SOCCER: Bournemouth and Man United share spoils in eight-goal thriller

MANCHESTER — In an electrifying Premier League encounter on Monday, Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi netted a late equalizer to secure a 4-4 draw with Manchester United, capping off a game full of twists and turns that kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Ruben Amorim's United side missed an opportunity to move level with fourth-placed Chelsea, remaining in sixth position with 26 points. Bournemouth, on the other hand, earned a valuable point, staying 13th with 21 points.

United appeared to be heading for a victory after Bruno Fernandes' stunning free kick and Matheus Cunha's strike within two minutes of each other in the second half put them ahead 4-3. But just when it seemed like the points were theirs, Bournemouth’s 19-year-old substitute Kroupi stole the show. In the 84th minute, Kroupi latched onto a pass from Alejandro Jimenez just outside the box, calmly slotting it past United goalkeeper Senne Lammens to equalize.

With the game approaching stoppage time, United's Lammens made a crucial save, using his right foot to deny a diving header from David Brooks in the sixth minute of added time, ensuring the game ended in a draw.

In a match where both teams fired a total of nine shots on target, the end-to-end action made this fixture a memorable one for all the neutrals watching. As the final whistle blew after 100 exhausting minutes, it was hard to say whether either team would leave feeling satisfied.

"I suppose for the neutrals it's been a nice game," Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola reflected to Sky Sports. "It had everything. Moments where you think it's a loss, moments where you think we have this one, we are comfortable. You didn’t even know if we were happy finishing the game or if we wanted one more minute."

United had the better start, with Amad Diallo heading home a close-range finish in the 13th minute after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic initially saved Diogo Dalot’s cross. However, the visitors responded well and found the equalizer in the 40th minute through Antoine Semenyo.

The Red Devils regained the lead just before halftime when Casemiro's header from a corner deflected off Petrovic's fumbled save attempt, making it 2-1.

Bournemouth came out strong after the break and equalized quickly when Evanilson scored seconds after the restart, catching United’s defense off guard. The match took another turn in the 52nd minute when Marcus Tavernier curled a low free kick past Lammens to put Bournemouth ahead 3-2.

Not to be outdone, United struck back with Fernandes curling in his own free kick in the 77th minute to level the score at 3-3. Then, in the 79th minute, Cunha thought he had scored the winner, finishing off a perfect cross from Benjamin Sesko. But in the dying moments of the game, Kroupi's equalizer ensured both teams shared the points.

United will rue the missed chances they had in the first half, having created 17 shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes. With key players like Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo set to leave for the Africa Cup of Nations, manager Ruben Amorim expressed his disappointment.

"It’s really disappointing," Amorim told the BBC. "We are really disappointed. Crazy game. It might look like we lost the two points in the second half, but I think we lost them in the first half. We dominated and created so many chances. We had to go to halftime with a different result. In the end, we deserved more."

Despite the frustration for United, this dramatic 4-4 draw will go down as one of the most thrilling Premier League matches of the season. -Reporting by Lori EwingEditing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters