Premier League | Gameweek 34

Apr 27, 2025 at 2pm UK

Vitality Stadium

Bournemouth vs Man Utd

Match preview

From the highs of an extraordinary Europa League comeback against Lyon to the lows of another Premier League home defeat - this time to fellow bottom-flight strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers - Manchester United fans, players and staff experienced the full range of emotions last week.

With Amorim's men once again struggling, Wolves' Pablo Sarabia produced a moment of mastery with a sublime free-kick to settle the scores at the Theatre of Dreams and condemn Man United to a second successive Premier League defeat and a fourth successive game without a win in the competition.

At least Man United cannot be mathematically relegated as they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League table with an embarrassing 15 defeats, the most they have lost in the top flight since the 1989-90 season.

However, what happens in the Premier League between now and the end of May will be largely irrelevant if Man United go all the way in the Europa League, where Amorim's side travel to the Basque country for the first leg of their semi-final with Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.

Before continental thoughts once again take precedence, Man United are looking to avoid a sequence they haven't suffered since the pre-Covid days of 2019 - a five-match winless run in the Premier League - which both Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag have managed to avoid.

Bournemouth, who shared Man United's goalless fate last weekend, were unable to make the most of three highly controversial decisions against Crystal Palace, where both Tyler Adams and Alex Scott avoided second yellow cards, while Chris Richards was not so lucky.

Despite playing the entire second half with an extra man, the Cherries were unable to hold off the depleted Eagles as their already slim hopes of finishing in the top seven suffered another blow, leaving them eight points behind Aston Villa with a game in hand.

However, Bournemouth's eighth-placed finish could still be good enough for a Conference League spot, depending on the outcome of the FA Cup, although a dismal record of just one win from their last seven in all competitions is hardly European form.

Nevertheless, last weekend's draw at Selhurst Park saw Bournemouth collect a club-record 49 points for the Premier League season, and the Cherries could now also record three consecutive clean sheets in the competition for the first time since November 2019.

The last time Bournemouth kept three successive clean sheets in the Premier League, they did so in a 1-0 win over none other than Man United, who were humiliated 3-0 at home by Iraola's European hopefuls in a dreadful December.

Recent Performance

Bournemouth Premier League form:DLLDWD

Bournemouth form (all competitions):LLLDWD

Manchester United Premier League form:DWLDLL

Manchester United form (all competitions):LDDLWL

Team News

Man United's medical staff have a new face to look after after Amorim revealed in Friday's press conference that Diogo Dalot has suffered a calf injury that could be serious enough to rule him out for the rest of the season.

Dalot joins Joshua Zirkzee (thigh), Lisandro Martinez (ACL), Toby Collyer (leg), Matthijs de Ligt (ankle), Ayden Heaven (ankle) and Amad Diallo (ankle) on the sidelines, although reports suggest the latter could be back in training as early as next week.

Dalot's absence is good news for teenage full-back Harry Amass, who impressed alongside fellow youngster Tyler Fredricson in the defeat to Wolves, but the latter's place is now under threat from Leny Yoro and returning Europa League hero Harry Maguire.

For Bournemouth, long-term absentees Enes Unal (knee) and Ryan Christie (groin) are continuing their recovery programmes, while Iraola has confirmed that Luis Sinisterra's hamstring problem will not be resolved in time.

Lewis Cook, who came off the bench in the draw with Palace, will also be a late addition to the squad, having been nursing an ankle problem for a number of weeks.

Antoine Semenyo is set to face the club who appear to be leading the race for his services, as he enters the weekend with a staggering 116 shots on target in the 2024-25 Premier League, tied with Golden Boot favourite Mohamed Salah for the most in the current campaign.

Possible starting lineup

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Cook, Adams; Semenyo, Kluivert, Ouattara; Evanilson

Manchester United possible starting lineup:

Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dorgu, Ugarte, Fernandes, Amass; Mount, Garnacho; Hojlund