Manchester United’s Champions League hopes appear to be over after a controversial 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.
United came from behind twice at the Vitality Stadium but can count themselves lucky to come away with a point after another disastrous defensive display.
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A controversial Bruno Fernandes penalty earned the Red Devils a draw, but defensive issues continue to pose a problem for Erik ten Hag.
And they were lucky not to end up on the losing side after Bournemouth were denied a late penalty.
Ryan Christie sprinted into the box before being fouled by Willy Kambwala, with the referee pointing the finger.
However, VAR replays showed the incident could have happened just centimeters from the box.
But the decision was so close that not everyone was convinced, including talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara, who said on GameDay Phone-In: “It’s a bit of a mess, it’s going to spark a controversy.
“His foot was on the line, and if you’re on the line, you’re in the box. A penalty for me.”
A free kick was given much to the fury of the home fans and coach Andoni Iraola, which was missed by Enes Unal, but it was even more disappointing for the Red Devils at the back.
United have kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League since February 5 – a 2-0 win over team-shy Everton.
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And visitors have often been the architects of their own downfall.
Kambwala made back-to-back Premier League starts for the first time, but the 19-year-old looked shaky alongside Harry Maguire, stumbling as Dominic Solanke opened the scoring.
The former Liverpool star has thus entered Bournemouth history.
United managed to equalize after Fernandes scored from close range, but the home side took the lead again when Justin Kluivert marched through on goal unchallenged to smash past Andre Onana.
And even though Bournemouth largely dominated throughout the second half, they would regret not having capitalized on their superiority.
Fernandes equalized from the penalty spot when Adam Smith was harshly adjudged to have handled in the box as the Portugal international made no mistake from the spot.
The result leaves United seventh on 50 points and ten points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with six games remaining.
But with one win in seven Premier League matches, they could be more worried about the teams below them.
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