Liverpool are going the distance. And so is their pursuit of the Premier League title. It is a remarkable detail of their season that they will play in every game of the four main competitions, with the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday week set to be the last one. Before that – and with the domestic cups already secure – they will attempt to complete the third leg of an unprecedented quadruple.
They will still need the league leaders, Manchester City, to slip up at home to Aston Villa on the final day and what a storyline that could be. City have injury problems in defence and one particular Liverpudlian will be keen to capitalise – the Villa manager, Steven Gerrard.
Liverpool will have to beat Wolves at home and hope that City draw or lose but it will go to the wire after Jürgen Klopp’s team proved too strong for Southampton. Klopp rotated heavily, retaining only Alisson and Ibrahima Konaté from the lineup that had started the FA Cup final defeat of Chelsea on Saturday and, for the opening 20 minutes, struggled for their bearings. Southampton were bright and they led through Nathan Redmond.
But thereafter, it was an exercise in Liverpool reeling them in. Takumi Minamino, who was on loan at Southampton last season, got the equaliser and, although Joël Matip’s winner was undercut by good fortune, it was merited on the balance of play.
Klopp had been expected to make changes but perhaps not to this extent. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mané were given the night off; Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah missed out with knocks.
It was a balancing act for the manager, the calculation taking in the likelihood of City messing it up on the final day and the possibility of getting injuries ahead of the Champions League final. In the absence of a crystal ball, he backed the strength of his squad.
It was game No 61 of the season for Liverpool, their third since 7 May, when Southampton had last played. The physical strain has been immense. It was about digging deeper, keeping on. Nothing else.
What did Southampton have? It had not been a great deal since the beginning of March. They entered the game having taken just five points from an available 30. But they rocked Liverpool when they took an early lead.
Klopp fumed on the touchline because when Lyanco started the move in the Southampton defensive third, he appeared to go through Diogo Jota to get to the ball. No foul, said the referee, Martin Atkinson. The home team worked it up the left to Redmond via Nathan Tella and it was plain what the winger had in mind. Cut inside and try the curler for the far corner. The shot got there, with the aid of a slight deflection off James Milner.
Southampton’s start was impressive. They were 5-4-1 without the ball, Redmond dropping to left wing-back, Tella to left midfield, but both of them pushed up quickly when they countered. Armando Broja ran the channels.
Liverpool set about repairing the damage. Roberto Firmino thought he had equalised with a header into the far corner from a Kostas Tsimikas free-kick only for the offside flag to go up late against him. Then Minamino did score.
It was an explosive finish from the winger, lashed high into the near, top corner after a neat move that prised Southampton apart. Joe Gomez’s ball in from the right found Jota and his layoff ushered in Minamino. The angle was tight and Minamino’s first two touches took him a little wider. It was no problem. Alex McCarthy could only feel the heat from the finish.
Takumi Minamino equalises for Liverpool at Southampton. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
The remainder of the first half was all Liverpool. Milner radiated assurance from the base of the midfield while Firmino was sharp and elusive up front. Liverpool pushed higher, squeezing Southampton, dominating the ball. The home players could not find a way out, although they did largely keep their opponents at arm’s length until the interval.
Milner worked McCarthy from distance and Firmino lashed a rising drive high. In between times, Firmino got on to a deflected Harvey Elliott cross but his attempted cut-back was cleared by Lyanco.
Klopp lost Gomez to an injury at the end of the first half and he re-jigged for the second period; Jordan Henderson on in defensive midfield, Milner to right-back.
Jota wasted a decent chance when he took a cut-back from Tsimikas and dragged wide of the far post and, with Firmino continuing to probe, Liverpool hinted at the next goal. It almost came when Firmino released Elliott but the chipped finish hit the side-netting.
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Klopp made an attacking move when he introduced Divock Origi for Elliott and Southampton remained on the back foot. For them, the evening had become about resilience and, when they cracked, it was galling for Ralph Hasenhüttl because Matip did not seem to know an awful lot about his header.
Mohamed Elyounoussi had flicked on a Tsimikas corner and Kyle Walker-Peters seemed to head against Matip, who had his feet planted. The ball looped into the far, top corner and it is questionable whether Matip could have placed it any better.
