Casemiro scored the only goal of the match as Manchester United recorded a 1-0 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The victory has moved the fourth-placed Red Devils onto 69 points in the table, three clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp’s side drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa at Anfield.
The 20-time English champions still have a game in hand on the Reds and therefore need just one point from their last two matches to be guaranteed a top-four spot in the division, while they are level on points with third-placed Newcastle United ahead of their final two matches.
Man United were unchanged from their 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, with leading goalscorer Marcus Rashford again missing out, this time through illness.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, had David Brooks in their XI, with the attacker, who fully recovered from cancer last year, starting for the Cherries for the first time in 598 days.
The first half-chance of the match came for the visitors in the fifth minute, with Casemiro finding space outside the penalty box, but the midfielder’s effort never threatened to trouble Neto between the Bournemouth sticks, and Bruno Fernandes then sent one over the crossbar from distance.
Man United did manage to make the breakthrough in the ninth minute, though, and it was a wonderful finish from Casemiro, who acrobatically managed to turn the ball into the back of the net from close range after Christian Eriksen had floated a pass towards his teammate, which Marcos Senesi failed to clear.
Bournemouth were having their moments, but the Red Devils were in control of the possession as the first period developed, with Jadon Sancho seeing plenty of the ball down the left.
Eriksen was next to try his luck for the visitors in the 20th minute, but the Denmark international’s effort from distance was always rising over Neto’s crossbar.
Bournemouth’s first chance of the match came in the 27th minute when Dominic Solanke wriggled free inside the penalty box before striking towards goal, but David de Gea was on hand to make an excellent save.
Brooks then had an opportunity in the 32nd minute after impressively working some space just inside the Man United box, but the attacker’s shot was blocked by Victor Lindelof, before Ryan Christie had a strike charged down by Raphael Varane during a period of domination from Bournemouth.
Anthony Martial bent one wide of the home side’s goal in the 37th minute, before Neto kept out a low drive from Casemiro three minutes later.
An inventive effort from Christie was then saved by De Gea in the 42nd minute, before Solanke headed over the crossbar in the final moments of the first half, with Man United leading 1-0 at the interval.
De Gea was again called into action early in the second half to tip a Brooks effort over the crossbar, before Lewis Cook did well down the other end to clear a dangerous low cross from Martial.
Brooks was substituted to a standing ovation in the 55th minute, and it was a very positive performance from the Welshman, who was often Bournemouth’s most dangerous attacker.
Senesi just about managed to take the ball away from Martial in the 57th minute, before Antony swept one wide of the far post, with the two teams still separated by just the one goal heading towards the final 30 minutes.
Neto made a smart save to keep out a strike from Wout Weghorst in the 63rd minute, before substitute Alejandro Garnacho had a low cross turned into the side-netting 20 minutes from time.
Fernandes then saw a volley brilliantly saved by Neto in the 76th minute, and Man United were looking the more likely to score a second at the Vitality Stadium, which would have taken the game away from the Cherries.
De Gea made a smart save to deny Kieffer Moore in the 83rd minute, before Fernandes missed the target with a long-range strike down the other end during an open period of the match.
As expected, Bournemouth put the pressure on in the latter stages, with Senesi coming the closest, but Man United held firm to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League, with Casemiro’s brilliant early goal deciding the contest and leaving the Red Devils on the brink of securing Champions League football for next season.
Man United will return to action at home to Chelsea on Thursday before finishing their league campaign with a clash against Fulham at Old Trafford next Sunday, while Bournemouth will end their season with a trip to relegation-threatened Everton.
