REDS AND BURIED

Saints turn into sinners as United hit nine against nine men!

MANCHESTER UNITED matched the Premier League’s record scoreline – thanks partly to a teenager who will remember his full league debut for all the wrong reasons.

Alexandre Jankewitz lasted just 82 seconds, a rush of blood to the head and an ugly studs-up challenge on Scott Mctominay earning the 19-year-old midfielder a straight red card.

And when Jan Bednarek was also dismissed late on, United ran riot. The first red card was the green light for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to repeat the 9-0 mauling Southampton suffered at the hands of Leicester last season.

United already had a share of that record having beaten Ipswich by that score in 1995.

When Jankewitz planted his studs on Mctominay’s thigh referee Mike Dean had no hesitation in producing a red card. Replays were not needed to confirm it was the right decision, the raking marks on Mctominay were testimony to the dangerous challenge.

With his marching orders, Jankewitz became the unwanted holder of the record for the quickest dismissal from the start of a game of an outfield player in Premier League history.

Former Blackburn and England keeper Tim Flowers holds the record having been sent off 72 seconds into a match against

Leeds in 1995.

United made their numerical advantage pay, Aaron Wan-bissaka opening the scoring in the 18th minute. Luke Shaw slung in a cross to the far post and Wan-bissaka applied a firsttime finish for only his second goal for the club. Marcus Rashford made it 2-0 seven minutes later, turning the ball in from Greenwood’s cross, with Shaw having again been involved in the build-up. It then became a question of damage limitation for Saints. Against Leicester they also suffered an early red card and caved in, and this game was to follow a similar pattern. It became 3-0 in the 34th minute, Bednarek turning a Rashford cross into his own net, with United in no mood to show mercy to their

beleaguered opponents. Edinson Cavani made it 4-0 in the 39th minute, planting a free header beyond Alex Mccarthy, Shaw again the provider.

It could have been worse for the visitors when United were awarded a penalty just before half-time for a foul on Cavani, but VAR overruled the decision, deeming the challenge was outside the box.

With such a commanding lead and the game already won, Solskjaer was able to take full advantage and rest players, taking off Cavani and

Shaw at half-time and Rashford on the hour. Saints found the back of the net shortly after the restart but, typical of such a miserable night for them, the goal from Che Adams was ruled out for offside after VAR intervened. Martial, who replaced Cavani,

made it 5-0 with a turn and fine finish into the roof of the net in the 69th minute.

Two minutes later Mctominay added United’s sixth from the edge of the box, and they were not done yet.

Bednarek was sent off for bringing down Martial in the area on 88 minutes and Bruno Fernandes tucked away the penalty.

Martial grabbed his second goal of the game soon after and Daniel James completed the rout in injury time to put United level on points at the top of the table with Manchester City, who play tonight.