Southampton 1-1 Manchester United: 10-man Saints battle to rescue point against United

Southampton battled to secure a valuable point against Manchester United on Saturday despite ending the game with 10 men.

United bright spark Daniel James opened the scoring at St Mary’s after ten minutes, but Saints struck back through Jannik Vestergaard’s first goal for the club.

The hosts then had to end the afternoon a man light after summer signing Kevin Danso was sent off for two bookable offences, but they survived a late onslaught from the visitors with resolute defending.

The first shot in anger of the game came from Saints after they made the brightest start to the contest.

Eight minutes in, Sofiane Boufal drove along the edge of the box and fired a low shot across David De Gea, only to see his effort slide just beyond the far post.

However, the danger of United on the counter was clear when they took the lead in the 10th minute.

Daniel James – who has made a very promising start to his career at Old Trafford – received the ball and shifted it inside Cedric before arrowing a strike into the far top corner.

A brutal finish, but Saints proved to be worryingly outnumbered on the left wing in the lead up.

This was the case again shortly after. With Wan-Bissaka enjoying the space in the wide areas, he met a cross from the left and hooked an effort just over the bar before James stung the palms of Angus Gunn.

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Saints built some pressure of their own again as the first-half went on, and Boufal was again unlucky when he beat his man inside but saw a powerful shot blocked well.

As it was though, United went into the break with the lead. Could Saints claw something back in the second period?

Just like the first period, it was Saints that had the first real chance but Che Adams strewed his shot wide after intelligent build-up play.

This time though, the positive start to the opening minutes led to them drawing level in the 58th minute.

A corner was cleared as far as Kevin Danso on the right. He lofted a ball up to the back post and Jannik Vestergaard rose highest to nod inside the far post for his first Saints goal.

Inevitably though, United would have a spell of possession of their own and it would produce a potentially match changing moment.

Kevin Danso had already been booked when he flew into a challenge that was robust to say the least, and referee Mike Dean has no choice but to send him off for two bookable offences.

As is often the case when a team is a man light, the rest of the game proved a real struggle with endless United attacks.

Substitutes Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood and Ashley Young all went close to finding a winner for the visitors, whilst other attacks were met with determined Saints defending that secured a draw come full-time.

Both sides now head into the international break, but Southampton face Sheffield United away from home when they return whilst Manchester United host Leicester City.

Saints team

Gunn, Cedric, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Danso, Hojbjerg, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Boufal (Armstrong 71), Adams (Long 62), Ings (Yoshida 77)

Unused subs: McCarthy, Stephens, N’Lundulu, Valery

Man United team

De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Young, Pogba, McTominay (Greenwood 82), Pereira (Lingard 68), Mata (Matic 68), James, Rashford

Unused subs: Romero, Rojo, Tuanzebe, Chong