Manchester United probably conceded the title to Manchester City in an embarrassing manner by losing to the bottom club West Brom but they had to respond after that and build steam ahead of the FA Cup semifinals against Tottenham Hotspur and that chance came in the form of Bournemouth. The Red Devils took time to get going but they soon found their goal from Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku eased tensions in the United ranks in the second half after coming on as a substitute and scoring. Mourinho’s men won the game convincingly and they will proceed to London with confidence.
Here’s how they are rated after the win today.
David De Gea – 7.5/10
Silent on a lot of occasions but he did have to get involved properly on two or three occasions to make the saves. Another clean-sheet for the Spaniard who captained the team today.
Matteo Darmian – 6.5/10
Looked a bit rusty early on but at the final whistle, I thought he had redeemed himself really well. He made some crucial clearances and interceptions.
Chris Smalling – 9/10
Solid against Wilson and involved himself courageously on a lot of occasions. He got his goal as well with some clever movement and he slotted it home. Man of the match!
Phil Jones – 8/10
There were moments where it looked like Jones would get beaten but he stood his ground and made some terrific challenges. He complimented Smalling perfectly so that’s a sweet return to the team.
Luke Shaw – 6/10
Not really impressive but he was tidy and did his job.
Marouane Fellaini – 6/10
Didn’t look frantic and reckless like he usually does. He was attentive, organised and did his bit to help his team.
Ander Herrera – 7.5/10
Really competitive today and involved himself passionately. He’s done enough to cement his place in the semi-finals surely.
Paul Pogba – 7.5/10
Had a slow start but improved and did much better than what he did against West Brom. Got an assist for Lukaku’s goal as well because it was his inch-perfect ball that set it all up.
Anthony Martial – 8/10
Direct and pompous from the beginning and he troubled Bournemouth from the left a lot of times. He stood out personally for me and did a good job.
Marcus Rashford – 5/10
Good work rate but hardly convincing when it came to the end product.
Jesse Lingard – 7/10
His sly movements are always a treat to watch and he set up Smalling’s goal very neatly. Jesse put in a good shift today.
Substitutes
Romelu Lukaku – 7.5/10
Made his presence felt and finished very smartly for his goal.
