Michael Obafemi nets last-gasp Southampton equaliser as Manchester United blow chance to go third in Premier League

Manchester United were dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of the Champions League places as Michael Obafemi came off the bench to score a dramatic late equaliser for Southampton in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils looked set to move up to third after Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial turned things around following Stuart Armstrong’s early opener, only for Obafemi to direct home at the death to seal a deserved point for the visitors.

Obafemi came off the bench to net a dramatic equaliser for Southampton

United looked to be coasting to the three points before Obafemi was introduced

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remain fifth after blowing the chance to move ahead of Chelsea and Leicester on Monday night, when the frustration was clear on the face of the Norwegian and his players.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men deserved a share of the spoils, though.

Their relentless pressure forced Paul Pogba into an early error that Armstrong capitalised on.

But United produced a response that the watching Sir Alex Ferguson would have been proud of, with Rashford equalising in the 20th minute and Martial turning things around with a superb strike three minutes later.

Martial ran the show for United but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory for the Red Devils

Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu was fortunate to avoid punishment for a foul on Mason Greenwood in a first half that made way for cagey second period, with David De Gea producing a superb stop to deny Nathan Redmond late on.

United looked set to hold on, only for Obafemi to get to a corner before Victor Lindelof to snatch a late point for Saints.

United remain in fifth place in the Premier League, having moved up to third had they held on for the victory.

The match has also seen Solskjaer’s side’s four-match winning streak in the Premier League come to an end.