**Excerpt:** Bournemouth’s hopes of securing a historic league double over Manchester United were dashed as a stoppage-time equalizer left them with a single point. Despite a strong defensive display after Evanilson’s red card, the Cherries were unable to hold onto their lead.
Bournemouth took the lead in the first half through Antoine Semenyo’s precise finish, but the match took a dramatic turn when Evanilson received a red card following a VAR review. Despite being reduced to ten men, Bournemouth’s defense stood firm, limiting Manchester United to long-range efforts. However, their resistance was finally broken six minutes into stoppage time, denying them a memorable victory.
Andoni Iraola said: “Frustrated, yes. For us it’s two points that are massive, big consequences. Now the repercussion is bigger because you don’t have time to recover these points. They had also one clear chance from Garnacho in the first half, but overall in the first half I was feeling like we were closer to scoring. We scored the 1-0, second half I think it was more 50/50. We had one, we hit the post with Dango and this, but it was a 50/50 game. I think we were controlling it quite well. And even with 10 players we’ve tried to survive. We survived until the 96th, 97th minute, but it hasn’t been possible.”
Iraola added: “I think everyone has done a great effort. We were, even with ten, arriving to offensive positions with Dango [Ouattara], with Tav [Marcus Tavernier], especially from the left side, obviously defending when they were pushing us, but conceding mostly shots from the outside and not like very clear chances. But at the end it’s a quick, very quick play. It’s almost a deflection and they’ve scored and yes, it’s massive for us.”
Bournemouth’s defensive resilience was commendable, especially when down to ten men. They managed to restrict Manchester United to speculative efforts from distance, showcasing their tactical discipline. However, the late equalizer was a significant blow, impacting their quest for a league double over the Red Devils.
Looking ahead, Bournemouth faces a challenging run of fixtures, starting with a trip to Arsenal, followed by matches against Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Leicester. The Cherries aim to build on their Premier League record points tally as they navigate this tough schedule.
