December 27, 2024

Southampton 2-3 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened

Southampton #Southampton

10.57am EST 10:57

That win takes United up to seventh, five points behind the leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. This season they’ve gone behind in all four away games and won them all with late goals.

10.55am EST 10:55

Full time: Southampton 2-3 Manchester United

Peep peep! For the first time in their history, Manchester United have won eight consecutive league games away from home. They were 2-0 down at half-time, but Edinson Cavani came off the bench to make one and score two in an exhilarating second half.

10.53am EST 10:53

90+4 min Fernandes has a chance to make it four, spanking over the bar on the turn.

10.52am EST 10:52

The substitute Edinson Cavani has made one and scored two! The goal stemmed from a free-kick35 yards from goal, which Fernandes clipped to the unmarked Rashford on the left. He fizzed a cross towards the near post, where Cavani stooped to flick an accomplished header past McCarthy. That is a seriously good goal, not just the finish but also the timing of the run.

Updated at 10.53am EST

10.50am EST 10:50

90+1 min Fernandes tries to chip McCarthy from 30 yards. It’s a tame effort and McCarthy is able to watch it onto the roof of the net.

10.48am EST 10:48

90 min A change for Southampton: Stuart Armstrong is replaced by Ibrahima Diallo.

10.48am EST 10:48

89 min Wan-Bissaka appeals unsuccesfully for a penalty when his cross hits Bertrand. His arms were tight to his body and VAR supports Jon Moss’s original decision.

10.46am EST 10:46

87 min Rashford plays a good pass to find van de Beek, whose low cross is put behind by Vestergaard.

10.45am EST 10:45

86 min Maguire is aggrieved to be penalised for a tackle on Adams 40 yards from goal. Ward-Prowse’s dipping free-kick is headed away by Maguire.

10.44am EST 10:44

85 min Fernandes leads a dangerous United break and finds Rashford on the edge of the area. He eschews the first-time shot and instead tries to play in Fred, but the pass is too heavy and Fred can’t reach it. He was also offside.

10.43am EST 10:43

84 min United make their final change: Brandon Williams replaces Alex Telles, who had an okay game.

10.42am EST 10:42

83 min Lots of pressure from United now, with Fernandes involved in everything. Southampton still look dangerous enough on the break, though, so this could still go either way.

10.40am EST 10:40

81 min Only one team looks like winning this game, and it’s not Romania.

10.38am EST 10:38

80 min Five of the last seven games between these sides have been drawn, so this scoreline wouldn’t be a complete shock.

10.38am EST 10:38

79 min A half chance for Adams. Bertrand’s cross is headed up in the air by Telles and collected by Adams. He turns smartly and drives a low shot just wide of the far post. Henderson probably had it covered but it was a decent effort.

10.36am EST 10:36

76 min “Morning Rob,” says Adam Roberts. “I was very dubious about the signing of Cavani, but he’s looked pretty good whenever I’ve seen him. And I like the look of young Henderson ‘between the sticks’.”

The same. Cavani is better – and hungrier – than I thought.

Updated at 10.36am EST

10.35am EST 10:35

75 min Fernandes plays in van de Beek on the left of the area. He gets a bit too cute and tries to return the ball to Fernandes, allowing Southampton to clear. The better option was surely a cross-shot.

10.34am EST 10:34

Telles’s corner was punched away to Fred on the edge of ther area. He teed up Fernandes, whose shot took a deflection and ricocheted towards Cavani in the six-yard box. He threw himself at the ball and headed emphatically past McCarthy. Southampton thought he was offside, but for some reason Vestergaard did not push out with his team-mates and was playing Cavani on.

Updated at 10.36am EST

10.32am EST 10:32

GOAL! Southampton 2-2 Man Utd (Cavani 74)

Edinson Cavani has equalised!

Cavani celebrates with Lindelof Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Updated at 10.46am EST

10.30am EST 10:30

72 min A change for Southampton: Shane Long replaces Moussa Djenepo, which means Walcott will move to the left wing.

10.30am EST 10:30

72 min Fernandes’s corner is headed away at the near post.

Updated at 10.30am EST

10.29am EST 10:29

71 min Wan-Bissaka runs at Djenepo and Bertrand to win a corner for United…

10.28am EST 10:28

69 min: Just wide from Cavani! That was a fine effort, a flicked header from Wan-Bissaka’s cross. It looked too high for Cavani but he stayed in the air for an age, Denis Law-style, and almost steered the header into the top corner.

10.26am EST 10:26

67 min Ward-Prowse’s corner is headed away well by Cavani. The ball comes to Armstrong, whose long-range shot deflects behind for another corner.

10.24am EST 10:24

65 min Che Adams has had a fine game for Southampton, especially holding the ball up. He has improved so much in the last few months.

10.21am EST 10:21

62 min Bruno Fernandes, bloody hell. United would be lost without him.

Updated at 10.21am EST

10.20am EST 10:20

Wan-Bissaka started the move by finding Cavani in space on the right. He curled a jaunty cross into Fernandes, who was in far too much space 10 yards from goal. Fernandes had time to control the ball, turn and drive a low shot past McCarthy.

