Manchester United recorded their second win of the 2024/25 Premier League season as they cruised to a 3-0 victory at Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
The Saints had been the higher aspect for a lot of the primary half, however Cameron Archer’s penalty miss proved vital as United went down the opposite finish and scored twice inside eight minutes of Andre Onana’s save.
United then cruised after half-time as Southampton had been decreased to 10 males. Whereas there have been constructive indicators from Russell Martin’s aspect, United’s win means they’ve misplaced their opening 4 video games of the brand new league season after coming back from the Championship.
How the match unfolded
United might have considered this fixture as the perfect one for bouncing again after they had been battered by Liverpool at Previous Trafford earlier than the break.
Nonetheless, an emboldened Southampton had been the superior outfit for a lot of the primary half, with Martin’s system swap and a decreased emphasis on taking part in out from the again serving the hosts properly within the opening exchanges. 18-year-old Tyler Dibling was a relentless nuisance, because the Saints sought to overload the guests down the fitting flank.
United, quite the opposite, struggled to really feel their means into the competition, however they did go shut by way of Joshua Zirkzee, who could not fairly get sufficient on his toe-poked effort to beat Aaron Ramsdale.
The spectacular hosts had been handed a wonderful probability to open the scoring when Dibling was hacked down by Diogo Dalot contained in the United field, however Onana received down properly to his proper to disclaim Archer from the spot.
Inside eight minutes of Onana’s penalty save, United raced right into a 2-0 lead. After Matthijs de Ligt headed residence the opener from a wonderful Bruno Fernandes cross, Marcus Rashford doubled the Pink Devils’ lead with a pinpoint effort which beat the unsighted Ramsdale.
It was merciless on Southampton, who had been vastly improved, and United’s post-penalty blitz left them with an almighty second-half job. They struggled to go once more after the restart, with the guests lastly asserting management. Because the Saints began to pour our bodies ahead in a bid to get again into the sport, United’s risk in transition elevated and solely a high quality Ramsdale efficiency meant the competition did not fully escape the hosts.
Any slim probability of a Southampton revival had been dashed when captain Jack Stephens was despatched off within the closing phases following a reckless problem on Alejandro Garnacho, who then added a little bit of gloss to United’s win by thumping residence a 3rd with the final kick of the sport.
GK: Aaron Ramsdale – 7/10 – Some would possibly say he might’ve finished higher with United’s objectives, however each finishes had been pinpoint. Ramsdale’s distribution performed a key function in beating the Pink Devils press early on, and he made a number of large saves all through the competition to maintain the rating down.
RB: Yokinari Sugawara – 7/10 – A shiny spark down the fitting, Sugawara was adventurous when the hosts had the ball and was proactive all through. A useful inventive outlet.
CB: Jan Bednarek – 5/10 – As one of many leaders of the Saints backline, Bednarek has to take some accountability in getting his defence up the pitch from set-pieces. The hosts could not defend the second section from such conditions all afternoon.
CB: Jack Stephens – 4/10 – His afternoon ended prematurely with a nasty deal with which compelled Stuart Attwell to supply a purple card.
LB: Kyle Walker-Peters – 6/10 – Cute in tight house and virtually labored a gap after beating De Ligt one-on-one. Had little affect after United took the lead.
CM: Lesley Ugochukwu – 7/10 – Added loads of chunk in the course of the park, with Ugochukwu serving to Southampton regain possession on a number of events within the opening interval. Seems to be a useful addition.
CM: Flynn Downes – 7/10 – Southampton’s midfield definitely regarded extra strong with Downes partnering Ugochukwu, and the previous West Ham man supplied loads of high quality in possession throughout the Saints’ constructive opening half-hour.
RM: Tyler Dibling – 8/10 – Jack Grealish-lite. The tone was set when he rolled Dalot early and compelled a great save from Onana after reducing onto his left foot. Can change tempo with the ball like a seasoned professional, and was Southampton’s star within the first half.
AM: Mateus Fernandes – 6/10 – A bundle of vitality who seems to be to be a useful participant between the traces.
