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6 talking points as Man Utd snatch draw at Bournemouth after VAR controversy
BOURNEMOUTH 1-1 MAN UTD: Rasmus Hojlund rescued the Red Devils after they had started the game in the worst possible way as Antoine Semenyo smashed home
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Manchester United claimed a dramatic point against Bournemouth to secure a late 1-1 draw in stoppage time - giving them a huge boost ahead of their crucial Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao this Thursday.
United went behind in the 23rd minute on the south coast as Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo netted against the Red Devils once again - having scored against them in the reverse 3-0 win at Old Trafford - following some disastrous defending.
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There were some VAR controversies as Tyler Adams was lucky to avoid a red card for a dangerous foul on Alejandro Garnacho - while Evanilson was then unlucky to be sent off for a similar challenge on Noussair Mazraoui.
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United finished the game as the stronger side with the numerical advantage and looked to be heading for a 16th defeat this season - before Rasmus Hojlund popped up at the near post to secure a much-needed point.
Mirror Football has taken a look at the major talking points from the game at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
READ MORE:Sir Jim Ratcliffe cuts continue as Man Utd lose scouting chief before crucial transfer windowREAD MORE:Premier League issue explanation on VAR red card controversy in Bournemouth vs Man UtdRuben Amorim admitted earlier this month that he was not afraid to "experiment with kids" this season after reaching the Europa League semi-finals, with nothing left to play for in the Premier League.
Article continues belowHe honoured his word last week during the 1-0 loss at home to Wolves last week when he made a number of changes, fielding youngsters like Tyler Fredricson and Harry Amass, while fringe stars like Viktor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen were also handed starts.
Ahead of the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao this Thursday, it was thought Amorim might choose to do the same against Bournemouth in a bid to rest his best players - knowing the club faced their biggest game of the season in just four days.
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But the coach opted to go as strong as possible at the Vitality, with captain Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Harry Maguire all featuring from the off.
Considering United are still 15th in the Premier League table, it's clear Amorim was keen to help the team ease their difficult situation and claim their first win since March 16 - which in turn was their only victory since February.
Amorim would have been desperate to give the team some momentum going into the game against Bilbao, looking to keep players fresh and in good form, but the move backfired as United still weren't able to claim the victory.
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Amorim will be tearing his hair out when he watches Bournemouth's opener back after a needless unforced error from United while build up from the back.
United have been heavily scrutinised for continuing to play out of defence despite their woeful season and the team were caught out in embarrassing fashion once again on Sunday.
Patrick Dorgu was dispossessed by Smith after collecting a poor pass from Luke Shaw on the left flank, just outside of their own penalty area.
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Smith hit a cross into the penalty area which Evanilson knocked back for Semenyo to smash into the net and give the Cherries the perfect start.
This is by far United's worst-ever Premier League season and the stats are damning after Semenyo's goal, showing they have been to slow to start games.
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United have now conceded the first goals on 21 occasions this season as they gave themselves an uphill task yet again.
United supporters were left fuming after Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams survived a VAR check despite going in with a studs up challenge with both feet on Alejandro Garnacho.
Adams was initially shown a yellow for the challenge before the United States international star faced a nervy wait while officials looked at footage of the challenge.
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But after checking it over, a Premier League statement confirmed that the tackle was not viewed as "reckless" or "serious foul play".
Their post read: "The referee’s call of yellow card for the challenge by Adams on Garnacho was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge deemed reckless and not serious foul play."
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Former United star Roy Keane was among the dissenting voices questioning how Adams avoided a dismissal as he said: "I hate seeing players get hurt, that Adams’ tackle was assault. How the Premier League tolerates these reckless challenges is beyond me."
And United fans were up in arms over the decision as one said: "How is this just a yellow card? Tyler Adams could of broke Garnacho’s leg."
Another added: "That’s a 2 footed challenge from Tyler Adams. Jumps into the tackle with both feet off the ground. Any United player does that it’s a straight red."
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Another controversial VAR decision involving a red card - but this one arguably shouldn't have been given.
It was another bad moment from the officials after Evanilson was initially shown a yellow card for clattering into Mazraoui with both feet, but the Brazilian appeared to slip on his way through, causing him to crash into the defender.
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Mazraoui was sent tumbling as Evanilson's legs both came flying towards him - with his left boot striking his left ankle.
The referee in charge was sent to the replay monitor by VAR officials at Stockley Park, but clearly wasn't convinced that Evanilson's challenge was caused by a slip.
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He then walked back over to the striker and upgraded his yellow to red. Fans reacted on social media by slamming the PGMOL and claiming refereeing standards were getting worse.
One said: "That Evanilson sending off is embarrassing it just keeps getting worse and worse in this country wow … PGMOL have gotta go."
A second fan added: The refereeing standard in this country is actually a joke. Evanilson clearly slips. Game is fully gone.
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Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for Antoine Semenyo in recent weeks and after today's game you can see why.
Semenyo took his goal superbly as he lashed into the corner of the net from Evanilson's flick to give Bournemouth the lead.
It's now the second goal Semenyo has scored against United this season after netting in Bournemouth's 3-0 win at Old Trafford earlier this season and he can't have hurt his chances of enticing United officials to make a move for him this summer.
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He now has nine goals and four assists in the Premier League this season from the wing and United could do with a player of his qualities.
It's reported that Amorim is a "big admirer" of Semenyo, according to a report from Sky Sports - which also stated that United are "front runners" to sign him.
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We know United will be on the lookout for a new winger this summer, with Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony all set to depart, and Semenyo could be the man to come in at Old Trafford after impressing again in front of United officials.
It's been a horrendous season to say the least for Hojlund, with plenty of United fans questioning his ability after costing the club £72million from Atlanta in 2023.
Before this game, he had netted just three times in the Premier League - a dismal return for a player who was tipped to be a superstar at Old Trafford.
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He also hadn't scored for six games on the trot amid a horrific period for United that has seen them fail to score in three of those matches.
But Hojlund bailed United out when it mattered with time running out against Bournemouth. The Denmark international had endured a terrible outing and hadn't had a shot all game - until he scored with his first effort in the 96th minute.
While there will still be question marks over his whether he is good enough to play for United, he certainly sent a message that he can score important goals in important moments ahead of their massive game on Thursday.
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