LATE BLOW FOR UNITED HOPES BUT JOY FOR CITY
MANCHESTER United’s Champions League charge was stopped in its tracks as Southampton bagged a late point in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last night.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were seconds away from leapfrogging Chelsea and Leicester City in the table after both of their rivals suffered shock weekend defeats — but Michael Obafemi’s injury-time leveller keeps United in fifth place.
They had responded efficiently to Stuart Armstrong giving the Saints an early lead, with goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial appearing sufficient to fire the Red Devils up to third, until Republic of Ireland international Obafemi had the final say on the day it was confirmed that only the top four will qualify for the Champions League following Manchester City’s successful appeal against their European ban.
JUST as the backdoor route to next season’s Champions League closes, Manchester United look like they may need to sneak through it after all.
Michael Obafemi’s late stoppage-time equaliser earned Southampton a 2-2 draw and halted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s four-game winning run, leaving the race to finish in the top four wide open.
On the same day that the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned Manchester City’s Champions League two-year ban — eliminating hopes that a fifthplace finish might be enough for a place in next season’s competition — United needed to capitalise on slip-ups by fellow contenders Chelsea and Leicester City.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial’s first-half goals, scored in the space of three minutes after Stuart Armstrong had given Southampton the lead, appeared as though they would be enough for Solskjaer’s side to finish a round of Premier League fixtures inside the top four positions for the first time since September.
Yet in time added on for a clash of heads between Brandon Williams and Kyle Walker-peters, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s visiting side levelled, with Obafemi scrambling the ball over the line from a corner.
This visitors’ high press had paid off early on and caught out Paul Pogba, who failed to spot Danny Ings lurking over his shoulder while turning to receive David de Gea’s pass. Nathan Redmond picked up the loose ball and clipped a cross to the far post for Armstrong to finish.
United’s resurgence suddenly appeared under threat from a well-organised opponent, but one aspect of their revival is an ability to take their chances when they come.
Martial had already spurned one golden opportunity minutes before Armstrong’s opener, failing to convert a one-on-one with goalkeeper Alex Mccarthy.
He showed greater composure in the penalty area this time, taking the ball down, controlling it under mounting pressure, then slipping it left for Rashford to finish and celebrate his first goal from open play since the restart.
Three minutes later, Martial was the one celebrating. After receiving possession out on the left from Fernandes, he cut inside and drove round Walker-peters before producing a thumping strike.
The game had turned on its head in the space of 180 seconds and Southampton lost much of their early intensity from thereon. It only appeared again in glimpses, and was not always in the right way. Oriol Romeu’s challenge on Mason Greenwood — if it can be called that — was late, recklessly so. Greenwood’s ankle was bent in half long after the ball had gone but Lee Mason — the VAR at Stockley Park — saw no reason to intervene.
Redmond came close to drawing Southampton level in the second half; shooting wide at the very start, then forcing De Gea into a fine, finger-tip reaction save with four minutes left.
Williams could not continue after a clash of heads and — as Solskjaer had used all three substitute ‘windows’ — could not be replaced either, leaving United with 10 men to defend a James Ward-prowse corner.
Jan Bednarek jumped highest and diverted the ball to the far post, which every United player bar Victor Lindelof had vacated. Obafemi — a late substitute — won his duel with the Swede, and put the ball in the net
A frustrated Solskjaer slapped the seat in front of him, knowing that United had dropped two points which could prove to be decisive in this tightest of races.