Manchester United have lost a second successive game, this time losing at home to Bournemouth.
It is also a second successive home Premier League defeat, with United previously losing 3-2 at home to Nottingham Forest, with three away matches in-between.
And just as worryingly, United have lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth for a second successive season.
So how exactly did this one go so wrong?
Manchester United undone from set piece again
Manchester United’s problems in recent weeks has been a weakness from set pieces. Bournemouth’s first goal came after a free-kick, headed in by defender Dean Huijsen.
The closest player to Huijsen was forward Joshua Zirkzee, who was called out on MUTV for not showing enough desire to win the ball.
Pundit and former player Ben Thornley argued, telling MUTV: “Joshua Zirkzee has got to do better. He doesn’t jump, he doesn’t attack it, he’s not aggressive enough, and he’s cost us a goal.
“He’s only marking one person and he’s not aggressive enough, he’s got to go and attack that ball… make it difficult. It’s too easy.”
United conceded twice in the second half, with the usually reliably Noussair Mazraoui giving away a penalty.
Wasted chances
Thornley added that a vital aspect to United’s loss was the wastefulness up front. United could have been level, or even leading by half-time.
He commented: “We also made our own errors in front of their goals, and that’s why we haven’t scored, we weren’t clinical enough.”
Manchester United had 23 shots at goal, and 7 on target. Bournemouth had 10 shots, and 5 on target.
United’s expected goal tally was 2.26 and Bournemouths 1.24.
Zirkzee attempted just one of these 23 shots, which was off target, before being substituted in the 58th minute.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/LEA4sTo