Man United Solidify Top 4 Position In EPL By Beating Bournemouth

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw says "belief and confidence" are back at Old Trafford after the Red Devils extended their winning streak in all competitions to six games with a comfortable Premier League victory over hapless Bournemouth.

Man United defender Luke Shaw says “belief and confidence” are back at Old Trafford after the Red Devils extended their winning streak in all competitions to six games with a comfortable Premier League victory over hapless Bournemouth.

Casemiro’s beautifully cushioned volley off a Christian Eriksen free-kick put Erik ten Hag’s side ahead halfway through the first half.

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They doubled their lead four minutes into the second period when Shaw, back in his more familiar left-back role, swept home an Alejandro Garnacho cut-back to finish a beautiful free-flowing move.

Marcus Rashford then completed the scoring by tapping into an empty net after a Bruno Fernandes pass, becoming the first player to score in three consecutive Old Trafford league games.

“The strides we are taking are going in the right direction that we want,” said Shaw. “There is still a lot to improve on but things are looking really good and positive.

“We feel like the belief and confidence is back, and you can feel it around the place, not just with the players and the staff but you can feel it in the stadium and around the fans.

“Hopefully they are enjoying it at the moment but I feel there is a lot more to come and hopefully we can keep putting smiles on people’s faces.”

United had started slowly, with a lot of possession in their defensive third, but once they scored, a seventh consecutive home win in all competitions was never in doubt.

They remain in fourth place, but have joined third-placed Newcastle on 35 points, and, perhaps most importantly, have opened up a five-point lead over fifth-placed Tottenham.

One negative for United was a first-half injury sustained by midfielder Donny van de Beek, with Ten Hag saying “we need to wait 24 hours, but it is not looking very good”.

Bournemouth, who did not have a shot on target until the 57th minute, remain in 15th place, two points above the relegation zone.

Casemiro took some time to make his mark at Old Trafford, with the 30-year-old failing to start any of his first seven Premier League games after joining from Real Madrid.

Questions were raised about whether he was a Ten Hag acquisition, but he has started the Reds’ last ten Premier League games, including seven wins, two draws, and a defeat at Aston Villa.

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His finish, a cushioned volley from seven yards, was elegant. He snuck in behind Bournemouth’s defense, opened up his body, and steered Eriksen’s pinpoint cross from the left into the top corner.

United’s next league game is against Man City on 14 January, and they could finish ahead of their city rivals, which would be a strong indication of the progress they are making under Ten Hag.

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