Manchester United cruised to all three points at St. Mary’s on Saturday afternoon with Alejandro Garnacho adding some gloss to the eventual 3-0 scoreline with the final kick of the game.
There were structural issues once again in the first half as a change in tack from Russell Martin facilitated a notable Southampton improvement from their opening three performances of the season. United were second-best for much of the first half, but the contest was turned on its head when Andre Onana denied Cameron Archer from the penalty spot.
Archer’s effort from 12 yards in the 33rd minute would prove to be the Saints’ last of the contest as United asserted total control from that moment in what turned out to be a routine 3-0 win.
Here’s two United players who can hold their head up particularly high, alongside one who knows he must do better moving forward…
Matthijs de Ligt
De Ligt endured a nightmare of an international break. A costly mistake against Germany saw him withdrawn at half-time. So, the Dutchman may have been feeling a little unsure of himself as he lined up to face the Saints, but De Ligt looked at total ease at the heart of Man Utd’s defence.
Sure, his aggressive nature means there are times when he will be beating one-on-one, but De Ligt was superb when tasked with defending the United box – and he was forced to do plenty of defending in the opening 30 minutes. He was ever so strong when duelling on the ground, and dominant in the air. Archer was tamed throughout.
De Ligt also made an excellent clearance close to the goal-line which surely prevented a Southampton opener, but the undoubted highlight of his afternoon was his pinpoint header across Aaron Ramsdale which handed the visitors the lead.
Lisandro Martinez
Martinez wasn’t quite as busy as De Ligt in the opening 30 minutes, with the Argentine’s impact perhaps more subtle. It was the centre-back who sparked any bright United sequences with the ball with some excellent line-splitting passes, and his quality in possession manifested throughout.
Defensively, Martinez was more active in the second half, and he did a fine job in ensuring the Saints couldn’t even get close to Onana’s goal. He timed his challenges superbly, with the centre-back ending the contest with a 100% tackle success rate.
Diogo Dalot
Dalot ended the match on a bright note as he set up United’s third, but this was not a good outing for the versatile full-back.
18-year-old Tyler Dibling had his way with Dalot in the opening period. The winger fooled the full-back on several occasions, using his body effectively to roll Dalot. It was Dibling’s change of pace which often did for the Portuguese international, with Dalot clumsily diving in to give away a penalty.
Things improved after the interval but that another first half display like that against better opposition could leave United reeling.
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