Manchester United claimed a commanding 3-0 win over Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, with Andre Onana’s first-half penalty save proving pivotal in turning the game in United’s favour.
Southampton started strongly, with Tyler Dibling causing problems for United's defense early on. His left-footed shot was destined for the net, but Onana pulled off a fantastic save to keep the score level. The home side was handed a golden opportunity in the 30th minute when Diogo Dalot fouled Dibling in the penalty area. Cameron Archer stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Onana guessed correctly, diving to his left to save not only the penalty but also the follow-up header.
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That moment seemed to galvanize United, who took control soon after. Matthijs de Ligt opened the scoring in the 37th minute, heading in from a Bruno Fernandes cross to notch his first goal for the club. United doubled their lead just before the break, with Marcus Rashford finding the back of the net after his first goal since March and after much criticism for a clear lack of form. Rashford made no mistake, driving the ball through a crowded box to score his first goal of the season.
In the second half, United continued to press for more goals, with Ramsdale pulling off several impressive saves, particularly from Rashford’s long-range effort. Southampton’s hopes of mounting a comeback were dashed when captain Jack Stephens was shown a red card for a high challenge on Alejandro Garnacho, who had been introduced as a second-half substitute.
Garnacho, benched for the game amid a social media controversy, had the final say in the match when deep into stoppage time, he latched onto a cross from Dalot and fired into the roof of the net, sealing a comprehensive win for United.
It was a comfortable afternoon for Erik ten Hag’s men, with key contributions from Onana, De Ligt, and Rashford helping United secure the three points.
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