Bournemouth 0-2 Manchester United: Red Devils bounce back

Manchester United bounced back from their shock 1-0 loss at home to West Bromwich Albion over the weekend with a 2-0 win at Bournemouth on Wednesday night.

Chris Smalling scored from close range just before the hour to give the visitors the lead before substitute Romelu Lukaku produced a fine goal to seal the game with 20 minutes to go.

Jose Mourinho had said in his pre-match interview that this was an opportunity for the players to show that they deserve to be in the starting lineup on Saturday when Manchester United face Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium.

The Portuguese coach had dropped Lukaku to the bench before bringing him on midway through the second half, whilst this was the first match Alexis Sanchez had not started since joining from Arsenal in January.  The Chilean remained an unused substitute, presumably Mourinho keeping him fresh for the weekend’s more important game.

This result extends Manchester United’s lead over Liverpool in second place to four points with four games remaining.  The Red Devils are also two points away from guaranteeing UEFA Champions League football next season.

Bournemouth remain in 11th place, 10 points above the relegation zone but with the teams at the bottom having games in hand on the Cherries who themselves only have three left to play.