In both sides' final Premier League battle before Christmas Day, Manchester United and Bournemouth collide at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
Ruben Amorim's hosts are at risk of spending December 25 in the bottom half of the Premier League table for the first time since the top flight's rebranding in 1992, and they come into the encounter on the back of an agonising 4-3 EFL Cup quarter-final loss to Tottenham Hotspur in midweek.
Meanwhile, the Cherries are firmly in the European mix approaching the halfway point of the season, but Andoni Iraola's men only just salvaged a point from a 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Monday.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.
© Imago
Head-to-head record
Previous meetings: 22
Man Utd wins: 14
Draws: 4
Bournemouth wins: 4
Owing to Bournemouth's extremely modest top-flight history, there have only ever been 22 competitive matches between Manchester United and the Cherries as of December 2024, and the Red Devils unsurprisingly lead the way in terms of victories.
Indeed, the 20-time English champions have beaten the Cherries 14 times from their 22 previous scraps while only suffering four defeats, and there have also just been four draws between the two outfits down the years.
However, the doomed Erik ten Hag failed to inspire wins over Bournemouth in either meeting during the 2023-24 Premier League season, where Iraola masterminded a magnificent 3-0 victory at Old Trafford, the Cherries' biggest win over the Red Devils to date.
Man United then needed a second-half Bruno Fernandes penalty to rescue a 2-2 stalemate at the Vitality Stadium in April 2024, although they have never gone three games without beating Bournemouth at any point in their history.
From December 2017 to May 2023, Man United won seven of their eight Premier League battles with Bournemouth, the one aberration being a 1-0 away loss in November 2019 thanks to a Josh King effort.
Man United's first-ever Premier League clash with Bournemouth in December 2015 also ended in defeat by a 2-1 scoreline, though, and they were the victims of a shock FA Cup third-round exit to the Cherries - then a third-tier side - in 1984.
The Red Devils quickly avenged that upset with a 3-0 third-round triumph exactly one year later, and they also hit Bournemouth for six when the teams first met in the 1948-49 FA Cup.
He may be out in the cold at Old Trafford right now, but Marcus Rashford is the top scorer in matches between Man United and Bournemouth, netting five times against the Cherries down the years.
Last 20 meetings
Apr 13, 2024: Bournemouth 2-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
Dec 09, 2023: Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth (Premier League)
May 20, 2023: Bournemouth 0-1 Man Utd (Premier League)
Jan 03, 2023: Man Utd 3-0 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Jul 04, 2020: Man Utd 5-2 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Nov 02, 2019: Bournemouth 1-0 Man Utd (Premier League)
Dec 30, 2018: Man Utd 4-1 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Nov 03, 2018: Bournemouth 1-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
Apr 18, 2018: Bournemouth 0-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
Dec 13, 2017: Man Utd 1-0 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Mar 04, 2017: Man Utd 1-1 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Aug 14, 2016: Bournemouth 1-3 Man Utd (Premier League)
May 17, 2016: Man Utd 3-1 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Dec 12, 2015: Bournemouth 2-1 Man Utd (Premier League)
Feb 22, 1989: Man Utd 1-0 Bournemouth (FA Cup Fifth Round Replay)
Feb 18, 1989: Bournemouth 1-1 Man Utd (FA Cup Fifth Round)
Jan 05, 1985: Man Utd 3-0 Bournemouth (FA Cup Third Round)
Jan 07, 1984: Bournemouth 2-0 Man Utd (FA Cup Third Round)
Oct 26, 1982: Bournemouth 2-2 Man Utd (League Cup Second Round)
Oct 06, 1982: Man Utd 2-0 Bournemouth (League Cup Second Round)
Last 10 Premier League meetings
Apr 13, 2024: Bournemouth 2-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
Dec 09, 2023: Man Utd 0-3 Bournemouth (Premier League)
May 20, 2023: Bournemouth 0-1 Man Utd (Premier League)
Jan 03, 2023: Man Utd 3-0 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Jul 04, 2020: Man Utd 5-2 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Nov 02, 2019: Bournemouth 1-0 Man Utd (Premier League)
Dec 30, 2018: Man Utd 4-1 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Nov 03, 2018: Bournemouth 1-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
Apr 18, 2018: Bournemouth 0-2 Man Utd (Premier League)
Dec 13, 2017: Man Utd 1-0 Bournemouth (Premier League)
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Ben Knapton
