Saints’ stunner Obafemi robs United of third place
it has come to the task of trying to capitalise on Chelsea’s slipups since the turn of the year, Manchester United have resembled a timid teenager struggling to find the right way to ask a girl on the date he longs for. The will has been there but not the conviction, so closing the deal has remained frustratingly elusive.
Boxing Day was the last time United had won after watching Chelsea drop points in the Premier League, since when they had failed on five occasions to take advantage of their rivals floundering. They can now make that six. As the clock hit 96 minutes, United looked like they had finally crossed that particular psychological hurdle.
They had come from behind to lead, third place was in sight and Chelsea and Leicester City were about to pay for their weekend defeats, in part thanks to a stupendous save late on by David De Gea to deny Nathan Redmond on the keeper’s 400th appearance for United.
But Southampton had other ideas and, for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, their equaliser must have had more than a passing resemblance to a rather famous goal he scored at the Nou Camp 21 years earlier.
In this case, James Ward-prowse played the role of David Beckham, whipping in a dangerous corner, Jan Bednarek flicked it on, Teddy Sheringham-style, and there was substitute Michael Obafemi to stab home on the goal line ahead of Victor Lindelof, as Solskjaer had done against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
United were down to 10 men at the time. Brandon Williams had gone off earlier having sustained a bang to the head following a collision with Kyle Walker-peters shortly after coming on and Solskjaer, having already used his three windows to make substitutions, could not throw on a replacement.
But it was not an excuse. United had created enough opportunities to kill the game off before Obafemi struck, and having done so well to hit back quickly after trailing to Stuart Armstrong’s early goal, courtesy of strikes from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, this was acutely frustrating for Solskjaer.
It was not a calamitous goal for United. They remain fifth, on goal difference behind Leicester, but with Brendan Rodgers’s side their opponents on the final day, they know victory in their remaining three games will guarantee a top
four spot. But it still felt like a kick in the teeth, an opportunity missed and, while United are unbeaten in 18 matches, they must respond on Thursday.
This was the first time for 27 years that United had named the same starting XI for five consecutive games but Solskjaer may need to shuffle the pack to inject some freshness against Crystal Palace.
Martial and Rashford will feel partly culpable that this one got away. They were excellent for long periods and dragged United back into the game after Southampton had capitalised on an error by Paul Pogba, but their wastefulness in the second half would prove costly. Rashford was denied at point-blank range by Alex Mccarthy after more fine link-up play with Martial and then the Frenchman set off on a mazy run from inside his own half which really warranted a finish to cap it off, but he could only fire over the crossbar.
Southampton are quite something, though. They are the embodiment of their all-action manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, and came into this full of confidence after taking 10 points from 15 since the restart.
It showed in the way they started, too, although perhaps they were lucky to finish the first half with 11 men after a late challenge by Oriel Romeu on Mason Greenwood that Solskjaer said would have put himself out for a month.
Pogba had been spared against Aston Villa last week when he lost the ball cheaply to Trezeguet and was relieved to see the Egyptian hit a post, but he had no such luck
here. Pogba was pickpocketed by the livewire Danny Ings after being caught unawares and watched as the Southampton forward worked the ball to Redmond, who crossed to the far side where an unmarked Armstrong did the rest.
You had to wonder what was going on with Pogba in those opening stages. But, thereafter, Pogba and United woke up, and hit back with two goals in three minutes.
Martial, earlier denied by Mccarthy, controlled a cross from Pogba, dropped to the ground under pressure from Jack Stephens but was still able to poke the ball to Rashford to score.
Martial then showcased the other side of his game moments later. United worked the ball from left to right to the forward, who only had one thing in mind, a sudden burst of pace leaving Walker-peters for dead before the Frenchman rifled one into the top corner. But that was as good as it got for United.