Manchester United 1-0 Bournemouth: Romelu Lukaku header gives Jose Mourinho's side nervy win

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There was hardly a hint of celebration from Romelu Lukaku. So much so, you had to check the Belgium striker wasn't offside when he headed Manchester United's winner at Old Trafford last night.

Lukaku turned away after scoring in the 25th minute without emotion. He briefly hugged Anthony Martial and eventually blew a couple of kisses towards the stands, but that was about it.

He couldn't have looked less impressed if someone had just hit him over the head with a plastic bottle or sprayed him with milk.

Romelu Lukaku (centre left) celebrates with his team-mates after giving Manchester United the lead against Bournemouth

Lukaku got the better of Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake to give United the lead on 25 minutes

The powerful Belgian striker watches on as his header flies towards the top corner of Asmir Begovic's goal

Anthony Martial (right) runs over to congratulate Lukaku after his effort at Old Trafford puts the hosts ahead 

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE 

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7.5; Valencia 6, Jones 7, Smalling 6, Shaw 6.5 (Young 83); Matic 6.5, McTominay 6; Lingard 6 (Herrera 71, 6), Mata 6, Martial 6.5 (Rashford 66, 7); Lukaku 6.5. 

Subs not used: Romero, Lindelof, Ibrahimovic, Blind.

Booked: Lukaku

Goal: Lukaku (25) 

Manager: Jose Mourinho 6.5

Bournemouth (4-4-1-1): Begovic 6.5; Smith 6, Francis 6.5, Ake 6, Daniels 7; Wilson 6 (Afobe 71, 6), Gosling 6 (Cook 77, 6), Arter 7, Fraser 6.5; Stanislas 6.5 (Defoe 71, 6); King 7. 

Subs not used: Boruc, Cook, Surman, Ibe.

Booked: Gosling, Arter

Manager: Eddie Howe 6

Referee: Graham Scott 7

Star man: David De Gea 

Attendance: 74,798

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CLICK HERE to view our brilliant Match Zone including the move for Romelu Lukaku's winner vs Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

 

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It has been that kind of time for Lukaku, and it was that kind of night for United.

Those prosperous early-season days when their £75million striker was scoring for fun and they matched Manchester City stride for stride have given way to a difficult winter.

Worse still, Lukaku had a hand in both City's goals here on Sunday and was then implicated in the unseemly aftermath when players from both teams brawled in the dressing-room area.

Jose Mourinho might not want to admit it, but City's win has taken the wind out of United's sails judging by this performance.

If he was hoping his players would prove otherwise, this was not the way to do it. 

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho (left) embraces Bournemouth counterpart Eddie Howe before kick-off

Mourinho rung some changes from the side that lost 2-1 at home by Manchester City on Sunday - with Luke Shaw starting

Scott McTominay (right) made his first Premier League start of the season - as Mourinho placed his faith in the young talent

After the passion of the derby they were sluggish here and hardly deserving of victory over a Bournemouth side who gave just as good as they got. David de Gea was United's busiest, and best, player.

Old Trafford struggled to rouse itself three days after that deflating derby defeat and fans were baying for the final whistle as the game ended with United on the ropes and Eddie Howe's side searching desperately for an equaliser.

Mourinho tried to put a brave face on it afterwards. There was no hangover, he insisted, and he doesn't believe the title race is over either.

'Fatigue, yes, but hangover no,' he said.

'The game was a big one, and a defeat does not help in your recovery. Victories help, defeats don't.

'I said we play match after match, and the next we have to try to win. We have a difficult one at West Brom. It is only over in May, if it is over now I go on holiday to Brazil or Los Angeles.' 

Phil Jones (right) was another in the United starting line-up - here he pressurises Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson

Jesse Lingard tries an acrobatic effort in the early stages of the Premier League encounter on Wednesday night

Mourinho gave Luke Shaw his first Premier League start of the season and played young Scott McTominay in midfield, and both justified their places.

But a disjointed United struggled to find any fluency in the teeming rain as their manager peeked out from under the hood of his grey anorak.

Bournemouth grew in confidence as the half wore on. De Gea was forced to palm away Charlie Daniels's shot after the Bournemouth No 11 had dribbled his way past four United players and let fly from the edge of the box.

He produced three more good saves to deny Ryan Gosling, Junior Stanislas and then Ryan Fraser right on the stroke of half-time.

Shaw and Phil Jones also managed to block attempts from Stanislas and Josh King, while Bournemouth captain Simon Francis lifted his shot over the bar when Fraser's corner dropped at his feet. 

Bournemouth left back Charlie Daniels drills a low effort towards goal that David de Gea does well to beat away

Bournemouth captain Simon Francis reacts after missing a great chance to equalise for the visitors

It was not what we expected from United, yet they scored from just about their only real clear chance of the first half.

It began with good work on the left from Martial who took on three Bournemouth defenders before laying the ball back to Juan Mata.

The little Spaniard clipped a cross towards the back post where Lukaku rose above Nathan Ake to head inside the near post.

The lack of emotion from Lukaku was evident. This has been a frustrating time for him, and there were moments here when it showed again.

Having escaped a booking for a late challenge on Ake early in the game, he was cautioned by Graham Scott for a second offence on Harry Arter who had earlier been hurt in a challenge with the Belgian.

Mourinho's first change of the evening saw Marcus Rashford come on in place of Martial 

And the 20-year-old nearly made an instant impact as this thunderous effort cannoned back off the near post

Bournemouth goalkeeper Begovic was beaten by the sublime strike, which saw Rashford desperately unlucky not to score

Martial should have doubled United's lead on the hour mark but was guilty of an awful miss in front of goal.

The France winger helped create the change in the first place, flicking the ball on into space for Lukaku in the penalty area.

The striker should perhaps have scored himself but Asmir Begovic came out to make a fine save with his left arm. The ball ran loose for Martial on the edge of the six-yard box but he hurried his shot and aimed well over the bar with Begovic out of his goal.

Martial was replaced shortly afterwards by Marcus Rashford who immediately raised the tempo and beat Begovic with a spectacular right-foot shot in the 72nd minute that cannoned back off the underside of the bar.

Mourinho gives Shaw a pat on the back for his encouraging display at left back - after a difficult start to the campaign

The miserable weather conditions didn't help matters at Old Trafford as neither side clicked into full gear

It got the fans off their seats on a night when it felt like there wasn't much else to shout about as news filtered through of City's thumping win at Swansea.

De Gea still had to make another smart save to deny substitute Jermain Defoe a late equaliser, and then clung on to a fierce effort from Fraser when Bournemouth won a free-kick on the edge of the box deep into injury-time.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, who now faces successive games against Liverpool, Chelsea and City, said: 'I'm very disappointed. I thought we were excellent and we deserved a lot more.

'We came with a game plan and the players delivered that. The frustration is they don't get the reward of a win.'

Bournemouth boss Howe cuts a crestfallen figure at full-time as he trudges off the pitch following their narrow defeat