Graeme Souness: Arsenal can win the league… but Man United can’t

“I think the three points were very important, more than the way we played”, said Pellegrini.

Manchester United have lost something far more significant than ten players to injury.

The summer was dominated by talk of Olivier Giroud not being good enough to lead a Premier League title challenge, and even Arsene Wenger appeared to agree when he dropped the Frenchman in favour of Theo Walcott. “We can do a lot of talking but it’s about results and, starting next week, we have to go on a run”.

The back-to-back victories mean Howe’s side are now 14th in the table, above Jose Mourinho’s Blues, as they look to secure a second season in the top flight.

“As soon as we have seen that, and obviously on the back of the confidence of last week [a 1-0 win against Chelsea] – and they had a very hard game in Europe this week – with all the factors, we really fancied ourselves”.

The loss capped a disastrous week for United and manager Louis van Gaal, with the Red Devils sent packing from the Champions League mid-week after a 3-2 loss to Wolsfburg. Next season however could be a completely different story.

Perez was the beating heart of Steve McClaren’s side once he was introduced, and while Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will be disappointed not to have kept out his injury-time effort, it was a lovely piece of control and execution from the Spaniard.

“It’s as much the football that they’re playing – or not playing – that the criticism is there”. Having defeated the reigning Premier League champions, Chelsea, last weekend, Bournemouth showed no signs of slowing down, defeating the 20-time Premier League Champions. With clubs like these finding a way to succeed, established names such as Aston Villa are in big trouble.

After producing what manager Eddie Howe felt was his best performance of the season, the Ireland global added: “I just felt that coming in and trying to take my mind off things would make it a little bit easier, and my family would want me to play”.

“And then to come to Bournemouth, we wanted to bounce back and we tried to bounce back and to fall short like we have is doubly disappointing”.

Bournemouth toppled United 2-0 in 1984’s FA Cup under Harry Redknapp, with current boss Howe admitting he perhaps undervalued that achievement in cherishing his side’s victory over Chelsea last week.