
AFC Bournemouth cruised past Premier League giants Manchester United in December 2023, gaining royal status simultaneously.
Andoni Iraola's side joined an elite list of three teams who have gone to the 'Theatre of Dreams' and come away winning with a three-nil scoreline this season.
The two other teams to have achieved this are current champions Manchester City, with a dominant win in the Premier League, and Eddie Howe's Newcastle United, who exposed the Red Devils' frailties in the Carabao Cup.
The pain inflicted by an unexpected defeat to the Cherries indicates Erik ten Hag and his team will be seeking redemption on their trip to the Vitality Stadium.
UEFA Champions League qualification also seems to be a distant hope for the Dutchman, after dropping points late on against Liverpool in a dramatic 2-2 draw last weekend.
If United cannot chase down Tottenham and Aston Villa, the focus will be on securing Europa League football, which may be a harder task with West Ham United, Newcastle and Chelsea all on their tail.
Sitting on their path to European football are Bournemouth, who look like an unstoppable force at home right now.
In their last three games at the Vitality, Bournemouth have picked up every single available point, scoring seven goals and conceding three.
However, they have never won four home matches in a row in the Premier League, indicating Manchester United could get their revenge.
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So, how can United stop Bournemouth this time around?
In their loss against the Cherries before Christmas, United were undone by Iraola's use of high pressing.
Ten Hag's defenders failed to monitor this high press for two of the three goals they conceded.
Complacency on the ball was a big factor that impacted Bournemouth's success in winning the ball high up the pitch.
However, these errors on the ball were a testament to Bournemouth's unrivalled determination in transition from defence to attack.
Ten Hag's men will certainly have to tighten up at the back if they want to come away with the all-important three points.
On the day, United also lacked a killer-instinct finish in front of the goal, recording no clear-cut chances despite attempting 20 shots.
Meanwhile, the Cherries only recorded 10 attempts towards the goal of Andre Onana, with four being on target.
That killer finish is something United have clearly lacked this campaign, having failed to close games out as well.
From winning positions, United have dropped more points this season than in any of their previous Premier League campaigns.
This shows that they need to reinforce their backline with substitutions late on; something ten Hag has often been criticised for missing this season.
However, with the likes of Scott McTominay, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane all out with injuries, the Dutchman has a limited amount of players he can turn to.
McTominay's absence is arguably the biggest, as he has won the most points as a substitute out of anyone in the league this season, with seven.
Despite missing the Scotsman's goal-scoring ability, United still have potency in abundance as their front three of Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Antony have hurt teams recently.
Combining for goals against Chelsea and Liverpool, the trio look a real threat.
But Bournemouth also have a threat up top in Dominic Solanke, who has been causing havoc for every side this season.
Solanke caused many problems for United's defence in December's fixture and also got himself a goal.
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So, how do United stop the Englishman?
Solanke, alongside Phillip Billing and Marcos Senesi, could join Joshua King as the only Bournemouth player to score against United both home and away in one Premier League campaign.
Former United player King's double was in 2018/2019.
Despite not scoring in his last two fixtures, Solanke is still one of the main contenders for the Golden Boot, sitting three goals behind Erling Haaland who is on 19.
However, the 26-year-old can be stopped - indeed he has been in the past two games against Luton Town and Crystal Palace.
With his style of play being diverse, it makes him very hard to stop.
He can pick the ball up and drive forward, score in the air and is a sniper inside of the box, but if marked correctly his game can be hindered.
Staying tight to Bournemouth's top goalscorer will be key to how he will play as it will limit his creation, as well as his range for getting shots away.
Consequently, if Solanke is man-marked, ten Hag could have a very good chance of getting redemption over Iraola this weekend.