10.16am EST 10:16

57 min Bednarek is receiving treatment after colliding with Djenepo when they threw themselves in front of Cavani.

10.16am EST 10:16

56 min Another chance for United. Fernandes’s cross from the right leads to a scramble in the penalty area until Cavani’s shot on the turn is deflected over the bar.

Updated at 10.17am EST

10.13am EST 10:13

54 min Replays suggest Rashford was offside, so had he scored the goal would have been disallowed. It was still a poor finish though.

10.12am EST 10:12

52 min: Good save by McCarthy! Out of nothing, Fernandes puts Rashford through on goal in the inside-left channel. His shot is well struck but too close to McCarthy, who stays big to make a good save. It was a glorious pass from Fernandes.

Rashford rues a missed chance Photograph: Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Updated at 10.16am EST

10.11am EST 10:11

52 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I know you’ll not hear of anyone but Liverpool winning the title this season, but a genuine question – might Southampton be this season’s Leicester? It would be quite some story (again).”

No. You’re welcome! I’d love it if they did, though, as they’re a very likeable side. Everything points to Ralph Hasenhuttl being a brilliant coach; he might be a contender for the Man Utd job when it becomes available.

10.09am EST 10:09

51 min Southampton have started the second half really well, with most of the game being played in United’s half.

10.08am EST 10:08

49 min A long-range shot from Walcott is comfortably held by Henderson.

10.08am EST 10:08

48 min I haven’t a clue what formation United are playing now. It looks a bit like a 4-4-2 with Fernandes on the left and van de Beek on the right.

Updated at 10.08am EST

10.07am EST 10:07

47 min Djenepo finds Walcott in a bit of space on the right side of the area. He has a touch and drives a crisp shot that is authoritatively held by Henderson.

10.05am EST 10:05

46 min Peep peep! The game has kicked off with Cavani still putting his boots on by the touchline. Roy Keane will love that.

10.04am EST 10:04

David de Gea has gone off at half-time with the knee injury he suffered in trying to save Ward-Prowse’s free-kick. Dean Henderson replaces him. It’s his Premier League debut for (Manchester) United. In fact United have made a double substitition: Edinson Cavani is on for Mason Greenwood.

10.00am EST 10:00

“I haven’t formed a firm opinion on Telles, but in truth I didn’t really understand why Utd went for him,” says Francis Mead. “I’m personally a big fan of Brandon Williams, who I think is considerably better than Shaw. Yes, he needs a bit more experience, but he’s fast, highly technical and confident. Why not simply let Williams play?”

I don’t think he’s good enough either. He was really dynamic when he first came into the team but as the season went on he became far too safe in possession; I’ve no idea why. He’s also a right-footed left-back, which is not what United need if Rashford or Martial play in front of him. Maybe he could play at right-back, I don’t know.

9.51am EST 09:51

“I feel like VDB has played well, but this United formation does not work,” says Mark Childs. “No width, not enough space for Bruno, nowhere for Greenwood and Rashford to run into: overly simplistic?”

A little bit, I’d say, but I know what you mean. The lack of width is a recurring problem, and the early signs are that Alex Telles isn’t going to solve it.

9.49am EST 09:49

Half time: Southampton 2-0 Man Utd

Peep peep! Southampton are in control thanks to the latest demonstrations of James Ward-Prowse’s set-piece brilliance. He dropped a corner onto Jan Bednarek’s head for the first goal and scored the second with a precise free-kick. United started superbly but have struggled since going behind.

9.47am EST 09:47

45+1 min Rashford goes down right on the edge of the area after a tackle from Djenepo. Jon Moss isn’t interested, nor is VAR as it was just outside the area.

9.45am EST 09:45

44 min “If only someone had alerted United that Southampton have a dead-ball expert in their ranks,” says Duncan Edwards. “So bloody predictable.”

9.41am EST 09:41

40 min Fernandes drives a golf shot over the defence to find van de Beek on the edge of the area. He tries to cushion a header towards Rashford but gets too much on it and the ball runs through to McCarthy. That was half a chance. It looks like United have switched to a 4-2-3-1 with van de Beek on the left and Greenwood on the right.

9.38am EST 09:38

36 min “Are we absolutely sure the kit isn’t grey?” says Richard Hirst.

Ha. They actually started really well, though they’ve been a mess since going behind.

Updated at 9.39am EST

9.37am EST 09:37

35 min That was a mistake from de Gea, a woolly save from Djenepo’s long-range shot that almost gave Armstrong a tap-in. Armstrong tried to control it on the chest but the ball ran out of play. In fairness to de Gea, he’s struggling with his left leg and may have to come off. His knee thumped into the post when he tried to save Ward-Prowse’s free-kick.

9.35am EST 09:35

It was an excellent free-kick from Ward-Prowse, clipped over the wall towards the near post. David de Gea flew to his right and got a good hand on the ball, but he couldn’t keep it out. At first I thought it might be a mistake from de Gea; on reflection I don’t think so. Ward-Prowse put it right in the corner, and if anything de Gea did well to get a touch on it.

Updated at 9.39am EST

9.33am EST 09:33

32 min Djenepo is fouled this far outside the area by Fred. It’s a fair way to the left of centre, but still within shooting range for Ward-Prowse.

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