Manchester United left the scoreless draw against Liverpool in the rear view, and bounced back with a big 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. With a Top-4 finish looking like a real possibility based on how things are unfolding, Manchester United will try to continue their impressive run of results when they host a struggling Southampton side this Saturday. Kick-off will be at 15:00 GMT.
Team News
Manchester United will be considerably weakened entering this game. Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Ander Herrera suffered injuries against Liverpool and won’t play here. They won’t be the only ones to miss Saturday’s affair, though. Nemanja Matic, Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian are also out. Phil Jones has been dealing with an illness, but could be a game-time decision. Centre-back Marcos Rojo has resumed training, but he lacks match fitness. One positive news is that Marcus Rashford will be fully fit. In fact, Solskjaer confirmed he will “probably start (him)”. Youngsters Tahith Chong, James Garner and Angel Gomes will remain as part of the matchday squad.
On the other hand, Southampton won’t have Danny Ings and Michael Obafemi due to hamstring problems, although the latter will miss the remainder of the season with this injury. Former Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina is doubtful, but there are no other injury-related concerns for The Red Devils.
Form guide
The Red Devils remain on top form and they’re coming off a huge win over Crystal Palace the last time out. A brace from Romelu Lukaku and a late strike from Ashley Young lifted Manchester United towards yet another away win, and now The Red Devils return to Old Trafford where they will aim to continue their charge for a potential Top 4 finish at the end of the campaign. With only one loss since Solskjaer’s arrival in mid-December, Manchester United look like a vastly improved side compared to their early-season version. Some of their best results have come at Old Trafford, though. The Reds are currently riding an 11-game undefeated streak at home (W6, D5) in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Southampton have been playing very well of late. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have lost just one of their five away games in all competitions during 2019, and they continue to play at a high level regardless of their position in the standings. Following a big 2-0 midweek win over Fulham, Southampton now have lost just one of their last five league matches (W2, D2, L1). And if we consider the whole season, we can see The Saints sit in 17th place with six wins out of 28 league games (W6, D9, L13). But recent form shows they’re peaking up at the right time.
What is our recent record against Southampton?
Manchester United are undefeated in their last five Premier League matches against Southampton (W2, D3). The Red Devils have also not conceded in four of those five games against The Saints. The previous meeting between both clubs this season ended with a 2-2 draw. Stuart Armstrong and Cedric Soares netted for So’ton, while Romelu Lukaku and Herrera found the back of the net for United.
Predicted outcome
Similar to what happened earlier this week, Manchester United will be shorthanded in this game. However, they still look like the better team on paper. Not only I expect them to secure the three points, but also I believe they will dominate here, to the point that this will will likely finish with only one team scoring. Plus, United’s fringe players might relish this game as a huge chance to show the manager what they can do. Undoubtedly, a win here would boost Manchester United’s morale going forward.
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