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Ibrahimovic misses penalty as Manchester United held at home by Bournemouth

Bournemouth celebrate their equaliser
Bournemouth celebrate their equaliser

Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a penalty and could face a retrospective ban from the Football Association after Manchester United were held to 1-1 Premier League draw by 10-man Bournemouth.

The match-winner in last weekend’s EFL Cup final, Ibrahimovic has performed majestically in his debut season in English football but he stole the show for all the wrong reasons against Bournemouth, whose manager Eddie Howe grappled with a bout of illness on the touchline throughout an ill-tempered contest.

In pictures: Manchester United v Bournemouth

Read more: Ref loses control in ugly Zlatan/Mings clash – then he forgets to send off player

Artur Borucs brilliantly saves Ibrahimovic's penalty
Artur Borucs brilliantly saves Ibrahimovic’s penalty

Marcos Rojo’s maiden Premier League goal gave United a deserved 23rd-minute lead before ex-Red Devils youngster Josh King levelled from the penalty spot.

Ibrahimovic then found himself embroiled in a flashpoint on the stroke of half-time, when Tyrone Mings trod on his head and he responded by elbowing the Bournemouth defender.

Read more: Zlatan insists ‘Mings jumped into my elbow’

Referee Kevin Friend lost control of the action at that stage as the United favourite escaped further punishment and Andrew Surman received a second booking – the red card came after an embarrassing delay as Friend briefly forgot the yellow he showed the midfielder for a 33rd-minute foul on Luke Shaw.

Read more: Rooney demands action against Mings after ‘stamp’

Ibrahimovic could not make the most of his reprieve as the excellent Artur Boruc saved his 72nd-minute penalty and Jose Mourinho’s sixth-placed side miss out on the chance to go fourth.

Wayne Rooney was back in the United starting line-up and the home captain, along with Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were guilty of early wastefulness as Bournemouth were cut open at will.

Josh King fires home from the penalty spot
Josh King fires home from the penalty spot

Cherries striker Benik Afobe lost his footing when one-on-one with David de Gea but the Spain international’s opposite number Artur Boruc remained the busier of the two as he got down to thwart Anthony Martial.

Michael Carrick threaded a magnificent 20th-minute pass through to Martial as Boruc stood firm again and it took a less familiar source to give United the lead.

Carrick played conductor once more, exchanging passes with Pogba and laying the ball out to Antonio Valencia, whose drilled attempt into the box was turned home by Rojo.

The flow of chances quelled after the opener and Bournemouth levelled six minutes before the break – King crashing in a penalty in front of the Stretford End after Phil Jones clumsily felled Marc Pugh.

Marcos Rojo puts United 1-0 up
Marcos Rojo puts United 1-0 up

Ibrahimovic was booked for dissent following that decision and the fired-up Swede was at the centre of a fractious and confused end to the half.

When looking to regain ground following a tackle on Rooney, Mings trod on Ibrahimovic’s head. Retribution was swift as United’s top scorer elbowed the full-back when the ball entered the Bournemouth box moments later.

In the ensuing melee, Surman shoved Ibrahimovic and was shown a yellow card. It was only as Friend neglected to do likewise to the ex-PSG star that he remembered Surman was previously booked and the Bournemouth man belatedly saw red.

Pogba tested Boruc from long range in the 56th minute as an air of normality returned to proceedings.

The France midfielder then won a free-kick in a dangerous position but Ibrahimovic shot limply into the wall, compounding a frustrating outing.

With 20 minutes left to play, Mourinho unfurled a three-card trick in an attempt to find a way through – Shaw, Carrick and Rooney making way for Jesse Lingard, Marouane Fellaini and Marcus Rashford.

Nevertheless, Ibrahimovic remained flailing at centre stage. After Pogba drew a 71st-minute handball from Adam Smith, the 35-year-old’s penalty was not struck cleanly and too close to Boruc, who saved to his right.

Harry Arter should have received a second caution for a lunging tackle on Pogba, whose combined air shot and standing leg effort at close quarters in stoppage time added a fitting final note of farce.

Key Opta stats

  • Manchester United failed to win at Old Trafford against a side who had a man sent off for just the ninth time in Premier League history (W30 D9 L0).

  • The Red Devils’ unbeaten Premier League run has been extended to 17 games (W9 D8), and they haven’t conceding more than once in a game during that run (10 goals conceded).

  • Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a penalty in a league game for the first time since September 2015 for PSG against Guingamp – he had scored six consecutively before his failure today.

  • Artur Boruc was the first goalkeeper to save a penalty against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League since Boaz Myhill in May 2015.

David de Gea denies Bournemouth's Benik Afobe
David de Gea denies Bournemouth’s Benik Afobe
  • Boruc has saved four of the last seven penalties he’s faced in the Premier League.

  • Josh King was only the 14th player in Premier League history to score a penalty at Old Trafford for the opposing side.

  • King’s goal was Bournemouth’s only shot on target in the entire match.

  • Bournemouth have scored all seven of their Premier League penalties this season, more than any other side.

  • Marcos Rojo scored his first Premier League goal in his 54th appearance – he was the 40th Argentinian to score in the competition and the fifth to do so for the Red Devils after Juan Sebastian Veron, Gabriel Heinze, Carlos Tevez and Angel Di Maria.

  • United have mustered 20+ shots without winning four times in the Premier League this season, more than any other side.