- AFC Bournemouth
BY OUR MAN AT THE MATCH
OLD TRAFFORD: They call it “The Theatre of Dreams,” but last night, Manchester United’s iconic home turned into a full-blown Theatre of SCREAMS as the Red Devils and AFC Bournemouth played out a truly bonkers 4-4 draw that will be talked about for years!
The world-famous ground, the spiritual heart of Manchester football since 1910, looked like a grand old dame that had seen better days—but the 74,000-strong crowd brought the walls down with a noise that made its venerable stands visibly tremble. This was not a night for quiet contemplation; this was pure, unadulterated, old-school football chaos!
The colossal stadium, with its towering Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, was treated to a Premier League thriller that defied all logic. United took the lead not once, not twice, but THREE times, only for the plucky Cherries to peg them back in a game that was less about tactics and more about white-knuckle drama.
Amad Diallo got the party started (13), and the Stretford End exploded, the noise echoing off the cantilevered roof that gives fans an unobstructed view.
But Antoine Semenyo silenced the faithful (40), sending a jolt of anxiety through the hallowed Main Stand.
Just when United thought Casemiro’s last-gasp first-half header (45+4) had restored some calm—and belief—Bournemouth rocked the Scoreboard End with two quickfire goals after the break. Evanilson (46) and a sensational Marcus Tavernier free-kick (52) turned the game on its head, leaving the home support in a state of stunned disbelief.
Bruno’s Rocket & Kroupi’s Killer Blow
But if the fans inside the legendary ground thought the madness was over, they were dead wrong!
The East Stand, where the players’ tunnel sits, watched as United staged their own two-minute turnaround. Bruno Fernandes smashed in a spectacular free-kick (77) that nearly ripped the net off, sending a cacophony of sound through the old arena. Two minutes later, Matheus Cunha made it 4-3 (79), and the very foundation of Old Trafford seemed to shake with the sheer, deafening roar.
However, The Cherries, clearly not reading the script in the Away Section, had one final, fatal sting left.
Super-sub Junior Kroupi (84) levelled the score for an incredible fourth time!
Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim was left looking utterly shell-shocked in the technical area, while Bournemouth had chances to win it in stoppage time. It was a spectacular night of goal-fests, but in the end, it was defensive disaster for a United side desperate to climb the table.
This draw leaves United in sixth, but every single fan who was there will be nursing a headache this morning from the sheer volume of a night where the Theatre of Dreams became the capital of carnage.
