Football writer Alex Keble analyses the sensational 4-4 draw between Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Monday.
In the minutes that followed the referee’s final whistle Old Trafford fell into stunned silence. Nobody could quite believe what they had witnessed. Nobody knew how to process one of the most frantic, chaotic, and bountiful matches in Premier League history.
Only the absence of a dramatic late winning goal – and David Brooks had two golden chances to do just that – prevents this game from becoming an instant classic, as iconic perhaps as Liverpool’s 4-3 victory over Newcastle United in April 1996, widely regarded as the greatest in the competition’s history.
Instead, a 4-4 draw left a strange empty feeling after what had come before: an utterly absurd football match that, by ending all square, somehow meant little to either side.
Nevertheless it was the best game of the 2025/26 season so far. The phrase “end-to-end” is perhaps overused. At Old Trafford it really was, virtually from the first kick to the last.
This, in so many ways, was what Manchester United fans have wanted to see: not just attacking football but even a back four in defence. Yet in conceding four, Ruben Amorim’s side also showed the perils of United supporters singing ‘‘attack, attack, attack’’ – and even, the perils of the defensive shape so many fans have been crying out for.
Watch: Highlights of Man Utd 4-4 Bournemouth
Amorim's formation changes – including a back four – creates brilliant attacking football
Man Utd haven’t played like that before under Amorim, and from the off it was a little different.
Leny Yoro, nominally in a back three, covered so far to the right – with right wing-back Amad stepping forward – that United essentially played in a “secret back four”, as Gary Neville called it on Sky Sports co-commentary.
Mason Mount, Amad, Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo supporting Matheus Cunha created an outstanding attacking performance from United in the first half, the positional interchanges dazzling Bournemouth centre-backs who simply could not keep track of the runners.
In the first half United produced the second-highest non-penalty Expected Goals (xG) of 2.49, most shots (17), and joint-most touches in the opposition’s box, with 30, of any side in the Premier League this season.
But Amorim went even further after the break.
Not long after Bournemouth had twice scored (more on that below), he made a series of substitutions and switched to a 4-2-4 formation.
Here it was for the very first time: Amorim’s back four. The results were mixed.
It made United light in central midfield, meaning Bournemouth could stream forward on the counter-attack, which they duly did.
However, to Amorim’s credit it was the sheer weight of attacking numbers that saw them win the free-kick from which Bruno Fernandes equalised and saw them counter to a fourth.
Indeed, in the build-up to Cunha’s strike there were so many United attackers on the pitch Mbeumo and substitute Benjamin Sesko actually bumped into each other en route to goal.
Defensive errors continue to undermine the team
Ultimately Man Utd will be disappointed to score four goals, attack so brilliantly, yet fail to win.
When the dust settles, that will be Amorim’s main conclusion, and he may blame familiar defensive errors that keep undermining his team’s progress.
Luke Shaw gave the ball away, then United failed to close Antoine Semenyo down, for the first Bournemouth goal; slack defending opened a gap for Evanilson to score the second; Senne Lammens’ positioning wasn’t quite right for Marcus Tavenier’s free-kick that put Bournemouth ahead; and Junior Kroupi stole between the centre-backs (mimicking the second goal) too easily for the fourth.
Bournemouth's first and fourth goals v Man Utd
It was a familiar feeling for Man Utd fans and for Amorim. Only six managers in Premier League history have kept clean sheets in a lower proportion of their tenure than his 14 per cent (min. 40 games).
But Amorim can take some of the blame for leaning too hard into the chaos.
At 4-3 to United, Amorim could have tried to seal up that wide-open 4-2-4 formation, but instead the carnage continued, giving Bournemouth numerous four-on-four attacks, ultimately leading to the equaliser – and almost a winner.
“At 4-3, I had that feeling we could continue to push for another one,” was Amorim’s explanation to Sky Sports, who also asked about his move to a back four.
“We are not winning games [because of] the details, it is not [about] back three, back four, or back five,” was his response.
That might be true. But today Amorim crossed the river. He played a back four. Whether it worked or not – whether it brought back ultra-attacking football and the ‘‘United way’’, or whether it caused all those concessions – is up for debate.
Tavernier and Semenyo lead Bournemouth's comebacks
Bournemouth, of course, deserve enormous praise for their part in the fun.
They became the first team ever to score three or more goals in three consecutive matches at Old Trafford, thanks to Andoni Iraola’s pulsating high-pressing football and commitment to pouring bodies forward.
The star was Tavernier, whose recent move into central midfield makes Bournemouth even more fluid and creative in the middle, and, therefore, more open too. Given both head coaches’ light-approach to central midfield, it’s little wonder it ended 4-4.
Tavernier assisted one and scored another, while Semenyo was a constant threat throughout, an important step for him as he ended a run of seven Premier League games without a goal.
Bournemouth may also be revived by this courageous performance, even though it extended their winless run to seven matches.
“We can use this performance to try to get the wins in the next game,” as Iraola put it to Sky Sports.
Amorim and Man Utd will be feeling the same way. They have won just two of their last seven encounters in the Premier League and none of their last three at home, which is far from ideal preparation as we enter the hectic festive period.
But all-out attacking football has returned to Old Trafford. So too has the back four. A crucial phase of the Amorim project is about to start.