Manchester United eased some pressure off manager Erik ten Hag with a convincing 3-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday, thanks to goals from Matthijs de Ligt, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho. Despite the win, United had to weather an early storm from Southampton, and the match could have taken a different turn if Andre Onana hadn't saved a penalty from Cameron Archer when the score was still 0-0.
De Ligt's first goal for United and Rashford's first in six months came just before halftime, shifting the momentum firmly in favor of the visitors. Southampton’s situation worsened further when their captain, Jack Stephens, was shown a red card 11 minutes before the end for a reckless challenge on Garnacho, who later added the final goal in stoppage time.
Saints are still searching for their first point of the season after four games back in the Premier League, while United’s win lifts them to eighth place. Ten Hag, already under scrutiny after an internal review in May following an eighth-place finish last season, had faced increased pressure due to recent defeats to Brighton and Liverpool.
United struggled early on, and Ten Hag's decision to bench Casemiro and hold off on debuting Manuel Ugarte highlighted the adjustments being made. Southampton’s Tyler Dibling impressed in his Premier League debut, but Archer’s penalty miss proved costly. De Ligt’s goal, following a well-placed corner from Bruno Fernandes, and Rashford’s strike just before halftime helped United assert their dominance. The second half saw Southampton’s frustration boil over, with Stephens’ red card allowing Garnacho to seal the victory with a late goal.
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