PREM: Manchester United 4-1 Bournemouth

Paul Pogba scores twice

Man-of-the-match Paul Pogba scored twice as Manchester United beat Bournemouth 4-1 at Old Trafford to maintain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 100 per cent start as caretaker manager.

Pogba had United ahead on five minutes, finishing off from close range after magnificent skill by Marcus Rashford, and he added a second on 33 minutes, heading home a wicked Ander Herrera cross ahead of Asmir Begovic.

Rashford got in on the act with a deft touch on the stretch from Anthony Martial's brilliant lofted pass (45), but United failed to keep a clean sheet for the eighth straight game as Nathan Ake's header made it 3-1 (45+2).

Romelu Lukaku scored two minutes after being introduced (72), converting Pogba's lifted pass, but Eric Bailly was dismissed for a rash challenge on Ryan Fraser (79).

The result means United are now eight points off fourth place in the Premier League following their third straight win under Solskjaer, while Bournemouth are 12th.

Having scored eight in their previous two games, there was a confident air around Old Trafford, and it did not take long for United to get going again. In a tight situation near the right corner flag, Rashford skilfully flicked past Ake then Diego Rico before getting into the area to square for Pogba to slide home from six yards.

 

Rashford then nearly had a goal for himself as his half-volley deflected off Ake's face and whistled wide, while at the other end Ake himself saw a close-range header from a corner deflect goalwards off Herrera, only for David de Gea to produce a reflex save.

Just as Bournemouth looked to be finding their feet, Pogba struck again. Latching onto Herrera's fine, curling cross, the Frenchman piled in to head on the stretch as Begovic struggled to punch clear.

Pogba has now scored four goals in his last two Premier League appearances under Solskjaer, as many as he had in his previous 20 under Jose Mourinho.

It was 3-0 just before the break as Rashford arrived between defenders at the far post to slide home Martial's superb ball from the right with the outside of his boot, but there was still time for Ake to pull a goal back before half-time with a near-post header from David Brooks' lifted cross.

 

The tempo slowed slightly after half time, with Rashford's effort blocked by Begovic at his feet, until Lukaku's introduction on 70 minutes.

Letting the ball run across his body as he got on the end of Pogba's through ball, the Belgian poked past Begovic from 15 yards for a much-needed goal, just his third in 18 appearances.

Pogba then hit the bottom of the left-hand post from 20 yards via a stunning touch from Begovic, before Bailly found himself in trouble, sent off by Lee Mason for a nasty scissor challenge on Fraser.