Can Man United Survive Southampton’s Onslaught At St Mary’s Stadium

After an early dream start to the Premier League which saw Manchester United thrashed Chelsea 4-0 at Old Trafford in the opening fixture, thereby giving the team some element of hope of a potential title challenge, the Red Devils were later brought back to earth when they drew Wolves and lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace respectively.

The 20-time EPL Champions now face the quest of returning back to winning ways as they visit Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium in a tricky test on Saturday.

Man United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping that his wards showcase their ‘A’ game against a Southampton side that are very fast on the counter-attack and solid defensively.

Having sold players such as Romelu Lukaku and Alexi Sanchez to Inter Milan this summer transfer window, there seems to be a concern in the attack regardless of the 4-goal they scored against Chelsea.

Indeed, while the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, and Daniel James have all looked lethal breaking on opponents, their lack of sophisticated decision making at close-quarters is a big concern and one which has loomed over the club since the days of Louis van Gaal.

Head To Head

United were lucky to come away with just a 2-2 draw in the same fixture at St Mary’s last season having produced a weak performance and had to rely on a late Lukaku goal to beat them at home in March.

Indeed, St Mary’s has often proved to be a location where United play poorly but manage to secure a result: a 1-0 win in 2017 under Jose Mourinho, a pair of victories under Louis van Gaal despite conceding numerous chances, and that remarkable 3-2 win in 2012 secured by a Robin van Persie hat-trick.

You would have to go back to 2003 for the last time United lost away to Southampton, although the former did claim a pair of 1-0 wins at Old Trafford in consecutive seasons under Ronald Koeman in 2015 and 2016.

Possible Line-Up

Southampton: Gunn; Valery, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Romeu, Hojberg, Ward-Prowse; Boufal, Adams, Ings

Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Young; McTominay, Pogba, Pereira, Lingard, James, Rashford

Betting tips: Expect a tough afternoon for Man United against Southampton, but then, the Red Devils could nick the victory when it matters most. (Man United win or draw under 4.5)