Man United 0-3 Bournemouth: Carrick under pressure as Liverpool and Newcastle win
Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford with Bruno Fernandes dropped, leaving United 16th and eight games without a win. Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 and Newcastle won 2-0 at Crystal Palace.
At a glance
- Bournemouth beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, October 25, with goals from Rayan (38'), Marcus Tavernier (43') and Evanilson (71').
- Michael Carrick left captain Bruno Fernandes on the bench for the whole match after Fernandes criticised his tactics following a 4-1 defeat to Como.
- United are 16th, one point above the relegation zone, and have gone eight games without a win.
- Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 at Anfield to move into the top four; Newcastle won 2-0 at Crystal Palace; Hull City and Brentford drew 1-1.
Bournemouth beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, October 25, piling huge pressure on Michael Carrick after his decision to drop captain Bruno Fernandes backfired. Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson scored as United slipped to 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone and eight league games without a win. In the day's other early games, Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0, Newcastle won 2-0 at Crystal Palace and Hull City drew 1-1 with Brentford.
Sunday's Premier League results
| Match | Score | Scorers |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United vs Bournemouth | 0-3 | Rayan 38', Tavernier 43', Evanilson 71' |
| Liverpool vs Brighton | 2-0 | Gross 17' (own goal), Isak 21' |
| Crystal Palace vs Newcastle | 0-2 | Osula 47', Barnes 58' |
| Hull City vs Brentford | 1-1 | McBurnie 24' (pen); Ouattara 63' |
How Bournemouth took Old Trafford apart
The match was settled in five minutes before half-time. In the 38th minute Ayden Heaven's lunge gave away a free-kick, Justin Kluivert curled it to the far post and Rayan volleyed in. Five minutes later Leny Yoro slipped under pressure, Adrien Truffert squared the ball and Marcus Tavernier tapped into an empty net.
Evanilson thought he had made it three just after the restart, but the goal was ruled out for offside. He did not have to wait long: in the 71st minute he went round goalkeeper Senne Lammens and finished from a tight angle. Carrick sent on Matheus Cunha and Lisandro Martinez and took off Youri Tielemans at half-time, but United never threatened a comeback. Fernandes stayed on the bench for all 90 minutes.
The Fernandes row
The decision to leave out the captain dominated the build-up. After Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como, Fernandes publicly questioned the team's tactics, comments that former United defender Gary Neville described as a direct attack on the manager. Carrick insisted the selection was "purely football", but it was widely read as a punishment.
United have now won only two of 12 matches in all competitions this season. Last season Carrick steered the club to third place as interim manager, helped by a schedule with no European or cup football. This season the extra games have exposed a thin squad.
Reactions
The home crowd booed the players at full-time, but much of the anger was aimed at the club's owners — the Glazer family, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and football director Jason Wilcox — rather than at Carrick. Visiting fans taunted the manager that he would be sacked in the morning. Carrick applauded the Stretford End and touched his chest as he walked off.
For Marco Rose's Bournemouth it was a fourth straight win in all competitions, just three days after they beat AC Milan 3-0 in the Europa League.
Liverpool, Newcastle and Hull
At Anfield, Liverpool went ahead when Florian Wirtz's shot deflected in off Pascal Gross, and Alexander Isak doubled the lead four minutes later from Bradley Barcola's cut-back — his third league game in a row with a goal. Brighton, managed by Andoni Iraola, had only one shot on target and suffered their first defeat since August. Liverpool moved up to fourth, one point behind Brighton.
At Selhurst Park, Will Osula headed in Jacob Murphy's cross two minutes after half-time and Harvey Barnes added a second from Amar Dedić's cut-back, lifting Newcastle to seventh and increasing pressure on Palace manager Pierre Sage, whose side sit just above the drop zone.
At the MKM Stadium, Oli McBurnie scored his first Premier League goal in more than 900 days from the penalty spot after Aaron Hickey fouled Tim Iroegbunam, but Dango Ouattara equalised for Brentford from Igor Thiago's pass. Hull's winless run goes on.
Why it matters
A defeat this heavy at home, with the captain left out, turns Carrick's position into the biggest story in English football this week. United face a run of fixtures in the league and Europe with confidence low, and any change of manager would be the club's latest attempt to reset since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. For fans in Pakistan and across Asia — where United still have one of the largest followings of any club — the slump is now hard to ignore.
What happens next
United's board is expected to review the situation over the coming days, but no decision on Carrick has been announced. The Premier League's ninth round follows next weekend. Later on Sunday, the Spanish league hosts Barcelona against Real Madrid in El Clásico.
Questions people are asking
What was the score in Manchester United vs Bournemouth?
Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford on October 25, 2026. Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson scored the goals.
Why did Bruno Fernandes not play against Bournemouth?
Michael Carrick left the captain on the bench for the whole game. Fernandes had publicly criticised the team's tactics after the 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como; Carrick said the decision was purely for football reasons.
Where are Manchester United in the Premier League table?
After eight matches United are 16th, one point above the relegation zone, and have not won in eight games in the league.
