Manchester United game showed Bournemouth can defend, says Benik Afobe

Bournemouth's 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford last weekend showed that the Cherries are not a "liability" at the back, according to forward Benik Afobe.

Eddie Howe's side produced a heroic display to leave with a hard-earned and creditable point on Saturday lunch time, a result that boosted the club's hopes of staying in the Premier League.

Having let in 51 league goals ahead of their trip to United, it was the visitors' defensive resilience, especially after going down to 10 men as a result of Andrew Surman's first-half dismissal, that most pleased Afobe and his team-mates.

"We were not really thinking about the red card at half-time, we just had 15 minutes to concentrate and think about our tactics," Afobe told Soccer Saturday.

"The big man [Artur Boruc] was great in goal all match and deserved his man-of-the-match award.

"It was very different and hard concentration wise, but as I said, we managed to do it and it just shows we can defend. We have let in a lot of goals recently, so it was good for people to see we are not a liability and we can actually defend with 10 men.

"Our game plan was obviously not to go down to 10 men, but when we did we just had to work on it, concentrate, speak to each other. And we showed a lot of team spirit, strength and desire to leave Old Trafford with a point.

And Afobe claims that from the moment the Poland international saved Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 71st-minute penalty, he knew it was going to be Bournemouth's afternoon.

We have let in a lot of goals recently, so it was good for people to see we are not a liability and we can actually defend

"I just knew from then on that it was going to be our day. I do not think I have played many games in my career where we have gone down to 10 men and was holding on like that."

Bournemouth's impressive performance was subsequently overshadowed by the clash involving Ibrahimovic and Tyrone Mings, with both players having since been suspended by the Football Association for three and five games respectively.

Afobe, however, believes Mings was unlucky.

"I thought it was a good challenge," he said. "He had to plant his foot down. He likes that, which is good as it shows he can play against the best players in the world. He kept him quiet."

The 24-year-old, meanwhile, is relishing Saturday's top-flight encounter with West Ham United at the Vitality Stadium, particularly as the forward was born in Leyton and so supported the club as a youngster.

"Growing up, I was a boyhood West Ham fan, I grew up in Dagenham, all my mates support Wet Ham, my teachers, so they will be looking at the game as well," he said.

"There are no friends though in that sense as I want Bournemouth to be winning these games, and I won't be thinking about West Ham come Saturday at 3pm.

"(My family and mates) all support Bournemouth now, but I have friends who support West Ham and have season tickets and will be there, so it will be interesting and hopefully I can get myself on the scoresheet."

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Afobe wants last weekend's draw with United to be a turning point in the club's campaign, with Bournemouth now five points from safety with only 11 matches left to play this season.

"We have two games now before the international break and to be honest, all we want is six points from it," he said.

"It is in front of our home fans and they are great here, but we are taking it game by game now until the end of the season and we know that if we play as well as we know we can, then it is in our hands and we should not be in a relegation fight."

Listen to the whole interview with Benik Afobe on Soccer Saturday this weekend from 12pm on Sky Sports News HQ