Manchester United 3-2 Southampton: 5 men who were instrumental in the comeback win

12 games played in the Premier League, 10 wins and 2 draws. 32 points taken from a possible 36, but on Saturday night, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United were extremely close to a breakdown, yet managed to turn things around spectacularly.

Injuries had deprived United of at least 5 of their regular first team players, however, Solskjaer was relieved to have Marcus Rashford back for the game. And the nature of the league meant that Solskjaer could not afford to rest anyone before the midweek game against PSG.

If the Norwegian had concerns before the game, he would have been extremely frustrated at the nature of the first half, when United could have been 3-0 up, but found themselves 0-1 down at the break. Yet the manager was able to inspire his team to turn things around in the second half. One substitution and a few tactical changes meant that United went from 0-1 down to leading 2-1 at the start of the second half. Southampton got level through an excellent free-kick, but United would not be denied on the night as Lukaku secured 3 points for his team.

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While the Norwegian was excellent with his tactics, he had these 5 men to thank for securing an exceptional comeback win for Manchester United

#5 Chris Smalling

Manchester United v Southampton FC - Premier League

Even though Southampton scored 2 goals in the game, there wasn't much that the United defense could do about them. The duo of Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof has been fabulous of late and it is the contrasting qualities of the two of them that makes the pair so good together.

While the Englishman can be a liability at times - Southampton had a strong penalty claim turned down in the first half, Smalling does bring a degree of brawn to the back four. Against Southampton too, he was strong on the ball and neutralized Charlie Austin's bullying with ease.

Smalling's physical presence was an important ingredient in the United defense on the night. When United fullbacks were bombing forward throughout the second half, Smalling was a rock at the back, enabling United to attack with renewed freedom. In the end, it helped United win the game.

#4 Victor Lindelof

Sanchez's injury kick-started a lot of changes in Solskjaer's tactics, and one of them was switching to what looked like a back three. Victor Lindelof took his position to the left of Smalling and it was from here that he sent in long balls that disrupted the opposition. With the security of 3 men at the back, United continued to pile men forward and pegged down the away side. However, Southampton threatened to score on the break, trying to bomb forward to take advantage of the empty spaces. It was here that Lindelof played a key role.

The Swede ensured that the away side never had an advantage in the counter and held his fort well. He was also careful with his tackles, staying clean and denying the opposition forwards any space to operate. His assurance allowed Luke Shaw to operate from a higher position and it helped United in their pursuit of the 3 points.

#3 Diogo Dalot

Dalot injected life into the Manchester United side

Diogo Dalot was the player who ignited the Manchester United comeback. His entry into the pitch was the shot of energy that his team desperately needed. He came on to replace Alexis Sanchez after the Chilean picked up an injury and instantly got into the thick of things.

With his introduction, Manchester United changed to a back three and Dalot took a position as a wing back. His immediate task was to charge up the right-hand side of the field and this the Portuguese did with great precision. His speed and control on the ball meant that he almost looked like an attacking player on the field and his qualities on the counter created the first goal for United.

After a fine run down the right, Dalot passed the ball to Pereira as United piled the bodies forward in search of a goal. The Brazilian scored the equalizer and it initiates the comeback process. Dalot was a constant threat down the right and was instrumental as United secured the comeback win.

#2 Andreas Pereira

With the United midfield failing to click in the first half, Solskjaer took a gamble at the start of the second. He brought the misfiring Pogba back into a deeper role and stationed him alongside Scott McTominay. The Norwegian opted to deploy Andreas Pereira in a more advanced position and in an instant, United looked like a different team.

Southampton were not prepared for the clever movement of the diminutive Brazilian. His passing and running in the final third suddenly added a new dimension to United's game. In the split second that Southampton took to adjust to this change, Pereira had done the damage.

First, some good work from Dalot found the Brazilian in a little space near the opposition box, as United broke away in a counter. He had a handful of options to choose from, but Pereira decided to go alone. He unleashed the perfect strike that soared beyond Gunn in the Southampton goal and United were level! It was just the boost that the home team needed.

With the away side still reeling from the goal, the Brazilian struck again, this time finding Lukaku in the box, who scored United's second of the game. Andreas Pereira in the No. 10 role was instrumental in kick-starting United's comeback.

#1 Romelu Lukaku

For the second game running, Romelu Lukaku scored a brace and rescued Manchester United. While his performance against Crystal Palace was appreciated, his outing against Southampton won him a million more fans on the night.

The Belgian was a warrior on the field, constantly pressing the opposition and striving to break the opposition down. He was guilty of missing a couple of easy opportunities on the night, but Lukaku was just preparing himself for a grand finale.

With the score at 1-1, the Belgian was asked to continue in the No. 9 role and he displayed his finishing prowess, deftly sending the ball into the far corner. After Southampton had drawn level, United needed a moment of magic. Once again, it arrived from their Belgian, this time from outside the box. Lukaku struck the ball home with precision and sent Old Trafford into frenzied celebrations. United had secured 3 points from the jaws of defeat, all thanks to their big Belgian.

Edited by Vikshith R