Five minutes before half-time settled it at Old Trafford

Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth: United had most of the ball, but two goals before half-time and a third late on decided the match.

Five minutes before half-time at Old Trafford, Bournemouth were two goals up, and Manchester United had spent much of the first half with the ball. United finished with 62% possession, against their usual 54.3%. Possession simply means how long a side keeps the ball, and United kept it longer than they normally do, yet it did them no good.

The first goal came in the 38th minute, when Rayan scored after a pass from Justin Kluivert. Marcus Tavernier doubled the lead five minutes later, assisted by Adrien Truffert, and Francisco Evanilson sealed it in the 71st minute with help from Lewis Cook. Tavernier and Evanilson were the two highest-rated players on the card, Tavernier on 8.2 and Evanilson on 8.1, which reflects how much their goals mattered.

Football's measure of chance quality is expected goals, or xG, which adds up how likely each shot was to go in. Bournemouth's xG came to 2.23, almost exactly their usual 2.2, so their chances were ordinary for them, though well above the league's typical 1.39. United's chances were far weaker than their own norm: 14 shots, fewer than their usual 18.4, and an xG of 0.91 against a usual 1.97.

The contrast is in what happened to the shots. United had seven efforts from inside the box and seven from outside it, while Bournemouth had nine from inside and just one from distance. Bournemouth's 10 shots were fewer than their usual 15, but four of them were on target and three went in, which says more about where those shots were taken than how many there were.

United's defence had to handle chances worth more than they usually allow. They normally concede around 1.48 xG per match, and Bournemouth's chances came to 2.23. United also conceded three goals, against a season average of 1.4 per match. Bournemouth's three goals were well above their usual 1.3 scored away from home.

Four United players were booked, against one for Bournemouth, and Harry Maguire's yellow card came in the final minute of the first half. Both sides made their changes in the closing stages, with Bournemouth making five late substitutions in the 87th minute alone. None of that altered the scoreline, which had already been settled before the interval.

In the table, United are 15th with seven points from seven games, and Bournemouth are 17th with six from the same number of matches.

Player of the matchM. Tavernier1 goal8.2

Evanilson1 goal8.1

J. Kluivert1 assist7.7

António Silva6 duels won7.5