Manchester United made it two wins from two in the Premier League Summer Series after sweeping aside Bournemouth 4-1 at Soldier Field in Chicago on Wednesday night. Goals from Rasmus Højlund, Patrick Dorgu, Amad Diallo and teenage substitute Ethan Williams ensured Ruben Amorim’s side maintained their perfect start to pre-season.
On a rainy and windswept evening, United wasted little time stamping their authority. Just eight minutes in, Dorgu curled a pinpoint cross into the box and his fellow Dane, Højlund, met it with a glancing header past Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. The striker’s early goal set the tone for what proved to be a commanding display.
Dorgu soon went from provider to scorer. In the 25th minute, Mason Mount caught Bournemouth off guard with a lofted quick free-kick. Dorgu muscled his way through the defense before calmly sliding the ball beneath the onrushing Petrovic, doubling United’s advantage.
The pressure continued after the break. Diallo bundled in a third in the 53rd minute, extending United’s lead and further underlining their dominance. With 20 minutes remaining, Amorim introduced a host of substitutes, but the flow of the game remained unchanged.
Among those changes was 18-year-old Williams, who needed just two minutes to make his mark. The youngster curled a composed finish into the bottom corner, capping off a memorable night with United’s fourth goal. The only blemish on the scoreboard came late on when Matthijs de Ligt turned the ball into his own net in the 88th minute.
Elsewhere in Chicago, West Ham fought back from behind to earn a 2-1 win over Everton, managed by their former boss David Moyes. Idrissa Gueye had given the Toffees an early lead, but Lucas Paquetá leveled just before the break. Niclas Füllkrug completed the turnaround in the 64th minute, handing the Hammers back-to-back victories in the tournament.
For Everton, the defeat was a second setback in the United States after Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth. Moyes admitted his side is still some way off the pace. “I’m not overly concerned because I don’t have the players which I need and what I want,” he said. “We knew before we came (to the US) we were going to be really up against it. So, it was never going to be us coming here and winning. At the moment we’re not ready to perform well enough in this tournament, and we’re not ready to start the Premier League season.”
The four-team competition concludes on Sunday in Atlanta, where Manchester United face Everton while West Ham meet Bournemouth.
