Southampton vs Man United, Premier League Soccer
Southampton vs Man United, Southampton welcome Manchester United in an important Premier League game at St. Mary’s Stadium, with both teams desperate to turn around their poor starts to the season. Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United have won just one of their first three games while Southampton are yet to get any points since being promoted back to the Premier League.
Manchester United’s Struggles
United opened the campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham but since have lost two successive matches: first a 2-1 defeat to Brighton, then a 3-0 mauling at Liverpool. United’s inconsistency has mounted huge pressure on Erik ten Hag as his side looks to bounce back from those disappointing results. A third defeat would bring not just an injury to confidence but also heighten speculation about the manager’s future.
Survival Battle for Southampton
While on the other hand, things have been tougher for Southampton as they suffered defeats in all three matches since their promotion back into the Premier League. The Saints have been unable to click under new manager Russell Martin, and a defeat to United would make it their fourth defeat of the season so far, and they would fear another relegation battle.
First Half Action
The game was off to an electric start at St. Mary’s, with the 18-year-old Southampton debutant, Tyler Dibling, coming within inches of giving his side the early lead in the 8th minute, a stunning effort from range denied by Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana. A moment later, Marcus Rashford tried to drive into the Southampton box but was quickly shut down by the home defense.
But the Southampton team, spearheaded by Ben Brereton Diaz, kept piling the pressure and failed to unsettle the United backline in the early stages. Manchester United had their own struggles too as their possession was labored at times, while a couple of late challenges were also made.
Team Lineups
Southampton XI: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Bednarek, Stephens, Walker-Peters; Ugochukwu, Downes, Fernandes, Dibling, Archer, Brereton Díaz.
Manchester United XI: Onana; Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Eriksen, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee.
Predictions
Football pundits give mixed predictions for this critical meeting. On BBC, Chris Sutton thinks Manchester United’s quality will see them through with a 2-0 win, whereas Femi Koleoso projects a 1-1 draw citing lingering struggles at United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. Jazz band Ezra Collective’s Ife Ogunjobi thinks Manchester United will win 2-1.
Match Facts
Head to Head: Southampton has not beaten Manchester United in 14 PL matches, since a 1-0 win in January 2016. Manchester United have come from behind to defeat Southampton in 10 PL games, which is a record for coming back to win against one opponent.
Southampton Form: Southampton could become the first club to lose their opening four Premier League matches in three different seasons. They are on a club-record winless league run of 16 games.
Manchester United Form: United have lost two of their opening three games for the second season in a row under Erik ten Hag. A third defeat would be their worst start since 1986.
Kick-off Details
The kick-off is slated for 12:30 pm West African Time, which in the US means it is set to be 4:30 am PT/7:30 am ET on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton.
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Jawad Shah