- Manchester United secured a dominant 4-1 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League Summer Series
- New signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo missed the game due to fitness concerns
- With six points from two games, United need just a draw against Everton to win the pre-season tournament in the United States
Manchester United delivered a dominant performance in the Premier League Summer Series, cruising to a 4-1 win over Bournemouth in Chicago.
Despite tough weather conditions, the Red Devils maintained control throughout the match and built on their promising pre-season form.
Source: Getty Images
Goals from Rasmus Højlund, Patrick Dorgu, Amad, and substitute Ethan Williams sealed a commanding win, with United continuing to show signs of progress under head coach Ruben Amorim.
Bournemouth’s only goal came via an unfortunate own goal from Matthijs de Ligt late in the game.
United, just like in their 2-1 win over West Ham in New Jersey last weekend, began the match with great intensity.
Their early pressure paid off after just eight minutes when Rasmus Højlund headed in Patrick Dorgu’s cross to give United the lead.
Dorgu then doubled the advantage around 20 minutes later, finishing a clever quick free-kick from Mason Mount.
After the break, Amad made it 3-0 with a composed close-range finish, before Ethan Williams came off the bench to score with his first touch.
United’s control of the match allowed Amorim to rotate heavily, using 21 players in total. Only veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton played the full 90 minutes.
Why Cunha and Mbeumo missed out
New signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were both absent from the squad.
Amorim revealed that Cunha was dealing with fatigue, while Mbeumo was still building match sharpness.
“Cunha has fatigue. We need to assess all the players and we have to be careful with everyone. He’s available for the next one (against Everton on Sunday),” Amorim explained.
“Matheus felt a little bit fatigued. He was ready to play, he wanted to give everything, but we need to be careful,” he added, as quoted by MEN.
Summer Series title within reach
The win puts Manchester United on six points from two matches, and they now sit top of the Premier League Summer Series table.
A win or draw in their final game against Everton at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday will be enough to secure the trophy.
Bournemouth and West Ham trail behind with three points each, while Everton are yet to register any points.
Beyond the silverware, the tournament has provided valuable minutes and tactical insight for Amorim, with signs that his players are becoming more comfortable in his system.
The Premier League Summer Series, launched in 2023, is an official pre-season tournament hosted in the United States.
It marks the second Premier League-affiliated competition held outside England, following the Asia Trophy.
Source: YEN.com.gh
