Manchester United secured a crucial win against Southampton, on Saturday, in their first match after the international break. This victory lifted the spirits of fans, players, and the manager, following a difficult start to the Premier League campaign. Manchester United had a comfortable 3-0 win over Southampton with Matthijs de Ligt and Marcus Rashford both scoring in a span of eight minutes. The Red Devils goalkeeper, Andre Onana, also had a great match after saving Cameron Archer’s penalty. The Cameroonian is starting to become a reliable player between the sticks for the Red Devils, after facing massive criticism from fans.
The Red Devils were entering the game with immense pressure, after back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Liverpool. This made Manchester United a “joke” among the football community, with only three matches into the season. Erik Ten Hag’s tactical decisions were also heavily criticized despite having the support of the United board. The match against Southampton presented the Red Devils an opportunity after the international break to get their season back on track.
Southampton have had a very poor start to the season, losing all their games after getting promoted. Manager Russell Martin expected the team to find their momentum back. However, that did not happen.
De Ligt has arrived at Manchester United
The match began at a very high intensity with both teams looking for an early goal. Southampton got a golden opportunity when Diogo Dalot fouled Tyler Dibling in the penalty area. Southampton’s Cameron Archer took the responsibility to take the spot kick. However, Archer’s penalty was saved by Andre Onana. This mistake proved to be fatal for Southampton. In the 21st minute, Manchester United captain, Bruno Fernandes, made a perfect cross into the box, which was met by a powerful header from Matthijs De Ligt, leading to Man United’s opening goal of the game.
De Ligt is one of the latest signings of United this season, who was signed after the departure of Rafael Varane. The Dutch center-back has worked with Erik Ten Hag previously in the wonder team of Ajax. De Ligt was the captain of the Ajax team which almost won the treble in the 2018/19 season. That iconic Ajax team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League that season, beating the mighty Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus along the way.
De Ligt’s goal gave relief to Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United fans against Southampton. The defender’s presence was a key factor for Manchester United for the whole game.
Rashford and Garnacho find their form back
Marcus Rashford finally scored for Manchester United after a tough start to the season. The English forward was criticized after a poor performance against Manchester City in the Community Shield. Rashford proved the haters wrong after giving Manchester United their second goal of the day. Southampton were unable to keep their intensity from the first half. Their captain, Jack Stephens, was shown a red card for a reckless tackle on Alejandro Garnacho. This further affected the confidence of the team and any hope of a Southampton comeback was extinguished.
Alejandro Garnacho scored the third goal the Red Devils in stoppage time. This was the end of a perfect day for the Red Devils. Manchester United’s victory over Southampton comes at an important time in the season. The race for the title is heating up with Manchester City continuing to destroy other Premier League teams. Erik Ten Hag can finally take some rest after this game. However, Manchester United’s consistency will be an important factor in the upcoming games. The performances of key players like Rashford, Fernandes, and De Ligt will be crucial in determining how far this United team can go. Moreover, Manchester United’s attack will have to be more clinical for future games against big teams.
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