Four things we learnt as United strike late to grab 1-1 draw with Bournemouth

Manchester United travelled to the Vitality Stadium, looking to defeat AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Andre Onana started in goal with Noussair Mazraoui replacing the injured Diogo Dalot. The biggest news came in the centre of defence as Luke Shaw made his first start of the season alongside Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire.

Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu started at left wing back with Kobbie Mainoo partnering Casemiro in midfield.

Bruno Fernandes started alongside Alejandro Garnacho as the two number tens with Rasmus Hojlund leading the line once more.

Here are four things we learnt from the match.

Playing out from the back an error versus Bournemouth

United fans find themselves in a strange position. With their team stuck in the bottom half but with no threat of relegation, Ruben Amorim must experiment to get his side ready as early possible for next season.

One of his targets will be to build a side who are comfortable playing out from the back and the only way to improve on this is by practising.

Nonetheless, Bournemouth are one of the most successful pressing teams in the league and it was always going to invite problems.

After 23 minutes, Dorgu lost possession out wide under pressure and in just a matter of seconds, the ball had beaten Onana with Antoine Semenyo handing the Cherries the lead.

Onana can also take some of the blame as he played an unnecessarily dangerous ball to Shaw who in turn put Dorgu in a sticky spot.

Garnacho’s groundhog day 

Garnacho’s match was almost a carbon copy of what we have seen from him all season.

The young Argentine was dangerous, ran at the home side’s defence all day and was the only player who caused any issues for the Cherries backline.

Nonetheless, he missed numerous chances, including a one-on-one chance he really should have been burying.

The youngster has been in horrible form in front of goal but at the same time, with Joshua Zirkzee’s injury and Hojlund’s latest disappearing act, he still remains the most dangerous attacker United currently have.

This ineffectiveness in front of goal is something they must fix this summer if next season is to go any better than their rancid effort this year.

Shaw looks well off the pace

Shaw made his first start of the season and it showed.

The England international has been injured for the vast majority of the campaign but he has come back into the first team in the last couple of weeks.

He struggled immensely, frequently being beaten in duels and looked off the pace against an energetic Cherries side.

Shaw is usually good on the ball and can pick a pass, but he was almost non-existent in this sense, as he failed to play any sort of line breaking passes.

He did show something of his true self with a fantastic forward run and pinpoint cross that Chido Obi should have converted.

Amorim will be hoping that he can add much more to United’s attacking game over the final month of the season.

Hojlund gets a goal at last

The Dane spent most of the match on the fringes and was largely overshadowed by his compatriot Chido Obi, despite spending much more time on the pitch.

He did finally take his chance in the dying embers of the match when he grabbed an equaliser for the Red Devils with a deft touch.

It was only his second goal of 2025, to go alongside his strike versus Leicester City last month.

Hojlund still has much to fix about his game and the jury is very much out on his United future.

Nonetheless, United fans will hope that his late strike will give him the confidence to get back to his former self with only a month of the season left.

Feature image Ryan Pierse via Getty Images

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