Report: Saints punished by United

Cameron Archer’s penalty on 33 minutes had presented Saints with a golden chance to take what would have been a deserved lead, but his saved effort was almost immediately followed by two quick-fire goals from the visitors ahead of half-time, through Matthijs de Ligt and Marcus Rashford, giving United a position of control they would not relinquish.

The afternoon took an additional turn for the worse late on for Russell Martin's side, as Jack Stephens was sent off for a late foul on Alejandro Garnacho, with the captain now facing a three-match ban, while Garnacho would add a third with the final effort of the game.

It leaves Saints, who had created a number of other good opportunities before that decisive couple of minutes in the first half, with a record of four defeats from their opening four Premier League games. However, much like some of those other contests, there were at least positives – if no points – to take out of this performance, including the display of 18-year-old Tyler Dibling, who shone on the first Premier League start of his career.

Martin made four changes from the team that had lost at Brentford prior to the international break, as Adam Armstrong, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Joe Aribo dropped to the bench, while Will Smallbone missed out altogether through a hamstring injury sustained on international duty with Republic of Ireland.

Tyler Dibling, 18, was making his first Premier League start (Photo: Matt Watson)

In their places came Mateus Fernandes, Lesley Ugochukwu, Archer and Academy graduate Dibling, who were all making their first Premier League starts for the club, with the moves resulting in a change of shape, as Saints switched to a back four.

There was also some notable news among the substitutes, as deadline day signings Ryan Fraser and Maxwel Cornet made the squad, while striker Ross Stewart was also fit enough to earn a spot.

For Dibling, it was undoubtedly a landmark day, and he came so close starting it in a way that would have felt straight out of a movie script, almost scoring a stunning goal on seven minutes. Receiving a pass on halfway and out by the touchline, he spun past Diogo Dalot and exploded away down the right, bearing down on the United box before cutting inside onto his left foot and curling a shot that was arcing into the far corner, only for Andre Onana to tip it away at full stretch.

It might not have been a goal, but it was still a moment that sent a pulse of energy through St Mary’s, as cries of “Tyler Dibling, he’s one of our own” reverberated around the stadium.

It also put Saints very much on the front foot, and they continued to enjoy plenty of territory near United’s box in the minutes that followed. But it was soon the turn of the visitors to threaten and they went close to a breakthrough 15 minutes in when Christian Eriksen’s angled pass across the area picked out the run of Joshua Zirkzee sliding in from six yards out, only for Aaron Ramsdale to spring off his line and smother the effort.

Aaron Ramsdale makes a good early save from Joshua Zirkzee (Photo: Matt Watson)

Ramsdale was again in action shortly afterwards when Noussair Mazraouri fired in a side-footed volley from outside the box after a corner had been headed clear, but, although impressively struck, it was fortunately straight at the Saints keeper.

Back at the other end, Martin’s side went close to an opener on 23 minutes as Yuki Sugawara burst onto a ball in the area and curled a left-footed shot across goal, with the effort beating Onana, but not de Ligt, who stuck out a leg and diverted it away from inside the six-yard box.

Saints had another big opportunity not long after, as Dibling won a free-kick out on the right after being fouled by Dalot, who was being given all sorts of trouble by the youngster. The delivery from Sugawara was an excellent one and picked out Ugochukwu six yards from goal, but the midfielder got his header wrong and sent the ball a few yards over.

Then, an even bigger chance was missed. Once more, it was Dibling who was responsible for creating it, again bursting past Dalot, this time on the half-hour mark, with the United player’s desperate attempt to recover only resulting in him tripping the teenager right on the line of the area, as referee Stuart Attwell quickly pointed to the spot.

Tyler Dibling is fouled by Diogo Dalot, giving Saints a penalty (Photo: Chris Moorhouse)

It took a while before the penalty could be taken and, when it was, Archer’s low effort was saved by Onana, with the United keeper then springing up in time to grab the striker’s headed rebound.

Only two minutes later, United would make Saints pay a hefty price.

Ramsdale had made a fine fingertip save to deny Zirkzee’s low shot from 25 yards, but the resulting corner was played deep to Bruno Fernandes, whose delivery to the back post found de Ligt, and he directed a header across goal and just inside the far post to put the visitors in front.

It could have got worse for Saints on 40 minutes when Rashford was played through on an angle by Amad Diallo, but Ramsdale made a fantastic stop at the near post to deny him.

Seconds later, however, Rashford did get the better of his opponent, with a low shot across goal that went through a cluster of players and crept inches inside the far post to double United’s lead.

It was tough on Saints, who had held the upper hand for much of the half, only to have the game swing away from them, but such is life in the Premier League, and Ramsdale was again called on to keep out de Ligt at close range shortly before the break to keep some hope alive.

There were no changes in personnel from either side at half time, and the early stages signalled no let up in United’s pursuit of a third goal that would surely put the result beyond doubt.

Saints just about held them off, though, with Ramsdale making a flying stop to keep out a Rashford shot, and Martin switched things up an hour in, making a rare quadruple substitution.

Maxwel Cornet came on in the second half for his Saints debut (Photo: Matt Watson)

On came Stewart, Fraser, Cornet and Adam Lallana, with Archer, Ugochukwu, Dibling and Ben Brereton Díaz making way.

But Saints were struggling to find a way through a United team that didn't have any need to over-commit, and any hopes of a late rally were probably ended on 79 minutes when Stephens was dismissed by Attwell for a high tackle on Garnacho, leaving the hosts to see out the game with ten players.

Predictably, it removed any potential drama from the final minutes, and the visitors added a third through Garnacho's finish high into the net deep into added time.

For Saints, despite the result, there were signs of encouragement to take, with some good periods, individual performances and a selection of new or returning faces, as they now head into a busy week that sees them visit Everton in the Carabao Cup before heading back to St Mary's next Saturday for an important early-season encounter with fellow promoted side Ipswich Town.

Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Stephens (captain), Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Downes, Ugochukwu (Cornet 64), Fernandes (Harwood-Bellis 81), Dibling (Lallana 63), Brereton Díaz (Fraser 64), Archer (Stewart 62).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Taylor, Aribo, Armstrong.

Booked: Cornet.

Sent off: Stephens.

Manchester United: Onana, Mazraouri (Maguire 74), de Ligt (Casemiro 87), Martinez (Evans 77), Fernandes (captain), Rashford (Garnacho 73), Zirkzee, Eriksen (Ugarte 73), Amad, Dalot, Mainoo.

Unused substitutes: Bayindir, Collyer, Antony, Wheatley.

Goals: De Ligt (35’), Rashford (41’), Garnacho (90+6').

Booked: Mainoo, Eriksen, Fernandes, Maguire.

Referee: Stuart Attwell.

Attendance: 31,144.