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Manchester United made an impressive comeback to defeat Southampton 3-2 at St. Mary’s on Sunday.
Jan Bednarek and James Ward-Prowse struck from dead ball situations to put Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men in a strong position, but super substitute Edinson Cavani turned the score around with two goals and one assist to send United back to the upper half.
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Positive
United were able to get into an attacking rhythm, putting together some quick passes and intricate passageways of play that Southampton simply couldn’t deal with. When they kept it simple and moved it across the deck instead of going the air route, they were also more successful. It can be argued that his cardio played a role in his return here.
Negative
United struggled when it came to the physicality of the hosts and defensively struggled to deal with Southampton’s direct serve in the final third. Set pieces remain one of his most obvious weaknesses.
Manager rating out of 10
7 – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked like the shell of a man towards the end of the first half and rightly so, as he seemed like he didn’t have a Plan B. The zonal mark he refuses to leave cost the Red Devils a big path to the first goal, but luckily for him, the changes he made at halftime, namely Cavani, proved to be a masterstroke and were an integral part of his team fighting his way back into the game.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players submitted after 70 minutes are not rated)
GK David de Gea, 4 – The Spaniard had a nightmare day in the office as he couldn’t control his area for the first game, he should have done better with Ward-Prowse’s free kick for the second for the Saints and had to leave with injury at halftime. .
DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 6 years old He struggled to contain Moussa Djenepo for long periods in the afternoon, but improved when United began their rise, playing a key role in Fernandes’ goal.
DF Víctor Lindelof, 7 – The center-back didn’t really connect with Wan-Bissaka on the right in the way he would have hoped, but he was effective enough to keep the Saints at bay.
DF Harry Maguire, 6 – While he may have made a handful of big interceptions, Maguire’s negative play and constant slowing of pace do more harm than good.
DF Alex Telles, 7 – He produced a wonderful link game, but he still needs to find the balance between moving forward and keeping things tight on the flank.
MF Fred, 7 – He missed the free throw that allowed Ward-Prowse to make it 2-0, but after a sloppy first half, he improved dramatically when he pushed higher. He’s featured in two of United’s three goals in the second half.
MF Nemanja Matic, 5 – From poor passing to a lack of control in the middle of the park, this was a day to forget for Matic.
MF Donny van de Beek, 5 – You need to learn to pull the trigger after a series of missed opportunities and hesitations with the ball.
MF Bruno Fernandes, 8 – After a lethargic first 45 minutes, Fernandes came to life with a fine shot for United’s first and a lucky cross-hatch to equalize Cavani.
FW Marcus Rashford, 6 years old – He lost his man for the opening goal and should have done better when he sped up in the 52nd minute. His persistence paid off, however, with a beautiful delivery for the Cavani winner.
FW Mason Greenwood, 5 – I had to go too low to get some kind of service. His best chance came in the 30th minute when he shot directly at the goalkeeper.
Substitutes
GK Dean Henderson, 7 – He made some controlled stops early in the second half and more than held his ground after replacing the injured De Gea.
DF Brandon Williams, N / A – It was seen as an odd entry into the game and it really didn’t have much of an impact in the final 10 minutes.
DEL Edinson Cavani, 9 – The former PSG star was a breath of fresh air and caused a lot of trouble for Southampton, eventually leading him to assist one goal and score two more with big, instinctive headers.
