Man Utd 4-1 Bournemouth: Red Devils' youngsters shine in Summer Series thrash

Man United beat Bournemouth 4-1 in Chicago to maintain their 100 per cent record in the Premier League Summer Series.

Match Report

Manchester United made it two wins out of two in the Premier League Summer Series with a 4-1 win over Bournemouth at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Hojlund had woken to reports that Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is being lined up to be the Old Trafford line leader, with club chiefs plotting a £70million move for the Slovenian.

But if the Dane was looking to make his mark, he did so inside eight minutes at Soldier Field to set a United side without both big-money summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo on course for victory.

As the impressive Patrick Dorgu came inside onto his right foot, Hojlund ghosted away from Marcos Senesi, to glance the ball past static keeper Djordje Petrovic and into the bottom corner.

Hojlund’s celebrations demonstrated his delight, pawing the air with his left fist and with a smile as wide as the Chicago River.

With the swirling winds and teeming rain making it feel far more like Manchester than the Midwest of the US, Hojlund’s goal after blanks against Leeds and West Ham felt like a big moment.

He looked like he had been sparked by it, showing muscularity and intent, making runs into dangerous areas. 

And while Hojlund claimed the last touch as Amad Diallo scored the third, he had caused chaos and confusion with his physicality in the build-up.

It was another excellent evening for Ruben Amorim, all the more so after Cunha had joined the worryingly long missing list with the Brazilian having reported “fatigue” earlier in the day, although he asked Amorim to let him play.

Mason Mount moved on from a ponderous start to send Dorgu away for United’s second, Amad was impish in a more attacking role, while one Luke Shaw sliding tackle on Antoine Semenyo was outstanding.

United, full of intensity from the start against a surprisingly sluggish Bournemouth, were good value for their win and could have had more, Mount scraping the post with a 20-yarder at the start of the second period.

Even when Amorim rang the changes, having swapped nine more outfield players with 20 minutes left, it did not interrupt the flow.

Teenager Ethan Williams found the back of the net with virtually his first touch to make it four, although half-time arrival Matthijs de Ligt completed the scoring when he inadvertently turned David Brooks’ cross-shot into his own net.

Nothing, though, could prevent this being Hojlund’s night - even if it might not be enough to change the manager’s mind about the need for a new No9.

Match Event

4' A neat one-two between Mount & Bruno results in a chance at goal but it is saved

6' Man Utd's summer new singing Cunha has come to the stadium

8' GOAL! Hojlund converts a header as Dorgu assists! Man Utd 1-0 Bournemouth

23' It starts to rain

25' GOAL! Mount's through ball finds Dorgu who smashes home! Man Utd 2-1 Bournemouth

29' Semenyo fires the ball past Tom Heaton but the offside flag is raised soon after

33' Outtara races through and earns his side a corner after Heaton saves his effort

45' De Ligt replaces Harry Maguire

50' Bruno tees up Mount who curls his effort just past the post

53' GOAL! Amad punches the ball into the bottom corner! Man Utd 3-0 Bournemouth

64' Brooks' shot deflects off of the defender before cannoning back off the crossbar

65' Heaton makes terrific stop to deny Bournemouth a goal from the resulting corner

68' De Ligt's powerful header from a corner is denied by Djordje Petrovic

70' Nine changes for United as Obi, Mainoo and others are repalced on

72' 19 yo Ethan Williams smashes an effort into the corner! Man Utd 4-0 Bournemouth

88' Ugarte's mistake leads to De Ligt net an own goal! Man Utd 4-1 Bournemouth

Line-ups

Man Utd XI: Heaton, Casemiro, Maguire, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Mount, Dalot, Amad Diallo Traore, Højlund, Yoro, Patrick Dorgu

Subs: Altay Bayındır, De Ligt, Ugarte, Collyer, Mainoo, Tyler Fredricson, Ethan Williams, Dermot Mee, Jack Fletcher, Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven, Sékou Koné, Bendito Mantato, Reece Munro, Diego León

Bournemouth XI: Billing, Marcus Tavernier, Marcos Senesi, Djordje Petrovic, Evanilson, Antoine Semenyo, James Hill, Julián Araujo, Ilya Zabarnyi, Dango Ouattara, Julio Soler

Subs: Smith, Neto, Brooks, Adams, Mepham, Hamed Junior Traoré, Romain Faivre, Alex Paulsen, Adrien Truffert, Will Dennis, Ben Winterburn, Daniel Adu-Adjei, Remy Rees-Dottin, Harold William