Match Pack: Man United vs Saints
Saints are on the road twice this week, starting with a trip to Manchester United on Thursday night. Get clued up ahead of matchday with our Match Pack...
THE MATCH
Man United vs Saints
Premier League
Old Trafford
Thursday 16th January, 8pm GMT
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: John Brooks
Assistants: Simon Bennett, Dan Robathan
Fourth official: Tom Bramall
VAR: Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR: Con Hatzidakis
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Facing back-to-back away games this week, Saints will look to take confidence from the comfortable 3-0 win over Swansea in the FA Cup last weekend.
Ivan Jurić's side will need to be at their best to take on an in-form Man United side, who return to Old Trafford after impressive displays at both Liverpool and Arsenal in recent weeks.
WHICH KIT WILL SAINTS BE WEARING?
Saints will be in their yellow and blue away kit for the trip north. With the yellow and blue being donned for Sunday's trip to Nottingham Forest too, why not grab your own today in support:
WATCH LIVE AT THE DELL
Unable to make it up to Manchester on Thursday? Head down to The Dell at St Mary's Stadium where a live streaming will be taking place alongside fantastic food offers.
Enjoy a delicious burger and a pint of Asahi for just £18.85. This deal is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and during all Saints match screenings.
TEAM NEWS
Jurić said he is hopeful that midfielder Flynn Downes will return to the side for Thursday night's trip to Manchester, having been missing since the second half of the Boxing Day defeat to West Ham.
“Flynn Downes did his first training yesterday,” he said. “He is ok. We will see if he can play from the beginning or later, but it is ok.”
When asked if there were any other fitness concerns ahead of the game, Jurić replied: “No, I think everybody is fit, everybody is ok.”
THE MANAGERS
Ruben Amorim: "I'm always concerned because we didn't have, during these games, the consistency in performances, in results, so always worried. It's my job to be worried but we have to face Southampton in the same way we faced Liverpool and Arsenal, for example, that is the goal. Not more, not less, face that game.
"It's different because the most difficult thing to train in one team is the way you build with the ball and in the final third the way we play, you create a situation, that is what a big team should do very well. We have, for a long time, a lack of goals and because we don't spend a lot of time with the last third, we did against Nottingham [Forest] but we need to improve in that part of the game."
Ivan Jurić: "Manchester United have changed the manager, they’ve changed their style of play. They play 3-4-3 like [Ruben] Amorim did at Sporting [Lisbon]. They are trying to find the right way. They've played some good games, some bad games, it's normal when you change the style of football.
"We did some things well [against Swansea], but we know it will be a different game against Swansea than against Manchester United. We are preparing well. The guys are a little bit more confident after the Swansea game, we will see [how we do] tomorrow."
TOP SCORERS
Man United
Goals:
Alejandro Garnacho 8
Fernandes, Rashford, Højlund 7
Amad Diallo 6
Assists:
Bruno Fernandes 11
Amad Diallo 7
Alejandro Garnacho 5
Saints
Goals:
Cameron Archer 5
Tyler Dibling 4
Armstrong, Harwood-Bellis 3
Assists:
Mateus Fernandes 3
Six players 2
Sugawara, Ugochukwu 1
ONES TO WATCH
Bruno Fernandes: United's captain has looked back to his best in recent weeks, helping the Reds advance past Arsenal in the FA Cup with a goal last weekend.
Given freedom to get forward and orchestrate United's attack, Saints will need to be on full alert.
Kamaldeen Sulemana: Returning to the fold under Ivan Jurić's tenure, the Ghanaian produced a Man of the Match performance last time out with a goal and an assist against Swansea.
Deployed as part of a front two against the Swans, Kamaldeen could once again lead the line in Manchester.
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 134
Man United: 69
Draws: 37
Saints: 28
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
September 2024: Saints 0-3 Man United
March 2023: Man United 0-0 Saints
August 2022: Saints 0-1 Man United
February 2022: Man United 1-1 Saints (Adams)
August 2021: Saints 1-1 Man United (Fred OG)
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