Charlie Austin scored the only goal of the game as Southampton beat Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The striker was only on the pitch for seven minutes and 43
seconds when he broke the deadlock with a header from James
Ward-Prowse's 87th minute free-kick to increase the pressure on United
manager Louis van Gaal.
Southampton, who hadn't won at Old Trafford since 1988 before
last season's 1-0 win, made it back-to-back away victories against
United with a textbook display of defensive guile and opportunism.
United managed just one shot on target on the Southampton goal,
as Ronald Koeman's five-man defence snuffed out any semblance of a
United threat.
The defeat leaves United ten points off the pace set by leaders Leicester City, and perhaps more significantly, five points behind Tottenham in the fourth and final Champions League position.
United also suffered yet another defensive injury, with Matteo Darmian leaving the pitch on a stretcher after a clash of heads with Shane Long on the hour mark.
It could be yet another full-back out for United, with Ashley Young (groin), Phil Jones (ankle), Antonio Valencia (foot), Luke Shaw (leg) and Marcos Rojo (shoulder) already on the treatment table.
But it is not defence that United need to improve - United were toothless up front with Wayne Rooney anonymous and Anthony Martial unable to influence proceedings against the resolute Southampton centre-back trio of Virgil van Dijk, Jose Fonte and Ryan Bertrand.
KEY MOMENTS
60' – CHANCE! Southampton win a corner and Long leaps to Clasie's corner but his effort deflects off Blind and for a second corner.
61' – CHANCE! Wanyama gets above Rooney to Bertrand's corner at the back post, but he is unable to direct his header.
80' – CHANCE! Ward-Prowse's cross finds Long
near the penalty spot with the set-piece, but the Irishman is unable to
direct his header on target.
87' – GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Southampton.
Charlie Austin heads home from a Ward-Prowse free-kick from the right.
But who was marking the debutant six yards out from goal!?
90" - SAVE!
De Gea does well to keep out Romeu low to his right, following good hold-up play by Long.
KEY STATS
Manchester United have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last nine Premier League games against Southampton.
Manchester United have won just two of their last seven Premier League games at Old Trafford (W2 D3 L2).
Southampton have won three successive games in the Premier League for the first time in almost 12 months.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Virgil van Dijk (Southampton)
The Dutchman gets the nod, although Ryan Bertrand and Jose Fonte
could have just as easily have picked up the award. The 24-year-old was
strong when dealing with Rooney, and his positioning play prevented
Anthony Martial from getting a clear run on goal. Van Dijk says he has
learned more working with Koeman since his deadline signing in September
than he did in his two years at Celtic - he is learning all the time and improving as a player with each match.
TALKING POINT: How long will Manchester United supporters put up with this thin gruel?
As referee Mike Jones blew the whistle for half-time, even the
boos from the United supporters were half-hearted and lacklustre. It was
in keeping with the performance of their team – slow, ponderous,
laborious and lacking in spark and energy. For the eleventh successive
match, United failed to score in the first-half at Old Trafford, a run
of eight hours and 26 minutes without a first-half goal.
The supporters remain loyal, another 75,548 paying to come
through the gate, but how long will they continue to pay 50 quid a
ticket for this dross? Will we see the 'tickets available at the gates”
signs at Old Trafford for the first time since the early days of the Alex Ferguson era soon enough?
PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester United: De Gea 7, Borthwick-Jackson 7, Smalling 7, Blind 6, Darmian 6, Schneiderlin 6, Fellaini 6, Lingard 6, Herrera 6, Martial 6, Rooney 6.
Subs: McNair 6, Mata 7.
Subs: McNair 6, Mata 7.
Southampton: Forster 7, Cedric 7, Fonte 8, Van Dijk 8, Bertrand 7, Targett 7, Clasie 7, Wanyama 6, Tadic 6, Long 7, Mane 6. Subs: Ward-Prowse 6, Romeu 6, Austin 8.
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