BOURNEMOUTH MOVE FIFTH TOP WITH IMPRESSIVE OLD TRAFFORD WIN

Manchester United will remain in the bottom half of the top flight table at Christmas for the first time since 1989 after they slumped to another grim 3-0 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

Andoni Iraola’s clinical side emulated their winning scoreline at the same venue a year ago with goals from Dean Huijsen (29′), a Justin Kluivert penalty (61′) and Antoine Semenyo (63′) firing The Cherries fifth top above Aston Villa on goal difference.

Much of the talk beforehand centred around England forward Marcus Rashford again being dropped from Ruben Amorim’s squad for a third-straight match, but it is doubtful he would have prevented his side slumping to their latest self-harming defeat.

The visitors never looked back after Huijsen headed home from a Ryan Christie free-kick, with Noussair Mazraoui bringing down Kluivert for the needless concession of a penalty two minutes before Semenya finished off a fine break for the killer third.

United are 13th in the standings and return to action at Wolves on Boxing Day, with Bournemouth hosting Crystal Palace.