Manchester United bounced back from a disappointing defeat against Liverpool at Old Trafford two weeks ago to beat Southampton 3-0 at St Mary’s. The Red Devils put in an impressive performance, with goals from Matthijs de Ligt, his first for the club, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho sealing the win.
It was no doubt a relief for the Red Devils to get the three points, after two defeats in a row. They will no doubt be hoping this win can give them confidence going forward, and they certainly put in a commanding performance on the South Coast.
Erik ten Hag’s side were dominant for much of the game, dominating the ball according to SofaScore. The Red Devils had 56% possession and had 20 shots compared to just six for the Saints, who also missed a penalty.
There were some great performances from those in Blue today, although Marcus Rashford was particularly impressive.
Marcus Rashford’s stats against Southampton
It was certainly an impressive showing from Rashford, who has come under fire so far this season for his performances despite playing well. He has created three big chances this campaign, more than any other teammate in the Premier League as per SofaScore.
The England international scored his first goal since March at a sunny St Mary’s, a well-taken strike from distance which bent past Aaron Ramsdale and into the back of the net. It was a goal that put the Red Devils in a comfortable position after Archer’s missed penalty.
He looked electric throughout the match and received a 7/10 rating at the final whistle from the Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst. The journalist noted that the 26-year-old was able “to build on the chances he created” against United’s arch-rivals Liverpool the other week.
Indeed, the impressive performance from United’s number ten was also reflected in his SofaScore stats. Rashford had 31 touches of the ball, winning three duels and two fouls. He also created one chance and, of course, scored his goal.
He was certainly looking at his fluent best for United, but there was a fellow attacker who was arguably even better than the 26-year-old on Saturday afternoon.
Amad’s stats vs. Southampton
The player in question here is Ivorian winger Amad. He has made that right-wing position his own this season, starting three of the four Premier League games, coming off the bench in the previous game against Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Ten Hag gave the 22-year-old his starting spot back at St Mary’s and was rewarded. Amad was once again superb against the Saints, assisting Rashford’s goal, which came from a well-worked corner routine.
Indeed, this was a view that was shared by Luckhurst, who actually gave United’s number 16 an even higher rating than his teammate Rashford. The journalist was full of praise for the man he gave an 8/10.
Luckhurst praised Amad for his performances, explaining he was “quick, strong, and almost always made the right decision”. He called him an “integral” player for the Red Devils on the South Coast this afternoon.
That was certainly reflected in his SofaScore stats, with the youngster getting 67 touches of the ball, creating an impressive six key passes, and grabbing the assist for Rashford’s goal. Off the ball he was superb, too, winning five out of eight duels and four out of four tackles.
Stat
Number
Passes completed
51/57
Pass accuracy
89%
Duels won
5/8
Chances created
6
Tackles won
4/4
Assists
1
It was a mesmerising performance from the youngster, who will be hoping he can keep up those performances in the coming weeks as he looks to help push United up the table and pick up some good momentum.
