Southampton 1, Manchester United 1
Mason Greenwood’s second half equaliser won a point for Manchester United at Southampton as the Reds matched a Premier League record.
United drew level with Arsenal’s invincibles side after avoiding defeat for the 27th consecutive time on the road in the Premier League at St Mary’s.
Embed from Getty ImagesFred’s first half own goal put the Reds on the back foot until Mason Greenwood popped up with the equaliser early in the second half.
Both sides ended up with chances to win the game but on a hot day at St Mary’s the spoils were shared in the end with the best chance outside of the goals coming from Adam Armstrong.
United had initially lined up with two changes from the side that thrashed Leeds United last week. Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial were brought into the side with Scott McTominay and Daniel James joining new signing Raphael Varane on the bench.
Southampton struggled mightily in a first half dominated by Manchester United and both sides traded free kicks.
Saints captain James Ward-Prowse tested David De Gea in the first minute with a curling set piece that the Reds keeper was almost too slow to react to.
By contrast, United had chances set up by Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw, with one effort coming off the crossbar as Harry Maguire and Paul Pogba could have done better with their headers.
United paid for not converting their early changes when Southampton took the lead after 3 minutes with a move that started with the Reds repeatedly losing the ball in midfield after battling pressing by United’s hosts.
Fernandes was caught on the ball by Jack Stephens and he recycled the ball to Armstrong whose flick released Che Adams for a shot that took a wicked deflection off Fred to beat De Gea.
Fernandes was furious at what he perceived was a foul on him by Stephens and was booked for dissent but United once again had to fight their way back from a goal down.
Fernandes wasted a free which came off the Saints wall while Nemanja Matic had a shot saved by Alex McCarthy.
Southampton brought on Jan Bednarek for Theo Walcott at the break, evidently looking to hold on to their slender lead.
Mason Greenwood secures a point as Manchester United match Arsenal Premier League away record.
Finally though, United were level after 55 minutes when Mason Greenwood clipped home the ball after Pogba exchanged passed with Fernandes before poking it into the path of the Reds striker who nutmegged Mohammed Salisu.
It was Greenwood’s second strike of the season after he scored against Leeds United last weekend at Old Trafford from Pogba’s fifth assist of the season.
Jadon Sancho was quickly introduced for the ineffective Anthony Martial and Pogba shot just wide of the far post, Greenwood headed onto the top of the net, and Alex McCarthy saved from Fernandes’ effort as United looked for the winner.
De Gea saved brilliantly from Adam Armstrong after Southampton sensed a chance to snatch a win after the began to compete in the final quarter of the game.
Maguire brought down Che Adams 28 yards from goal and Saints captain Ward-Prowse’s free kick was punched away by De Gea.
With United’s momentum sufficiently disrupted Ole Gunnar Solkskjaer made two late changes to try and Scott McTominay and Jesse Lingard coming on for Fred and Nemanja Matic.
But Southampton had taken enough energy out of the game to earn themselves a point by the end as the Reds ran out of ideas.
GOALS – Southampton 1, Manchester United 1
Southampton 1, Man Utd 0: 30. Che Adams’s shot deflected off Fred for an own goal past David De Gea after Bruno Fernandes was robbed by Jack Stephens.
Southampton 1, Man Utd 1: 55. Mason Greenwood clipped the ball home after Paul Pogba exchanged passed with Bruno Fernandes to set him up.
MATCH STATS – Southampton 1, Manchester United 1
Southampton: McCarthy, Livramento, Stephens, Salisu, Perraud (Walker-Peters 80), Walcott (Bednarek 46), Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Djenepo (Diallo 70), Adams, Armstrong
Southampton subs not used: Forster, Long, Redmond, Tella, Elyounoussi, Valery
Booked: Djenepo 51 (foul on Fred); Stephens 90+2 (foul)
Goal: Fred OG 30
Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Fred (McTominay 76), Matic (Lingard 86), Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba, Martial (Sancho 59)
Man Utd subs not used: Heaton, Mata, Varane, Dalot, James, van de Beek
Booked: Fernandes 31 (dissent); Maguire 77 (foul on Che Adams); Pogba 90+1 (foul on Che Adams)
Goal: Greenwood 55
Referee: Craig Pawson