Match ends, Manchester United 1, Southampton 1.
Man UtdManchester United1SouthamptonSouthampton1
Manchester United manager David Moyes endured another afternoon of frustration as Southampton snatched a last-gasp equaliser to stun Old Trafford.
Captain Adam Lallana tapped in from a yard out with only a minute of normal time remaining to give the visitors a share of the spoils and leave United eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
The champions had looked on course for what would have been a ninth successive win over the Saints. Teenager Adnan Januzaj produced another moment of brilliance to set Robin van Persie on his way to put United in front midway through the first half.
The hosts might have put the game beyond Southampton as both Van Persie and the excellent Wayne Rooney hit the crossbar.
However Mauricio Pochettino's side will feel their dominance of possession more than warranted a point, even if they lacked a genuine cutting edge for long periods.
For United, there had been signs that they were beginning to turn the corner after the club's worst start to a Premier League season.
The movement and understanding between Rooney, Van Persie and Januzaj bordered on the telepathic. Even as Moyes's side were forced back for long periods of this game, the trio ensured this was a United side that bristled with attacking menace for all 90 minutes.
Januzaj, 18, who signed a five-year contract before the game, once again displayed signs of his immense talent with a verve and energy that glowed throughout. His battle with Nathaniel Clyne was a feature of the first-half as Southampton plotted their passing angles with patience and precision, forcing United onto the back foot.
Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama pulled the strings in midfield, while the dynamism of Lallana meant Saints always had options, even if chances on goal were scarce.
Jay Rodriguez headed over and Dani Osvaldo might have done better with only David De Gea to beat and, as Southampton bordered on the profligate, United were far more ruthless.
Van Persie had twice gone close in the opening 20 minutes, before Rooney's sublime pass set him in on goal once more, only for an offside flag to deny him the chance to finish. However, the brilliance of Januzaj ensured United would not be denied for long.
Picking the ball up in his own half, Januzaj threaded a 40-yard pass into the path of Rooney to slice Southampton open in the blink of an eye. Rooney's shot was brilliantly blocked by goalkeeper Artur Boruc, but Van Persie was quickly onto the rebound, rolling the ball beyond the despairing dive of Dejan Lovren to give United the lead.
It was the first goal Southampton had conceded in almost seven hours of Premier League football but it came from a familiar source - this was Van Persie's fifth goal in as many appearances against Saints but his first for five Premier League matches.
For a five-minute spell, Saints looked lost. Rooney rattled the crossbar with a thunderous shot but the visitors weathered the United storm and came again - Van Persie heading Lovren's header off his own line just after half-time.
And yet, United always carried the greater threat. Their movement in attack constantly confounded Southampton's defenders, with Rooney, Van Persie and Januzaj swapping places and eluding markers at will. The Dutchman might have a second goal as he headed onto the crossbar on the hour.
Moments later, Januzaj was in the thick of the action once more, unleashing a dipping, swerving left-foot drive that Boruc somehow clawed away.
Though Southampton refused to lie down - Lallana testing De Gea with a low shot - hope appeared to be draining away.
However, when Lovren forced Shaw's corner towards goal, Lallana got the faintest of touches to beat De Gea to earn Saints a point and extend United's poor league run to only two wins in seven matches.
Line-ups
Man Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1De Gea
- 2da Silva
- 3Evra
- 31FellainiSubstituted forWelbeckat 76'minutes
- 4JonesBooked at 90mins
- 6Evans
- 17Almeida da CunhaSubstituted forGiggsat 69'minutes
- 16Carrick
- 20van Persie
- 10RooneySubstituted forSmallingat 87'minutes
- 44JanuzajBooked at 56mins
Substitutes
- 11Giggs
- 12Smalling
- 13Lindegaard
- 14Hernández
- 19Welbeck
- 26Kagawa
- 29Zaha
Southampton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 31Boruc
- 2Clyne
- 23Shaw
- 12WanyamaBooked at 58minsSubstituted forDo Pradoat 83'minutes
- 6José FonteBooked at 86mins
- 5Lovren
- 20Lallana
- 4SchneiderlinBooked at 38mins
- 17Osvaldo
- 8DavisSubstituted forWard-Prowseat 67'minutes
- 9RodriguezSubstituted forLambertat 56'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Davis
- 7Lambert
- 16Ward-Prowse
- 18Cork
- 21Do Prado
- 22Chambers
- 26Hooiveld
- Referee:
- Michael Jones
- Attendance:
- 75,220
Match Stats
Home TeamMan UtdAway TeamSouthampton
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away18
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away7
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away19
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester United 1, Southampton 1.
Post update
Attempt saved. Adam Lallana (Southampton) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Nathaniel Clyne.
Booking
Phil Jones (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Adam Lallana (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Phil Jones (Manchester United).
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Attempt missed. Pablo Osvaldo (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Rickie Lambert with a headed pass.
Goal!
Goal! Manchester United 1, Southampton 1. Dejan Lovren (Southampton) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by James Ward-Prowse with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Phil Jones.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Chris Smalling replaces Wayne Rooney.
Booking
Jose Fonte (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Jose Fonte (Southampton).
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Robin van Persie (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt saved. Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Adam Lallana.
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Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).
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Foul by James Ward-Prowse (Southampton).
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Michael Carrick (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Offside, Manchester United. Robin van Persie tries a through ball, but Wayne Rooney is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Rafael (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Wayne Rooney.
