a red card for grabbing Diogo Dalot by the throat.
Casemiro restored the Red Devils’ lead in first-half added time, yet Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier’s free kick gave the visitors the lead during a wild opening seven minutes of the second period.
But a breathless meeting still had more to give as Ruben Amorim’s side dug deep in a manner akin to last season’s Europa League quarter-final comeback win against Lyon.
Bruno Fernandes equalised with a beautiful free kick to score at the Stretford End and Matheus Cunha rocked Old Trafford to its foundations, only for sub Kroupi to level as the Cherries extended their unbeaten record against United to a fifth match.
A third straight win at United would have followed for Bournemouth had David Brooks not twice been denied by Senne Lammens in added time.
There was disbelief as time was called on one of the greatest Premier League battles of all time.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, United boss Ruben Amorim said: “A fun game.
“I think we started really well. We did a very good first half. The result should be completely different.
“We lost the concentration and they scored two goals. But we managed to get back to the game. We scored two goals again and then we have to finish the game. We need to think about not to go again, but to take calm and to close the game.
“A lot of good things, but a lot of things to work.
“We are not winning games sometimes in the details because it’s a back four, back three, back five. It’s the details that we need to work, understand the momentum of the game. You need to be more clinical, because today against a very good team we create so many chances to win the game.”
He continued: “We need to focus on the performance today was different from the last two at home.
“That is also a point that we pay attention to. It’s completely different. The result is the same.
“At one point, it’s frustrating, but the performance is different.
“That is the fun part of being a manager – you will try to find solutions with the players that we have. After the last season, I think we are ready to cope with whatever they present in front of us.
“Let’s move on. We already knew. We had some injuries.
“All the teams in England had injuries. We will try to find a way to score goals in a different way.”
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