It was a night that had everything — two penalties, an own goal, a red card, and a manager on the touchline barely able to contain his fury. Manchester United drew 2-2 at Bournemouth on Friday evening, dropping two points that will sting in a tight top-four race.
The timing made it worse. Harry Maguire had woken up on Friday to the best news he had received in months — a recall to Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, his first call-up since September 2024. By 9pm, that positive news had been completely overshadowed. Maguire, chasing Bournemouth striker Evanilson in the 78th minute with United leading 2-1, hauled him to the ground inside the box. Referee Stuart Attwell showed a straight red card and pointed to the spot. Junior Kroupi stepped up and levelled — 2-2.
Bruno Fernandes had given United the lead with a 61st-minute penalty, Ryan Christie equalised for the Cherries six minutes later, and a flick off James Hill from a Fernandes corner restored United's advantage. Three goals in eleven minutes, a sending off, and a penalty. Bournemouth drew their fifth consecutive match. United dropped two points they could not afford.
Michael Carrick was not hiding how he felt afterwards. He described Attwell's decisions as "baffling" and "astonishing" — in particular the contrast between the penalty given against Maguire and the apparent foul on Amad Diallo earlier in the second half that went unpunished.
United remain third in the Premier League with 55 points from 31 games — six behind Manchester City, four ahead of Aston Villa. The result ends a run of two consecutive wins under Carrick and serves as a reminder that the top-four race is far from settled. Maguire now faces a suspension at exactly the wrong moment, with the EFL Cup Final at Wembley against Man City on Sunday afternoon.
