Match ends, Southampton 1, Manchester United 1.
SouthamptonSouthampton1Man UtdManchester United1
Manchester United failed to build on their opening day demolition of Leeds United as Southampton earned a fully-deserved draw at St Mary's.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side looked full of attacking menace and threat in that 5-1 win over Leeds, but here they were a pale shadow of that performance as Saints earned their first point of the campaign and even threatened to grab the victory.
Southampton saw off United's bright start to flourish and take the lead on the half hour when Che Adams' shot deflected off Fred beyond keeper David de Gea.
United looked to be on the charge when Mason Greenwood's shot squirmed under Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy 10 minutes after the break - Solskjaer then moving to punish Saints further by sending on £73m man Jadon Sancho for the disappointing Anthony Martial.
Instead, it was Southampton who created the best opportunity to take all three points as De Gea saved crucially from Adam Armstrong when he looked to poised to score.
United boss Solskjaer will be disappointed with both the performance and the result but this was no more than Southampton deserved as they bounced back impressively from defeat at Everton in their first game.
Man Utd fall well short
Manchester United opened brightly and had a threatening spell after equalising but otherwise this was an average performance from a side harbouring genuine Premier League title ambitions.
United grew increasingly sloppy as the game went on, the occasional moments of sparkle from Paul Pogba failing to compensate for the complete lack of inspiration around him.
Martial contributed little or nothing and it was no surprise when was replaced by Sancho, who was quiet as Southampton regained composure and a measure of control after Greenwood's leveller.
Nemanja Matic was ponderous and off the pace while Fred's main contribution was to unwittingly deflect Adams' shot agonisingly out of the reach of De Gea when Saints went in front.
Who knows what goes on behind the scenes but those two performances pose the question of what Donny van de Beek must lack in Solskjaer's eyes to seemingly not even merit serious consideration for a place in United's engine room?
Scott McTominay was left on the bench until late on but when he came on the pattern of the game was set.
It is very early days and United were superb when thrashing Leeds United but this was the sort of careless, lacklustre display they cannot afford to repeat too often in a season that already looks like it will offer little margin for error for those chasing honours at the top of the table.
- Reaction from Southampton v Man Utd, plus the rest of Sunday's Premier League action
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How to play
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key = Give it up = Pure perfection
Southampton
Starting XI
Avg
Squad number1Player nameMcCarthyAverage rating6.07
Squad number21Player nameLivramentoAverage rating6.79
Squad number5Player nameStephensAverage rating6.45
- Squad number22Player nameSalisuAverage rating
6.64
- Squad number15Player namePerraudAverage rating
6.48
- Squad number32Player nameWalcottAverage rating
6.29
Squad number6Player nameOriol RomeuAverage rating6.49
Squad number8Player nameWard-ProwseAverage rating6.96
- Squad number19Player nameDjenepoAverage rating
6.56
- Squad number10Player nameAdamsAverage rating
7.12
- Squad number9Player nameArmstrongAverage rating
7.10
Substitutes
Avg
- Squad number2Player nameWalker-PetersAverage rating
6.72
- Squad number27Player nameDialloAverage rating
6.42
Squad number35Player nameBednarekAverage rating6.18
Manchester United
Starting XI
Avg
Squad number1Player namede GeaAverage rating4.61
- Squad number29Player nameWan-BissakaAverage rating
4.38
Squad number2Player nameLindelöfAverage rating4.13
- Squad number5Player nameMaguireAverage rating
4.26
Squad number23Player nameShawAverage rating4.91
Squad number17Player nameFredAverage rating3.66
Squad number31Player nameMaticAverage rating3.92
- Squad number11Player nameGreenwoodAverage rating
5.32
- Squad number18Player nameBruno FernandesAverage rating
5.05
Squad number6Player namePogbaAverage rating5.12
Squad number9Player nameMartialAverage rating3.46
Substitutes
Avg
Squad number14Player nameLingardAverage rating4.10
- Squad number25Player nameSanchoAverage rating
4.81
Squad number39Player nameMcTominayAverage rating4.34
Line-ups
Southampton
Formation 4-4-2
- 1McCarthy
- 21Livramento
- 5StephensBooked at 90mins
- 22Salisu
- 15PerraudSubstituted forWalker-Petersat 79'minutes
- 32WalcottSubstituted forBednarekat 45'minutes
- 6Romeu
- 8Ward-Prowse
- 19DjenepoBooked at 51minsSubstituted forDialloat 70'minutes
- 10Adams
- 9Armstrong
Substitutes
- 2Walker-Peters
- 7Long
- 11Redmond
- 23Tella
- 24Elyounoussi
- 27Diallo
- 35Bednarek
- 43Valery
- 44Forster
Man Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1de Gea
- 29Wan-Bissaka
- 2Lindelöf
- 5MaguireBooked at 76mins
- 23Shaw
- 17FredSubstituted forMcTominayat 76'minutes
- 31MaticSubstituted forLingardat 86'minutes
- 11Greenwood
- 18Bruno FernandesBooked at 31mins
- 6PogbaBooked at 90mins
- 9MartialSubstituted forSanchoat 59'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Mata
- 14Lingard
- 19Varane
- 20Dalot
- 21James
- 22Heaton
- 25Sancho
- 34van de Beek
- 39McTominay
- Referee:
- Craig Pawson
Match Stats
Home TeamSouthamptonAway TeamMan Utd
- Possession
- Home36%
- Away64%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away15
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away4
- Corners
- Home7
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Southampton 1, Manchester United 1.
Post update
Paul Pogba (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Che Adams (Southampton).
Booking
Jack Stephens (Southampton) is shown the yellow card.
Booking
Paul Pogba (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Paul Pogba (Manchester United).
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Che Adams (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jadon Sancho.
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Foul by Scott McTominay (Manchester United).
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Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Luke Shaw (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Che Adams (Southampton).
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Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Victor Lindelöf.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Jesse Lingard replaces Nemanja Matic.
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Foul by Scott McTominay (Manchester United).
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Oriol Romeu (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Nemanja Matic.
Substitution
Substitution, Southampton. Kyle Walker-Peters replaces Romain Perraud.
Post update
Paul Pogba (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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That'll knock the man u fans down a peg or two
Man Utd ARE BACK!
Turning corners since 2013.