Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday, beating Southampton 3-0 at St. Mary’s Stadium.
The visitors almost went behind after a slow start when Diogo Dalot conceded a penalty after fouling 18-year-old Tyler Dibling, who was making his first Premier League appearance for the Saints. However, Cameron Archer had to wait almost a full minute after placing the ball on the penalty spot before being allowed to take the shot, but André Onana saved to turn the game back in United’s favour.
Erik ten Hag’s side took the lead shortly after when Bruno Fernandes crossed for Matthijs de Ligt and the defender headed the ball past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. Marcus Rashford then scored his first goal since March with a precise shot from outside the box.
Neither team created any major chances in the second half, but the game was virtually out of control when Jack Stephens was sent off in the 80th minute. The Southampton captain was shown the red card for a reckless challenge on substitute Alejandro Garnacho, who later won the match with a goal in injury time.
Positive
Manchester United took control of the game after a slow start and never seemed to give up the three points after taking the lead. A clean game will also give confidence for the upcoming games if the goalkeeper and the two center backs put in a positive performance.
Negatives
Better opponents could punish United if they started the game as slowly as they did at St Mary’s, where it took Onana’s penalty save to wake up the midfield and take control of the game.
Manager Rating (1-10)
Erik ten Hag, 7 — The manager was quick to adjust his midfield after the hosts were left with too much space and that helped them take control of the game. He made strong substitutions that maintained his side’s dominance, with Casemiro involved in Garnacho’s goal.
Player ratings (1-10; 10: best. Players substituted after 70 minutes receive no rating)
TW André Onana, 7 – Without the efforts of their goalkeeper in the first half, the visitors could have been 2-0 down. The turning point was the save of a decisive penalty.
DF Diogo Dalot, 5 – His careless intervention brought down Southampton’s Dibling in the box and resulted in a penalty. He performed better in the second half, forcing the opposition winger wide.
Defender Matthijs de Ligt, 8 – The 25-year-old was easily beaten by Kyle Walker-Peters early on, but quickly found his way into the game after that. He was often in the right place to eliminate the danger and scored his first goal for the club, the perfect boost after being substituted at half-time for the Netherlands’ match against Germany during the recent international break.
Defender Lisandro Martínez, 7 – Expected to play well with plenty of interventions and was aggressive when battling for possession. Substituted in the second half due to some injury concerns.
DF Noussair Mazraoui, 6 – Mazraoui often made the right decisions when going forward and didn’t allow much to happen on the flanks. Overall, he put in a solid performance as a right-back.
MF Kobbie Mainoo, 5 – It was a difficult game for the English midfielder, where he struggled to get the ball forward and lost possession several times.
Midfielder Christian Eriksen, 6 – A clever ball towards the six-yard box in the 15th minute gave Manchester United the first chance of the game, but Joshua Zirkzee was unable to convert. He often made the right decision with passes that cleverly switched into play.
MF Bruno Fernandes, 6 – The Manchester United captain was quiet in the first half but then produced a great moment with a precise cross that found De Ligt to make it 1-0.
FW Marcus Rashford, 7 – A well-placed finish from outside the box ended a six-month goal drought for the 26-year-old. His first goal since March gave the Red Devils a 2-0 lead and he looked more confident after his goal.
FW Amad Diallo, 6 – The 22-year-old tried to make an impact on counterattacks as a regular target, but his final pass could have been better. He combined play well, penetrating with his left foot before finding teammates, and was a constant challenge for defenders when attacking them directly.
FW Joshua Zirkzee, 6 – A few chances in the first half did not cause the goalkeeper any problems, but in the second half Zirkzee improved as he led the pressing and networked the play on counterattacks through constant movement between the channels.
Substitutes (players who are substituted after 70 minutes = no score)
Harry Maguire (Mazraoui, 73′), N/R – Came on for Mazraoui and was immediately shown a yellow card for delaying the restart of play.
Alejandro Garnacho (Rashford, 73′), N/R — It took just five minutes for the Argentina international to have an impact on the game, firing the ball past Stephens, whose high challenge earned him the sending off, and scoring United’s third goal to cap an impressive cameo appearance.
Manuel Ugarte (Eriksen, 74′), N/R – It was an uncomplicated debut for the summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain, as United kept the ball without Southampton being able to threaten him.
Jonny Evans (Martínez, 77′), N/R – Made his 381st Premier League appearance of his career, coming on as a substitute for Martínez, who was unwell due to injury.
Casemiro (De Ligt, 87′), N/R — Used as a centre-back for De Ligt in the final minutes of the game and delivered a sharp pass that played a key role in Garnacho’s goal.
