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A game that started so pleasantly for Manchester United ended in raw frustration as they failed to break down 10-man Southampton. They are not in crisis but the reality is they have not tasted victory since the opening day of the season. A thumping strike by Daniel James gave United an early lead but a controlled performance turned wayward and Jannik Vestergaard, the 6ft 6in Southampton defender, seized on United’s vulnerability to head in his first goal for the club. By the end Southampton, who had Kevin Danso sent off, were clinging on. A lively game turned into target practice for Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side, with Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young all taking aim from distance, while a diving header by the Saints defender Maya Yoshida prevented danger from escalating.
James’s opener was sweet. United shifted the ball from right to left, with Andreas Pereira helping the ball on to Scott McTominay, who spread the ball across to James. Cédric Soares’s decision to allow him to cut inside proved fatal, with James jinking on to his fearsome right foot and dispatching an unstoppable piercing effort into the roof of the Southampton goal. Solskjær clenched his fists in celebration, embracing his coaches Kieran McKenna and Michael Carrick as every United player except Victor Lindelöf headed to the corner flag, where James had wheeled away towards, to mob a man in form. The 21-year-old could have doubled his and United’s tally two minutes later after a neat give-and-go with Juan Mata, who was influential on his first start of the season, but this time Oriol Romeu made life difficult. Continue reading...