Manchester United halted their two-match losing run with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, with Matthijs de Ligt, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho scoring the goals.

United emerged from the first international break of 2024/25 14th in the Premier League table following defeats to Brighton and Liverpool, but they got back to winning ways after surviving an early scare on the south coast.

Making his first Premier League start, Tyler Dibling won a penalty for Southampton in the first half, but Andre Onana kept out Cameron Archer’s kick and the momentum shifted from there.

De Ligt headed in his first United goal just two minutes later, then an excellent Rashford strike gave them breathing room. Garnacho added a third in stoppage time, having also drawn a red card for Southampton captain Jack Stephens.

The win lifts United to eighth in the table with six points, while Southampton are 19th, having lost all four of their matches since winning promotion from the Championship.

How the match unfolded

United were twice indebted to Onana for keeping them level in the first half, with the visiting goalkeeper diving to his right to keep out a curling effort from 18-year-old Dibling early on.

The teenager continued to run United ragged down the Southampton right, with Diogo Dalot scything him down to give Saints a 33rd-minute penalty. Archer was unable to convert from the spot, though, seeing his weak effort pushed away by Onana.

United swiftly punished Southampton for that miss. De Ligt headed Bruno Fernandes’ floated cross home just two minutes after Onana’s penalty save.

The Red Devils had daylight shortly before half-time, with Rashford curling a tremendous shot against the far post and in after finding space on the edge of the area.

Garnacho came off the bench to add to Southampton’s woes in the second half, with Stephens’ wild lunge on the Argentinian resulting in him being shown a straight red card with 11 minutes to play.

Garnacho then got himself on the scoresheet six minutes into stoppage-time, lashing into the roof of the net after Dalot found him with a cutback from the byline.

Fine margins cost Saints again

Southampton’s first three matches back in the Premier League saw them produce several promising moments, only to come unstuck at key moments at both ends of the pitch.

It was a similar story on Saturday, with Dibling leading the charge as they impressed during the early exchanges. The 18-year-old tormented United’s stand-in left-back Dalot, and was chopped down by his marker after one mazy run took him into the penalty area.

But the match turned on Archer’s failure to beat Onana from 12 yards, with some slack marking in the aftermath of a short corner allowing De Ligt to put United ahead just 149 seconds later.

Just before half-time, Russell Martin’s men were issued another reminder of the ruthless nature of Premier League football. Rashford fashioned half a chance for himself and took it expertly. The hosts failed to register a single shot in the second half as United cruised to victory.

Southampton are now the first team in Premier League history to start three separate campaigns with four straight defeats, having previously done so in 1998/99 and 2012/13.

Rashford magic lifts Red Devils

Erik ten Hag reacted to United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool prior to the international break by making two changes to his starting lineup, with Garnacho and Casemiro – whose performance against the Reds was strongly criticised – being replaced by Christian Eriksen and Amad Diallo.

In the first half hour, it looked like those changes had done nothing to bring greater balance to the Red Devils, with Southampton cutting through them time and again in transition.

United had to ride their luck – and rely on some big saves from Onana – to stay level during a chaotic opening. But as has often been the case under Ten Hag, a magic moment from one of their big-name attackers helped them get over the line.

Rashford endured a disappointing 2023/24 campaign by his lofty standards, scoring seven Premier League goals after netting 17 in 2022/23.

He showed plenty of confidence with his 41st-minute finish, though, bending a shot off the foot of the post and beyond Aaron Ramsdale. If he can rediscover the form he displayed in Ten Hag’s first season at the helm, United’s hopes of Champions League qualification will be greatly boosted.

Club reports

Southampton report | Man Utd report

Match officials

Referee: Stuart Attwell. Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Nick Hopton. Fourth official: Gavin Ward. VAR: Chris Kavanagh. Assistant VAR: Lee Betts.