Three months have passed since Manchester United were defeated 6-3 in the derby. But slowly but surely, they have regrouped and now feel the pressure of their neighbours.
United moved within one point of Manchester City with a fourth consecutive Premier League win. This puts pressure on the champions ahead their visit to Chelsea on Thursday. The two sides will then face off in the second round derby at Old Trafford.
If you win that match and beat Arsenal the next Sunday, a season that was centered around trying to regain a spot in the Champions League could get an extra boost. This could raise hopes for an overseas title bid.
It might seem odd to do this a while back, but United are quietly building a strong header. Key players are getting to their level and turbulent presence. Cristiano Ronaldo is gone. They have not conceded any goals in the past. Trafford has been in league since September. Erik ten Hag was still urging caution.
“This is a huge step. We have to move from one game to the next. But belief is growing, which is a good sign. However, we must give every game 100% energy and focus. It’s possible if we stick to that philosophy. [a title bid]”But don’t think too much about future,” said the United manager.
Ten Hag was not happy with the performance against Bournemouth. He said he could have been smarter and should have kept it better at times. The manager will no doubt highlight these issues before the City and Arsenal matches.
United were forced to listen to David de Gea, a goalkeeper in great form, for warnings to Bournemouth. Bournemouth have lost seven of eight league games but have done better than the result suggests. They cannot live with United as a strike team.
Marcus Rashford maintained his fine form with a fourth goal in this match. But United’s standout performances, Casemiro (the other top scorer) and Luke Shaw (the left-back position familiar to United after he moved to central midfield in previous seasons, were Luke Shaw and Casemiro. Two matches. Ten Hag could have placed his World Cup finalists Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Raphael Varane in the bench and given Harry Maguire (and Victor Lindelof) a chance.
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