Ruben Amorim expressed disappointment over Manchester United's inability to secure a win against Bournemouth in their thrilling 4-4 draw. He believes the missed opportunities in the first half were crucial.
Despite scoring four goals, United failed to clinch victory, marking only the third time this has happened in Premier League history. Previous instances were against Everton in April 2012 and West Brom in May 2013.
United initially took the lead twice with goals from Amad and Casemiro, while Antoine Semenyo scored for Bournemouth. The Red Devils dominated with 17 shots, 2.49 non-penalty expected goals (xG), and 30 touches inside Bournemouth's area before halftime, setting records for this season's Premier League matches.
Bournemouth turned the game around early in the second half with goals from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier, taking a 3-2 lead. Although Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha restored United's advantage, Junior Kroupi equalised late on for Bournemouth. Amorim felt that United's failure to capitalise on their first-half dominance was more damaging than their defensive lapses later.
"It's really disappointing," Amorim told BBC Sport. "It might look like we lost the two points in the second half, but I think we lost them in the first half. We dominated and created so many chances. We had to go into half-time with a different result. "
Bournemouth became the first team in English top-flight history to score at least three goals in three consecutive away games against Manchester United. In the second half, they edged out United in xG with 0.87 compared to United’s 0.81. David Brooks nearly scored twice during stoppage time.
Despite his frustration over dropping points, Amorim acknowledged that fans at Old Trafford appreciate entertaining football. "In the end we deserved more," he said. "It was a fun game for everyone at home. People, especially at Old Trafford, want us to win, but they want to be inspired to see a team playing good football. "
Looking Ahead for Manchester United
Amorim praised Senne Lammens' performance and noted that both teams had chances but emphasised United created more opportunities. He stressed the need for his team to be more clinical and learn how to close out games effectively as part of their ongoing development process.
United face a challenging away match against Aston Villa next Sunday before hosting Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
