Bournemouth Fans Aspire for European Glory Following Impressive Victory Over Man Utd
“It doesn’t happen a lot that you come to this kind of stadium and win 3-0,” reflected Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola following his side’s authoritative demolition of Manchester United at the iconic Old Trafford.
Full Time
C. Pawson
Yet, the Cherries are beginning to carve out a formidable reputation at the Theatre of Dreams, as they showcased their prowess for the second time in just a year.
This latest victory marked a repeat of December 2023, when the visitors left Old Trafford with a similar scoreline thanks to goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing, and Marcos Senesi – a historical moment that celebrated their very first triumph at this storied venue.
On this occasion, it was the 19-year-old Dean Huijsen who ignited the celebration with the opening goal, swiftly followed by Justin Kluivert’s expertly converted penalty before Antoine Semenyo sent the travelling fans into raptures with the third, cropping up to croon, “Man United, it’s happened again.”
As the festive season looms, Manchester United finds themselves languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table for the first time in their storied history, while Bournemouth soars to a remarkable fifth place—an unprecedented high for the club at this stage of the season.
With 28 points from 17 fixtures, the Cherries have outstripped their tally from the previous season at this mark by six points, an encouraging sign for their ambitions.
As they head into the holiday season, Bournemouth finds themselves positioned two spots ahead of the struggling Manchester City and just three points shy of the coveted top four.
‘I don’t want to jinx it’
Stepping into the managerial shoes of Gary O’Neil last June, Iraola inked a two-year deal and has since transformed Bournemouth’s fortunes, guiding them to a record-breaking 48 points last season—an all-time high in their Premier League journey.
In their eighth campaign in the Premier League, the Cherries have already secured victories over heavyweights such as Arsenal (2-0 at home), Manchester City (2-1 at home), and Tottenham (1-0 at home), adding United to that illustrious list in 2024-25.
“It feels great, back-to-back wins at Old Trafford – my second time here and my second win,” expressed forward Antoine Semenyo to BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We know we have a good team and we are taking it game-by-game. I am not going to say too much and I don’t want to jinx it.”
Michael Brown, a former Manchester City midfielder, was present at Old Trafford for 5 Live and extolled Bournemouth’s performance, stating, “I have got to give Bournemouth credit with their composure.” He further emphasized, “They have stuck to their structure and defended in good numbers. Their workrate for each other is really good.”
Justin Kluivert won and scored a penalty for Bournemouth’s second
‘We are not a tall team’
Bournemouth, who are set to host Crystal Palace on 26 December, boast an impressive undefeated run in their last five Premier League outings, with four remarkable victories under their belt.
Huijsen, the prodigious talent who unlocked the scoring at Old Trafford, was lured from Juventus for a sizable initial fee of £12.8 million this past summer.
This latest goal marked the promising teenager’s second in his nascent career, following his pivotal match-winner against Tottenham on 5 December.
“We have lost [injured] Marcos Senesi, who is a great centre-back for us and very important for the team,” lamented Iraola.
“We are not a very tall team, but with Dean, he is a very tall centre-back. He believes in himself – even in this stadium.”
The absence of Dominic Solanke, who struck an impressive 19 goals last season, has undoubtedly been a significant setback for the Cherries.
Nevertheless, they have remarkably netted in their last ten Premier League matches—a telling indicator of their attacking prowess.
Kluivert, the architect of the second goal with his determined run to win the penalty, now stands as Bournemouth’s top scorer in the league with six goals this season.
‘We have big aspirations’
With a backdrop of Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham all struggling for form, the tantalizing prospect of European qualification is looming large for Bournemouth—an unprecedented feat for the South Coast club.
The vocal Cherries supporters serenaded their aspirations for Europe throughout the match at Old Trafford.
“I think they have to enjoy it a lot because normally it doesn’t happen a lot of times that you come to these stadiums,” Iraola remarked, highlighting the rarity of such triumphs.
“I’ve come as a player, and it’s difficult to achieve this kind of result, so obviously we have to enjoy, they have to enjoy.
“But we know how much it costs to win one Premier League game, just one against anyone.”
Iraola emphasized the hard-earned nature of Premier League victories, stating, “To win one Premier League game is very, very difficult, so we have to continue the same way; otherwise, the results will be much worse, for sure.”
In December 2023, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley expressed confidence that the club could reach European competitions within five years.
In a more recent interview, he asserted: “We have big aspirations, but we are patient. Our goal this year is modest. Can we move to the top eight or nine, maybe even sneak into Europe?”
He added, “Our real goal is to play in Europe, to give our players a chance to experience Europe and do it with little Bournemouth.”
Should Bournemouth continue their impressive form as exemplified by their display at Old Trafford, fans may soon be digging out their passports for a European adventure.
