Maguire sent off as Manchester United held by Bournemouth in controversial draw

Harry Maguire endured a difficult return to the spotlight following his England recall, receiving a red card and conceding a late penalty as Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth on the south coast, Sport360NG reports. 

Michael Carrick’s side appeared on course to secure an eighth win in 10 matches and boost their push for Champions League qualification, but were ultimately forced to settle for a point after a dramatic finish.

Maguire was dismissed with 12 minutes remaining after pulling back Evanilson inside the box, with the referee awarding a penalty. Bournemouth’s teenage forward Junior Kroupi calmly converted the spot-kick to level the score for a second time.

United captain Bruno Fernandes, who had earlier opened the scoring from the penalty spot, expressed frustration after the match, insisting his side should have been awarded another penalty in the first half. He pointed to a similar incident involving Adrien Truffert’s challenge on Amad Diallo that went unpunished.

“It’s more or less the same situation,” Fernandes said. “One is given as a penalty and the other isn’t. I don’t understand why VAR didn’t intervene. Either both are penalties or neither is.”

Bournemouth had earlier responded quickly after falling behind, with Ryan Christie drilling home to make it 1-1 shortly after Fernandes’ opener.

United regained the lead in fortunate circumstances when James Hill diverted the ball into his own net, but their advantage proved short-lived following Maguire’s late error.

Despite the draw, United remain third in the Premier League, extending their lead over Liverpool and Chelsea ahead of their weekend fixtures. However, Carrick’s side will feel they missed an opportunity to claim all three points after creating several chances.

Djorde Petrovic impressed in goal for Bournemouth, producing key saves to deny both Amad Diallo and Fernandes in the first half, while Truffert also made a crucial defensive block.

United eventually broke the deadlock just after the hour mark when Matheus Cunha’s skill drew a foul in the area, allowing Fernandes to convert from the spot.

However, Andoni Iraola’s side continued to pose a threat and were rewarded when Christie’s composed finish brought them level again.

Bournemouth nearly took the lead when Alex Scott struck the crossbar, before Maguire’s late sending-off shifted momentum once more.

The result marks Bournemouth’s fifth consecutive draw and extends their unbeaten run in the league to 11 matches, leaving them 10th in the table.

After the match, Carrick echoed Fernandes’ frustration over the officiating.

“We should have had another penalty,” he said. “It was virtually identical. To give one and not the other is hard to understand. It changed the game completely.”