It was a horror show at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon as Manchester United were pummeled 3-0 by Bournemouth.
Getting just seven shots on target out of a grand 23 attempts, Man United’s attack heavily underperformed. Still, it was the defence that let down Ruben Amorim’s men yet again this season.
Bournemouth’s first goal came from a free-kick, highlighting United’s shambolic handling of set pieces this season. But it was the second goal that truly came from a moment of madness.
While one of United’s better performers this season, Noussair Mazraoui suffered through a difficult afternoon. His worst moment of the afternoon came just after the hour mark when he performed a poorly-timed slide tackle on Justin Kluivert to hand the away side a penalty which Kluivert easily put away.
Not only did Mazraoui not get anywhere near the ball with his tackle, but it was a highly unnecessary challenge given the tight angle that Kluivert found himself at and the sheer number of defenders who flooded into the box to combat the attacking side.
This controversial moment aside, Mazraoui’s performance was fairly decent.
The Moroccan won four of seven ground duels, along with one of two aerial challenges.
Mazraoui completed three tackles and two clearances, showing his constant presence at the back. He was also only dribbled past on one occasion.
His passing game was also decent, with 27 of 32 passes finding their mark to hand him 84% passing accuracy.
Mazraoui’s other passing metrics were underwhelming, however. He completed one of two long balls while failing to successfully execute his only cross of the game.
The defender attempted one shot, which flew off target. He also attempted one dribble without success.
Not counting the penalty that Mazraoui conceded, it was a decent all around performance by him. Unfortunately, his one major error derailed the match for United, with Bournemouth rubbing salt in the wounds with a third goal just two minutes later.
Still, Mazraoui is proving himself to be one of Amorim’s most reliable assets, surely safeguarding his place in the team going forward.
(Stats via Sofascore)
Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
