Manchester United got back to winning ways after the painful loss to the Sky Blues, as they narrowly beat a spirited Bournemouth team 1-0 in the midweek round of fixtures. Let us take a look at how the Red Devils fared:
David de Gea: 8.5/10
The Spaniard was again at his very best and had a direct impact on the end result. He showed good awareness, was concentrated throughout and made an important save from Fraser’s long-range effort in the 94th minute.
Antonio Valencia: 7/10
Valencia made more inroads into the opposition’s half than usual. He led the attack on the right flank and was safe while defending inside the box too.
Chris Smalling: 7/10
Smalling worked the ball around to the midfield, making good passes. He won the ball back at times to help out Matic and was imposing in the box during set pieces.
Phil Jones: 9/10
Jones displayed his importance to United’s cause after making a remarkable return from injury. He was probably the most intelligent player in the box; making numerous blocks and interceptions to deny several chances to the Cherries.
Luke Shaw: 7/10
Shaw received a warm reception upon starting a Premier League match for the first time in eight months. He was quite reserved in the first half, though as the game progressed, he showed his natural tendency to go ahead and influence the attack. Was applauded by the manager after being substituted off.
Nemanja Matic: 6.5/10
Matic, as usual, kept things simple in the midfield. He worked the ball forward and anchored the pace of the game according to the demand of the situation.
Scott McTominay: 9/10
The midfielder had a day to remember, as he was at the centre of everything that happened in the midfield. He won the ball back constantly and started attacks. As the game progressed, McTominay moved ahead gradually and hence capped off a perfect performance tonight. His sense of positioning was impressive too.
Juan Mata: 8/10
Mata ran relentlessly, playing in several positions. He helped the defence and generally was more creative while playing through the centre. Bagged a well-deserved assist for Lukaku’s goal.
Jesse Lingard: 5/10
Lingard made some good runs, but his positioning was disappointing today. He could have made good use of the times when Martial released the ball to him.
Anthony Martial: 7/10
A creative influence, Martial’s intelligent link-up play helped United create more opportunities in the other half. He was crucial in the build-up of Lukaku’s goal but should have scored from an easy open goal in the second half.
Romelu Lukaku: 7/10
Got the weight off his back by scoring the winner. However, the Belgian had a couple of more opportunities and should have fared better.
Substitutes:
Marcus Rashford: 8/10
Came on for Anthony Martial and had an immediate impact thanks to his pace and incision on the flanks.
Ander Herrera: 7/10
Herrera was brought on to add some more defensive cover and he ended up making some good challenges to thwart Bournemouth in dangerous positions.
Ashley Young: N.A
Surprise substitution; probably brought on to maintain the intensity of the game.
