Thursday 31 July 2025 04:32
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Manchester United moved into pole position in the Premier League Summer Series tournament, by beating Bournemouth 4-1 in Chicago.
The Reds are now the only team in the friendly competition with a perfect record, following another promising performance out in the United States.
Our two first-half goals were of a distinctly Danish flavour, as Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu set up Rasmus Hojlund with a pinpoint cross and then scored himself.
Amad and Ethan Williams registered from close range in the second half before Matthijs de Ligt turned David Brooks’ cross into his own net for Bournemouth’s consolation goal.
All that leaves Ruben Amorim’s side needing just a point against Everton on Sunday to lift the trophy in Atlanta.
As was the case during Saturday’s meeting with West Ham United, the Reds were full of zip and incisiveness in the early stages, despite deteriorating weather conditions in the aptly named Windy City.
Bruno Fernandes, deployed as a central midfielder, linked up well with Mason Mount and a cute one-two between the pair led to our captain’s shot being repelled by Djordje Petrovic.
The former Chelsea goalie kept a clean sheet against Everton on his Cherries debut, but his net was breached within eight minutes, as Hojlund evaded Marcos Senesi and stretched to glance home Dorgu’s teasing cross.
The full-back’s desire to constantly stretch the play is becoming a key facet of United’s attacking output, and our no.13 hit the net for the first time since joining, outmuscling Julian Araujo then confounding Petrovic with his finish following Mount’s quickly taken free-kick.
With the rain pouring down and the planned first-half cooling break abandoned, Bournemouth came within millimetres of reducing the arrears, when Antoine Semenyo’s powerful strike was ruled out for a marginal offside, before Tom Heaton parried Dango Ouattara’s effort behind for a corner.
But it was the Mancunians who forged further ahead after the break, Amad steering his shot beyond Petrovic, after Senesi had failed to clear under pressure from Hojlund.
Andoni Iraola soon rang the changes and his decision to swap out five players almost paid immediate dividends, when Brooks struck the crossbar with a deflected shot and Heaton denied Semenyo from the resulting corner.
At the other end, Will Dennis did well to tip Matthijs de Ligt’s header clear but United soon scored a fourth as Williams fired home within moments of being introduced by Amorim, who shuffled the pack in the 70th minute.
The only blemish on an otherwise flawless friendly victory was when Brooks’ late shot flew in off the stretching De Ligt.
Considering the final positions of each side in the Premier League last term, though, this will go down as an impressive result – and one that will surely give Amorim and his side a lot of confidence as July turns to August.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Heaton; Yoro (Fredricson 70), Maguire (De Ligt 46), Shaw (Heaven 70); Dalot (Mantato 70), Fernandes (Collyer 70), Casemiro (Ugarte 70), Dorgu (Leon 70); Mount (Mainoo 70), Amad (Williams 70); Hojlund (Obi 70).
Subs not used: Bayindir, Mee, Munro, Fletcher, Kone.
Goals: Hojlund 8, Dorgu 25, Amad 53, Williams 72.
Bournemouth: Petrovic (Dennis 62); Hill, Zabarnyi (Mepham 76), Senesi (Traore 62); Araujo (Truffert 62), Tavernier (Faivre 76), Billing (c, Adu-Adjei 76), Soler (Smith 62); Semenyo, Evanilson (Adams 76), Ouattara (Brooks 62).
Subs not used: Neto, Paulsen, William, Winterburn, Rees-Dottin.
Goal: De Ligt own goal 88.
Thursday 31 July 2025 04:32
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