Man Utd’s last-gasp draw at Bournemouth can’t cover up startling shortcomings

BOURNEMOUTH 1-1 MANCHESTER UNITED: The Red Devils were outclassed by a Cherries side that are currently 10th in the Premier League and Ruben Amorim’s side are in a battle to avoid finishing 17th in the table despite their late draw

Rasmus Hojlund was the unlikely hero as his 96th-minute equaliser saved Manchester United from another painful defeat and more unwanted history. But referee Peter Bankes was the villain for Bournemouth fans after his second-half red card for Evanilson changed the game and hit their chances of European qualification.

Andoni Iraola’s side dominated the encounter when it was 11 v 11 and Antoine Semenyo gave the hosts the deserved lead. But when Bankes upgraded a yellow card for the Brazilian striker’s challenge on Noussair Mazraoui to a red after a VAR review in the 70th-minute, the visitors were offered a lifeline back into the game.

And as Bournemouth tired, Luke Shaw’s low cross was helped on by Manuel Ugarte for Hojlund to stab home only his fourth Premier League goal – and only second this year.

On the day that Liverpool look set to equal Manchester United’s tally of 20 top-flight titles, the Old Trafford club avoided a 16th league match of the season to draw level with the number suffered back in 1989-90 before the Premier League era.

But this point should not cover up another poor United performance where they were outclassed by 10th-placed Bournemouth for most of this game.

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim makes brutally honest admission about Man Utd after Bournemouth drawREAD MORE: Premier League issue explanation on red card as Evanilson ‘endangers’ Man Utd star

Winning the Europa League – the semi-final first leg at Athletic Bilbao is on Thursday – still offers an unlikely route into next season’s Champions League.

But domestically this season Ruben Amorim’s woeful side are in a battle to avoid finishing 17th in their worst league season since relegation back in 1973-74.

Amorim had sent out a surprisingly strong side with Shaw making his first start since February 18 last year among five changes from the Wolves defeat.

But the shambolic opening goal after 23 minutes summed up United’s season. A first VAR review did not see a robust Tyler Adams challenge on Alejandro Garnacho punished by a red card but the long delay saw the visitors lose concentration.

When Andre Onana took the resulting free kick just outside the box, he played Shaw into trouble and he could only feed wing-back Patrick Dorgu. The hosts regained possession and Smith’s low cross was diverted by Casemiro to Semenyo who lashed home his ninth league goal of the season.

“If you look at our games, it is always a little bit our fault the way we suffer goals and then everything is always much harder,” admitted Amorim.

But high-pressing Bournemouth made it difficult for the visitors. This was their first home fixture since this upwardly-mobile club announced they were buying back and increasing the capacity of the Vitality Stadium and keeping goalscorer Semenyo, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez will be a big challenge this summer

The second half followed a similar pattern – with Semenyo firing wide and Dango Ouattara hitting the post with a free kick – until the dismissal of Evanilson. The challenge on Mazraoui caused a flareup between the two benches but Andoni Iraola insisted his Brazilian striker had simply slipped.

In the final 20 minutes – and nine minutes of injury time – Mason Mount saw his shot blocked by fellow sub Marcos Senesi, Shaw volleyed widened Fernandes curled his shot into the side netting. But in the sixth minute of added time, United pressure finally paid off to avoid going to Spain after consecutive Premier League defeats.

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