Substitute Kroupi nets equaliser in 4-4 draw that included two incredible free-kicks and quickfire goals

Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth delivered an early Christmas cracker as eight different players scored in a sensational 4-4 draw at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim's side twice went ahead in a breathless first half, with Amad and Casemiro on target either side of Antoine Semenyo's breakaway strike.

And the action did not let up after the interval as Bournemouth netted twice in six minutes to flip the script, with Marcus Tavernier assisting Evanilson then getting on the scoresheet himself with a driven free-kick.

Man Utd launched a turnaround of their own as Bruno Fernandes curled a sublime free-kick into the top corner and Matheus Cunha made it 4-3 two minutes later.

However, they could not hold on as Junior Kroupi's finish earned Bournemouth a share of the spoils, and the Cherries twice went close through David Brooks in a lengthy period of stoppage time.

While the point lifts United to sixth in the Premier League, Bournemouth climb to 13th, despite their winless run stretching to seven games.

How the match unfolded

United set the tone 13 minutes in. Diogo Dalot crossed from the left, and though Cunha failed to connect with a header, Djordje Petrovic was forced to parry, and Amad gratefully nodded home.

Bournemouth drew level in the 40th minute, with Semenyo finishing neatly following Luke Shaw's giveaway, though United restored their lead as Casemiro's downward header squirmed past Petrovic in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.

However, Bournemouth stunned their hosts with a quickfire double at the start of the second half, with Evanilson tucking home 38 seconds after the interval before Tavernier whipped a free-kick beyond Senne Lammens' grasp in the 52nd minute.

But after a wild miss from Bryan Mbeumo, Fernandes curled his own fine dead-ball effort into the top-right corner with 13 minutes of normal time remaining.

Cunha then latched on to a deflected centre from Benjamin Sesko to make it 4-3.

Yet Bournemouth did not give in, and five minutes later they were level again as Kroupi finished smartly after a powerful run from Alex Jimenez and the Cherries might have won it had Lammens not twice denied Brooks in the closing moments.

One point gained for United, or two dropped?

Stunned silence enveloped Old Trafford when Simon Hooper called time on what was surely the most thrilling game of this Premier League season to date.

It might be difficult for United's supporters to know what to make of it all. United threw three separate leads away and will be extremely frustrated by the way they were carved open for Kroupi's goal, while they also could have lost the game in second-half stoppage time.

However, there will also be a sense of excitement at having seen United's attackers pour forward in search of goals for 100 minutes, with Amad, Cunha and Fernandes all superb.

Fernandes' free-kick was surely the pick of the goals, though Bournemouth captain Adam Smith was irked by the handball decision that led to it, while Cunha could have had an assist to go with his strike, had Mbeumo not thumped the Brazilian’s wonderful right-wing cross over the bar in the first half.

Amorim's side have been criticised for failing to exert control, and that was certainly an issue here, but there were plenty of positives to take from their electric attacking play – particularly after Man Utd scored just 44 Premier League goals last season.

United return to action at Aston Villa on Sunday, with Newcastle United the next visitors to Old Trafford.

Bournemouth get back to Iraola's basics

Bournemouth were being touted as European hopefuls when they followed up an opening-day defeat to Liverpool with an eight-game unbeaten run, but after six matches without a win, they came into this contest a lowly 15th.

Andoni Iraola's side are known for their intense approach out of possession, so he will have been disappointed to see them outworked by United in the early stages, with United press suffocating their visitors.

But Bournemouth started to carry more threat after Tavernier spurned a headed chance at 1-0 down, and from that moment on, they looked far more like the team that was flying high just a few weeks ago.

The Cherries' first goal came from some fierce pressure that forced a mix-up between Mason Mount and Shaw, as Bournemouth exploited the glaring gaps in front of United's back three to flip the game on its head early in the second half.

Tavernier popped up in a No 10 position to thread Evanilson through for Bournemouth's second, then showcased his dead-ball prowess for their third and after he was withdrawn, his replacement Brooks had two big chances to win it.

Iraola will be displeased with the loss of shape that led to Cunha's goal, but scoring four times at Old Trafford – even if it was not enough for three points – should give them a major confidence boost ahead of hosting Burnley on Saturday.

What the manager said

Ruben Amorim: "It's the details that we need to work, understand the momentum of the game and we need to be clinical. Again, today against a very good team, we created many chances to win the game, and we should have won the three points."

Andoni Iraola: "It's very difficult to explain because so much happened.

"I suppose it was entertaining for everyone. Two teams that attacked much better than we defended. We played quite open, both teams.

"Everything happened even in stoppage time. A lot of positives."

Key facts

Tavernier has both scored and assisted in a Premier League for the third time, more than three years since the first two occasions in November 2022 (against Leeds United and Everton).

Man Utd failed to win a Premier League game in which they’ve scored 4+ goals in for the third time after Everton in April 2012 (4-4) and West Bromwich Albion in May 2013 (5-5).

United have failed to win each of their last three home Premier League games (D2 L1), having won five of their previous six on home soil (L1).

Bournemouth are the first side in top-flight history to score 3+ goals in three successive away games at Manchester United. (Premier League)

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