MY ACCOUNT
Casemiro’s stunning bicycle kick edged Manchester United to a 1-0 win over Bournemouth to help them close on a top-four finish.
Erik ten Hag’s side now need just one point from their final two games against Chelsea and Fulham to confirm their place in the Champions League next season.
United took the lead when Christian Eriksen lifted the ball into the box finding Casemiro, who brilliantly improvised to power the ball past goalkeeper Neto.
The Red Devils continued to push and probe in search of a second-goal cushion, but Gary O’Neil’s side kept them comfortably within one.
Dominic Solanke came close for the Cherries, cutting inside the box for a snapshot at goal, but saw his effort well-saved by David de Gea.
After the break, it was David Brooks’ turn to test the Spanish shot-stopper with a stinging strike, which De Gea tipped over the bar.
United almost extended their lead as Bruno Fernandes latched onto a weak clearance from a corner, but Neto met the shot with equal strength, palming away to safety.
Then just before the final whistle, Bournemouth’s best chance came when Kieffer Moore went through one-on-one but fired his shot straight at De Gea’s legs seeing United take all three points.
Following the win, Ten Hag made a point of the missed chances from his side before praising the efforts of his goalkeeper.
He said: “The only criticism is we didn’t kill off the game, we had to produce that second goal but that’s the way this team are. It is not easy scoring goals.
“It was a great goal from Casemiro. We pinned them back, didn’t let them breathe in the first 25 minutes.
“David de Gea made a mistake a few weeks ago but everyone can make mistakes. We defend with 11, that’s why we have so many clean sheets. David [de Gea] made some great saves.”
Despite the defeat, O’Neil was proud of the performance his team showed and highlighted the return of Brooks into the starting lineup.
He said: “We were good, we gave everything in a close game. We were right in it and had a big chance at the end. It is Manchester United and we had players missing.
“We want to treat every game with respect and give a good account of ourselves. David Brooks earned his right to start today, it’s not a friendly and we were very competitive. We deserved something from the game.
“For his first game back after such a long time David [Brooks] showed some great touches. Pre-season will be big for him but I’m delighted to have him back.
“He will be a good option for us next season.”
