There was the merest hint of celebration from Romelu Lukaku. So much so, you had to double check that the Belgium striker was not offside when he headed Manchester United into the lead at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.
Lukaku turned away after scoring in the 25th minute without emotion. He hugged Anthony Martial and eventually blew a couple of kisses towards the stands, but that was it.
It has been that kind of time for Lukaku, and it was that kind of night for United.
Romelu Lukaku (centre left) celebrates with his team-mates after giving Manchester United the lead against Bournemouth
Lukaku got the better of Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake to give United the lead on 25 minutes
The powerful Belgian striker watches on as his header flies towards the top corner of Asmir Begovic’s goal
Anthony Martial (right) runs over to congratulate Lukaku after his effort at Old Trafford puts the hosts ahead
Those prosperous early-season days when United’s new £75million signing scored 11 goals in his first 10 games for the club have given way to a bleak winter. This was only his second league goal in 10 games, and the other came at the end of a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
Questions have been asked of Lukaku’s pedigree at the highest level. Worse still, he had a hand in both Manchester City’s goal here on Sunday and was then implicated in the unseemly aftermath when players from both teams brawled in the dressing-room area and bottles were thrown.
City’s win has taken the wind out of United’s sails, judging by this performance. They were sluggish and hardly deserving of victory over a Bournemouth side who gave just as good as they got at a muted Old Trafford that struggled to lift itself three days after that deflating Manchester derby defeat.
If Jose Mourinho believes that United can keep up their pursuit of City at the top of the table, they will have to do a lot better than this.
Mourinho had objected to reporters largely ignoring Bournemouth when he cut short his pre-match press conference on Tuesday because of the continued questions about the derby bust-up, but it was hardly surprising that the incident had dominated the build-up to this match.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho (left) embraces Bournemouth counterpart Eddie Howe before kick-off
Mourinho rung some changes from the side that lost 2-1 at home by Manchester City on Sunday – with Luke Shaw starting
Scott McTominay (right) made his first Premier League start of the season – as Mourinho placed his faith in the young talent
Phil Jones (right) was another in the United starting line-up – as he pressurises Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson
‘You don’t like Bournemouth, you don’t respect them do you?’ he said on his way out of the interview room at Carrington.
Mourinho was certainly taking nothing for granted against a team lying in 14th place at the start of play in a game United simply had to win to keep the title race vaguely alive.
He decided to make four changes to freshen up his line-up, notably bringing in Luke Shaw for his first Premier League start of the season and Scott McTominay.
The youngster made only the second league start of his career alongside Nemanja Matic in central midfield with Paul Pogba serving out a three-match ban and Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick still unavailable.
Bournemouth also made four changes to the side that drew with Crystal Palace at the weekend, and they gave a good account of themselves in an even first half.
Jesse Lingard tries an acrobatic effort in the early stages of the Premier League encounter on Wednesday night
Bournemouth left back Charlie Daniels drills a low effort towards goal that David de Gea does well to beat away
They faced a disjointed United who struggled to find any fluency in the teeming rain, watched by Mourinho who peeked out from under the hood of his grey anorak.
In fact, David De Gea was one of the busiest United players as the visitors grew in confidence as the half wore on.
The Spaniard was forced to palm away Charlie Daniels’s shot after the Bournemouth No 11 had dribbled his way past four United players and let fly from the edge of the box.
He produced three more good saves to deny Ryan Gosling, Junior Stanislas and then Ryan Fraser right on the stroke of half-time.
Shaw and Jones also managed to block attempts from Stanislas and Josh King, while Bournemouth captain Simon Francis lifted his shot over the bar when Fraser’s corner dropped at his feet.
Bournemouth captain Simon Francis reacts after missing a great chance to equalise for the visitors
It was not what we expected from United whose first effort was an overhead kick from Jesse Lingard that actually went parallel to the goal.
But Mourinho’s side scored from just about their only real clear chance of the first half.
It began with good work on the left from Anthony Martial who took on three Bournemouth defenders before laying the ball back to Juan Mata.
The little Spaniard clipped a cross towards the back post where Lukaku rose above Nathan Ake to head inside the near post.
The lack of emotion from Lukaku was evident. This has been a frustrating time for him, and there were moments here when it showed again.
Mourinho’s first change of the evening saw Marcus Rashford come on in place of Martial
And the 20-year-old nearly made an instant impact as this thunderous effort cannoned back off the near post
Bournemouth goalkeeper Begovic was beaten by the sublime strike, which saw Rashford desperately unlucky not to score
Having escaped a booking for a late challenge on Ake early in the game, he was cautioned by Graham Scott for a second offence on Harry Arter who had been hurt in a challenge with the Belgian a few minutes’ earlier.
The referee seemed content to let most borderline challenges go, including Francis’s untidy tackle on Lingard right on the edge of the box.
Martial should have doubled United’s lead on the hour mark but was guilty of an awful miss in front of goal.
The France winger helped create the change in the first place, flicking the ball on into space for Lukaku in the penalty area.
The striker should perhaps have scored himself but Asmir Begovic came out to make a fine save with his left arm. The ball ran loose for Martial on the edge of the six-yard box but he hurried his shot and aimed well over the bar with Begovic out of his goal.
Martial was replaced shortly afterwards by Marcus Rashford whose first contribution was to chase the ball and set up Lingard but he fell flat on his face before he could shoot.
Rashford decided to take matters into his own hands and beat Begovic with a spectacular right-foot shot in the 72nd minute that cannoned back off the underside of the bar.
It got the fans off their seats on a night when it felt like there wasn’t much else to shout about, and it still needed another save from De Gea to deny Jermain Defoe a late equaliser.
United are back to winning ways, but City are still away in the distance.