Bournemouth beat Manchester United 3-0 as Bruno Fernandes watches from the bench

Bournemouth beat Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, and the defeat left United just one point above the relegation zone, the bottom three places that send clubs down a division.

Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson scored for the hosts. Evanilson's finish settled the match and made it 3-0. It was Bournemouth's fourth straight win over United, and it ended a run in which United had gone eight games without a win. Their last victory had come on 10 September.

The biggest talking point came before kick-off. Bruno Fernandes, one of United's best-known players, was left out of the squad entirely and did not come on at any point. Head coach Michael Carrick said the decision was made for “pure football” reasons. Fernandes had publicly criticised Carrick in the days before the match, and he had not apologised by the weekend.

Harry Maguire captained the side in Fernandes's place. Maguire had lost the armband to Fernandes in July 2023, so the Sunday change put him back in charge of the team on the pitch.

United also have an off-field story to deal with. Lisandro Martínez has apologised for criticising Jason Wilcox, the club's director of football, but he did not say sorry to Wilcox directly.

The result has also started a conversation about the future. Reports say Eddie Howe, the Bournemouth manager, is the favourite to take over at Old Trafford and is open to the job. Nothing has been announced.

For United, the immediate problem is simple to describe and harder to fix. They have scored too few goals and conceded too easily in a season that is already tight at the bottom of the table. Carrick now has to find a team that can win again, and quickly.