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Manchester United beat Southampton FC 1-0 in the Premier League at the St. Mary’s Stadium on Saturday. Bruno Fernandez’s goal in the 55th minute saw the Red Devils take all three points in the tricky away fixture.
Erik ten Hag named the same team that put in an impressive performance against Liverpool in a morale-boosting win. The teams were evenly matched in the first half, with the home side having the better chances despite not dominating possession.
After going into the break on level terms, United skipper Fernandez made the breakthrough ten minutes into the second half with a fine volley, which was enough to seal the match in his team’s favor. The win brought to an end a run of seven straight away defeats for United in the Premier League.
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This was also the team’s first away clean sheet since Norwich last December and a first away win since February.
On that note, here are the player ratings for United.
David de Gea - 6/10
The Spaniard had little to do for most of the match. Dealt with everything that came his way with ease and made a fantastic save to deny Aribo from point-blank range.
Diogo Dalot - 8/10
The full-back was Manchester United’s Man of the Match. He put in a series of good crosses for the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Elanga and Christian Eriksen. He was the Red Devils’ best attacking player and provided a great cross for the goal. Picked up a yellow card for a foul on Moussa Djenepo.
Raphael Varane - 7/10
The Frenchman marshaled the backline well and has emerged as the defensive leader that Manchester United hoped Harry Maguire would become. If he can stay fit throughout the season, he’ll be one of the Red Devils’ most important players.
Lisandro Martínez - 7/10
The Argentine has settled in well as Varane’s partner, with his fighting attitude giving the defense an edge. Besides one moment where Che Adams drifted behind him and almost scored, he had a solid performance.
Tyrell Malacia - 7/10
The new Manchester United recruit has put in the sort of assured performance that Luke Shaw could only produce in spurts. Defensively strong and adds to the attack when crossing into the attacking half.
Scott McTominay - 6/10
The Scotsman was poor in the first half but did better in the second. Did well to help his defense when needed, but he will be sweating for his place with Casemiro’s arrival.
Christian Eriksen - 5/10
The Danish midfielder has the ability to pick a pass for fun, but looked out of pace for most of the game. Too many loose balls and the match flew past him before he was substituted.
Jadon Sancho - 6/10
Made some good runs on the left wing and is enjoying the freedom, but did little to worry the Southampton defense. The Englishman is slowly forming a good partnership with Tyrell Malacia on the left. Played a part in the goal before being substituted by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bruno Fernandes - 6.5/10
Wasteful at times while also being inspirational at the other end, this was a typical Bruno Fernandez performance. Dwelled on the ball for too long at times and picked the wrong options with his passes. Made up for it with a fantastic finish that ended up being the winning goal. Aside from the goal, there was nothing else of note from the Manchester United skipper.
Anthony Elanga - 4.5/10
The youngster is still learning the ropes and puts in a shift even if he isn’t making a difference. Should have done much better against a makeshift full-back and looked a little lost during the contest.
Marcus Rashford - 4/10
After an electrifying performance against Liverpool a few days ago, Marcus Rashford returned to being an isolated, lonely figure up front. Made a few good runs but didn’t offer much more beyond that.
Manchester United Substitutes
Cristiano Ronaldo - 4/10
The Portuguese captain came on with a little more than 20 minutes left and made no impact. He pressed well and that was about it. Eriksen put him through on goal once and the 37-year-old, who would’ve buried that chance a few years ago, could not get a shot away.
Casemiro - 5/10
An energetic Manchester United debut from the Brazilian gave fans a preview of what’s to come with a couple of crunching challenges and blocks as he helped Manchester United close the game out.
Fred - 3/10
Came on in storage time, didn’t make a impact and picked up a yellow card.
