Manchester United performed well in defeating a combative Southampton FC side. It would help decrease the pressure on manager Erik Ten Hag, who has been under increasing scrutiny due to his team’s underperformance.
Match Recap
Southampton began the game with strong momentum as Tyler Dibling came close to scoring an opener inside 10 minutes when his curling effort after a solo run was stopped by Onana. Dibling continued to trouble United from Southampton’s right in the starting 30 minutes. The efforts paid off when Diogo Dalot knocked him down to give the Saints a 33rd-minute penalty. However, Archer could not convert the opportunity, as Onana pushed away his weak effort.
United swiftly punished Southampton for their miss. De Ligt headed Bruno Fernandes’ floated cross to the back of the net just two minutes after Onana’s penalty save. The Red Devils had more reasons to celebrate shortly before half-time, with Rashford curling a fantastic shot against the far post after finding space on the edge of the area. Half-time came with Manchester United leading 2 goals to nil for Southampton.
Garnacho was subbed in to add to Southampton’s woes in the second half. First Stephens’ wild lunge at the Argentinian resulted in him being shown a straight red card in the 79th minute of the game. Garnacho then got himself on the scoresheet six minutes into stoppage time, finding the roof of the net after Dalot found him with a cutback from the byline. Thus, giving United a comfortable 3-0 win against Russell Martin’s Saints.
Tactics Zone
Both Southampton and United used the 4-2-3-1 formation for the match.
It’s not been a fun return to the Premier League for Southampton. Four defeats from four matches looks bad, though performances haven’t quite been as bad as that suggests. Even in today’s match, the start was great. The manager appreciated the aggression and intensity shown by the team.
As Martin told SkySports, “We didn’t make the most of it(the start), then we missed a penalty and it completely changed the energy of the whole game, the whole stadium, which is understandable. We didn’t respond well enough to that and in that moment, United took some control, capitalised on that and we conceded two terrible goals from set-plays. It’s the only thing I’m really angry about today. The lads are trying so hard and giving everything they’ve got.”
The silver lining for Southampton has to be the performance of Tyler Dibling. The 18-year-old academy product has been part of Martin’s plans this term. Rewarded with his first Premier League start on Saturday, Dibling made an immediate impression. Within 10 minutes, he darted down the right, cut inside, and almost scored if not for Andre Onana’s diving save. Another inspiring run drew a foul from Diogo Dalot that resulted in a penalty.
Southampton not making the most of their chances inevitably led to Man Utd taking more control of the game. Rashford finally scored after his patchy recent form, Garnacho continued his good run this season and Man Utd’s defense looks in better shape. Thanks to their summer signings. Manchester United needs to perform better in the coming weeks. Eril Ten Hag stated, “This team is growing, but it still needs time.”
