Southampton 1-1 Manchester United: Premier League – Three Match takeaways
By Erik Franzo
Southampton took a hard earned point from Manchester United, surviving the final 20 plus minutes being reduced to 10 men.
The opening ten minutes were positive for Saints. They pressed United into a number of poor passes, created counter attacks, but failed in the final third. Oriol Romeu and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg were at the centre of the excellent opening spell. Their immense play continued through the final whistle, proving they are one of the stronger midfield partnerships in the league.
Daniel James undid all of Southampton’s hard work with a quality strike from 18 yards. Surprising starter Cedric Soares left him far too much space and James Ward-Prowse and Jan Bednarek were late covering for the right-back. It was a very similar goal to the one conceded to Sadio Mane just two weeks ago.
Southampton fought back, and came out strong to begin the second half. They were rewarded after a loose ball from a corner was retrieved by Kevin Danso and floated back into the box. Jannik Vestergaard met the cross with his head, scoring his first in a Saints’ kit.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has clearly instilled toughness and grit in his Southampton side. Kevin Danso went into a risky challenge and picked up his second yellow in the 73rd minute. A year ago under Hughes or Pellegrino, the Saints would have folded then and there. However, they stood up against United’s urgent attack, deserving their point at St. Mary’s.
The match leaves Southampton with 4 points in 4 Premier League games. However, Hasenhuttl’s starting eleven and the team’s inability to capitalize on the manager’s tactics leave some interesting talking points. Here are three takeaways from the match with Manchester United.