Southampton 2-2 Man United: The Reds lose further ground on top four

Manchester United recovered from an awful start but were still held to a disappointing draw in another lacklustre and dour display against a struggling Southampton side on Saturday.

Stuart Armstrong and Cedric Soares put Southampton 2-0 up after just 19 minutes but Romelu Lukaku and Ander Herrera equalised before halftime, both goals created by Marcus Rashford.

The Red Devils started the game with a back three, with Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic flanked either side of Phil Jones in central defence. Ashley Young and Luke Shaw occupied the wing-back positions.

And Manchester United had a glorious chance to break the deadlock inside the third minute after Alex McCarthy seemingly kicked fresh air, instead of the ball, allowing Marcus Rashford to capitalise.

Rashford back-heeled the ball into the box but Ander Herrera was unable to get to the end of it. The ball fell kindly for Romelu Lukaku but the big Belgian hit straight to the onrushing McCarthy and the visitors failed to score.

That miss proved costly for United as Southampton took the lead. Nathan Redmond dribbled infield from the right, dodging a host of players before slipping the ball to Michael Obafemi, who passed to Stuart Armstrong on the right.

Armstrong took a touch before rifling the ball past De Gea for his third goal in two league games. The Saints doubled their lead after seven minutes, with Cedric Soares scoring a beauty of a free-kick after Rashford had fouled Lemina just two yards outside the penalty area.

But Rashford soon redeemed himself, turning past Maya Yoshida and slipping a pass to Lukaku just before Stephens could challenge. The ball was inch-perfect for Lukaku, who smashed the ball past the advancing McCarthy for his first goal in seven league games.

And five minutes before half-time, Mourinho’s men equalised. Rashford was again involved in the move, with the England international surging into the box past two defenders down the right before squaring the ball back into the six-yard box. Herrera was in the right place at the right time to pounce, making it 2-2.

The second half was expected to be exciting following the first but neither side was able to mount any real pressure. The draw left the Saints in the relegation zone with just one win in their last 18 Premier League games, while Manchester United lost further ground on league leaders, Manchester City.

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Southampton 2-2 Man United: The Reds lose further ground on top four

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