Manchester United

Man Utd player ratings vs Bournemouth: Casemiro returns to form but Bruno Fernandes flops in crucial win

Richard Martin
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Casemiro Manchester United 2022-23
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The Brazilian scored his first Premier League goal since January in style as Erik ten Hag's side secured all three points with a scrappy 1-0 win

Casemiro produced an acrobatic finish to fire Manchester United to an unconvincing yet crucial 1-0 win over Bournemouth to put the Red Devils on the brink of the Champions League. As well as scoring the only goal, the Brazilian looked far sharper physically than in recent weeks, and helped pull an unconvincing United over the line.

Erik ten Hag's side offered very little going forward as Jadon Sancho looked short on confidence and Bruno Fernandes was uncharacteristically sloppy.

United looked to have sealed a top-four spot as Liverpool were trailing late on against Aston Villa, but the 1-1 draw at Anfield means the Red Devils need just one more point at home to Chelsea on Thursday or at home to Fulham in their final match to clinch Champions League football for next season.

GOAL rates Manchester United's players from the Vitality Stadium...

Editors' Picks

  1. Goalkeeper & Defence
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    Goalkeeper & Defence

    David de Gea (8/10):

    Made three excellent saves. He did well to keep out a first-half strike from Solanke and got a strong hand on a vicious strike from Brooks in the second, while he made himself big to thwart Moore in a one-on-one.

    Aaron Wan-Bissaka (7/10):

    Solid defensively and contributed more in attack than usual with plenty of overlaps.

    Raphael Varane (8/10):

    Excellent in his second match back from injury. Reliable in the challenge and his distribution was excellent.

    Victor Lindelof (8/10):

    Helped set up the goal by stepping out into Bournemouth's half and winning the ball back before giving it to Eriksen. Excellent defensively.

    Luke Shaw (6/10):

    Strong in defence, did not do much going forward.

  2. Midfield
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    Midfield

    Christian Eriksen (7/10):

    Very good defensively, making a number of important challenges. Helped set up the only goal.

    Casemiro (9/10):

    Got a crucial early goal with an acrobatic finish - his first Premier League strike since netting against the same opposition in January. Bossed the midfield and his passing was spot-on too.

    Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

    Not his day. His passing was very sloppy and offered very little going forward apart from one shot which was well saved by Neto.

  4. Attack
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    Attack

    Antony (6/10):

    Looked confident but once more had very little end product. Surprisingly had a shot with his right foot. Unsurprisingly, it went wide.

    Anthony Martial (7/10):

    Was United's most active attacker before he was taken off in the 57th minute. Looked unhappy with the decision and barely acknowledged Ten Hag.

    Jadon Sancho (5/10):

    Caused almost no danger in his 70 minutes on the pitch.

  5. Subs & Manager
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    Subs & Manager

    Wout Weghorst (6/10):

    Had one shot straight at Neto but gave the team a focal point which helped them see out the win.

    Alejandro Garnacho (6/10):

    Gave the team some spark but did not create any real chances.

    Scott McTominay (N/A):

    Only introduced for the final four minutes.

    Fred: (N/A)

    Only introduced for the final four minutes.

    Erik ten Hag (6/10):

    Put out a cautious starting line-up without Garnacho but his side did just enough. Taking off Martial seemed harsh but Weghorst helped the team play better.