LM: Ben Brereton Diaz – 6/10 – Supplied some hustle and bustle down the left, however it wasn’t probably the most refined of performances and his substitution on the hour was comprehensible.
ST: Cameron Archer – 5/10 – It was his penalty miss that in the end turned the tide. Archer was quiet both aspect of his defining second.
Substitutes
SUB: Ross Stewart (62′ for Archer) – 5/10
SUB: Adam Lallana (62′ for Ugochukwu) – 5/10
SUB: Maxwell Cornet (63′ for Dibling) – 5/10
SUB: Ryan Fraser (63′ for Diaz) – 5/10
SUB: Taylor Harwood-Bellis (81′ for Fernandes) – 6/10
Subs not used: Alex McCarthy (GK), Joe Aribo, Adam Armstrong, Charlie Taylor
Supervisor
Russell Martin – 7/10 – The supervisor deserves credit score for altering tack, with Martin’s personnel and tactical switches taking part in a key function in Southampton’s shiny opening. He might properly have overseen his first Premier League win as supervisor had Archer transformed from the spot.
GK: Andre Onana – 8/10 – Onana was awfully quiet after saving Archer’s penalty. That effort, which arrived within the thirty third minute, was Southampton’s remaining shot of the match.
RB: Noussair Mazraoui – 7/10 – Southampton centered their assaults down the other flank, so Mazraoui wasn’t examined an excessive amount of defensively. So pure in possession, and by no means seems to be like giving it away.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt – 9/10 – A efficiency of giant character after a tricky worldwide break. De Ligt opened the scoring with a sensible header, and whereas he was overwhelmed a few times, the Dutchman was usually glorious when requested to defend the United field.
CB: Lisandro Martinez – 8/10 – A cool efficiency from the Argentine, who provides a lot with possession. United’s shiny moments early on had been sparked by a line-splitting Martinez cross.
LB: Diogo Dalot – 5/10 – A fortunate boy. Dibling had him on strings within the first half, and he has Onana to thank for sparing his blushes after he gave a penalty away with a careless problem on the Southampton winger.
CM: Christian Eriksen – 7/10 – Struggled to come up with the sport early on, however Eriksen settled and he helped United management the competition within the second half.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo – 5/10 – Not the younger Englishman’s most interesting outing. Mainoo was responsible of turning possession over a couple of occasions early on, and he struggled when attempting to progress United up the pitch.
RM: Amad Diallo – 7/10 – United’s most harmful outlet all through, though he’s overly reliant on his much-preferred proper foot. Wants so as to add a little bit variance in one-on-one conditions.
AM: Bruno Fernandes – 7/10 – It was Fernandes’ pretty cross which arrange the opener, and, as traditional, the relentless playmaker was vastly influential, particularly when United tried to counter on the hosts.
LM: Marcus Rashford – 7/10 – Rashford wanted an outing like this after a tricky begin to the brand new season. The winger wasn’t significantly dominant, however he was a persistent in-behind risk and he netted his first objective of the 2024/25 marketing campaign with a high quality end.
ST: Joshua Zirkzee – 7/10 – Got here shut on a few events, and maybe ought to’ve discovered the again of the web. Encouragingly, Zirkzee had an ideal affect with only a few actions. Beautiful to look at.
Substitutes
SUB: Alejandro Garnacho (73′ for Rashford) – 7/10
SUB: Manuel Ugarte (74′ for Eriksen) – 6/10
SUB: Harry Maguire (74′ for Mazraoui) – 6/10
SUB: Jonny Evans (77′ for Martinez) – 6/10
SUB: Casemiro (87′ for De Ligt) – N/A
Subs not used: Altay Bayindir (GK), Antony, Ethan Wheatley, Toby Collyer
Supervisor
Erik ten Hag – 7/10 – A essential three factors for United, and the supervisor would’ve been happy with the management they asserted within the second half. He’ll hope Manuel Ugarte will alleviate their midfield points, as a result of there have been loads of structural points, particularly within the build-up, on show within the first half.