A reminder of where that leaves us in the table. Man-of-the-match goes to Roberto Firmino, who was very tidy with his touches, as per.
Full-time: Southampton 1-2 Liverpool
Fair play to the Reds: they did what they needed to do! We’ll go to the final day, with Liverpool just one point behind Manchester City. Woof.
90+2 min: Sustained pressure from Southampton, who are desperately throwing crosses into the box. Some nervous hacks away from Liverpool. Meanwhile, James Milner is struggling with cramp. Redmond will surely want one last chance to go at the veteran.
90 min: Three minutes added on here. Liverpool looking a little nervous for the first time in the night!
88 min: Finally, Southampton jolt into life. Just as he did in the first half, Redmond cuts in from the left and fires towards Alisson … the goalkeeper gathers at the second attempt.
85 min: Outrageous moment for Lyanco, who after dispossessing Origi, tries to flick the ball over the Belgian, but slips. The Brazilian was last man! Martin Atkinson blows for a foul, with Origi judged to have put an arm across Lyanco. Lucky boy.
82 min: “If 74% possession and 22 chances created and a goal to the good at the end of a long season is “bang-average” I’ll take that all day long,” emails Chris Healy. “I think Liverpool deserve a bit more credit.”
I don’t think anyone in the Liverpool camp would describe this as a good performance. Efficient, yes.
80 min: Saints are letting this second half pass them by. It’s turning into a very end-of-season performance.
78 min: Jones’s dribbling is a real attribute to this Liverpool midfield. Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho and Elliott are passers, but Curtis Jones really carries the ball, commits markers and breaks the lines. He’s class.
76 min: Liverpool have been bang-average tonight. Not poor, not great, but are grinding out this result. Fair play to Klopp.
74 min: Yellow card for Stephens, who hauls down Origi on the half-way line, after a neat turn from the Belgian.
72 min: Those changes already seem to have enlivened the home side. Redmond sends a dangerous cross into the box and Tsimikas does well to deflect it behind.
69 min: Double change for Southampton: Diallo and Tella off, Romeu and Armstrong on.
GOAL! Southampton 1-2 Liverpool (Matip 67)
What a strange goal! But Liverpool won’t care! A corner comes in from the left, there’s a near-post flick and the ball seems to just hit Matip’s head, balloon up in the air and loop over McCarthy into the top corner. It might be an own goal, with Walker-Peters also challenging Matip to the ball, but they give the goal to the Liverpool defender! Liverpool are set to take the title race to the final day, if it stays like this!
Liverpool take the lead. Photograph: Ian Walton/Reuters
65 min: Sub for Liverpool: Elliott is replaced by Origi.
62 min: Alisson gets a little lucky with a clearance! He rushes out and very nearly sweeps the ball against Ward-Prowse, but instead the ball falls safely to Elliott. Liverpool set off on the counter-attack and after a couple of neat passes, Firmono fires straight at McCarthy. “I’ve never fancied Firmino from range,” utters Jamie Carragher on Sky’s co-commentary.
59 min: Lyanco is having a very good game. Been very efficient as clearing up the loose balls.
56 min: Surely we’ll be seeing Díaz soon. Liverpool need a little lift.
54 min: Chance for Elliott! Firmino plays a lovely weighted pass down the channel and Elliott scurries after it. With the ball on his weaker right, he takes an extra stride trying to sort his feet out, taking the Liverpool man a little wider, and Elliott can only fire his shot into the side netting. Should have done better!
52 min: Tsimikas is a tidy footballer. He’s no Robertson but great to have such a dependable back up. Definitely an upgrade on Moreno.
50 min: Milner crashes into Broja and Southampton have a free-kick about 35 yards out. A little further than Ward-Prowse would like and the Saints captain opts for power, but hits his shot straight into the wall.
48 min: Tsimikas does well down the left and fires a low cross towards the penalty spot. Jota kills it stone dead and in a flash, whips a shot just past the far post! Just a yard wide. Jota’s backlift is so small, he always seems to get a shot off.
Diogo Jota rues a missed chance. Photograph: John Walton/PA
Peeeeep! We’re underway again. Liverpool need a goal!
So Liverpool will make that change. Jordan Henderson will come on for Gomez, with Milner shifting to right back.
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Half-time reading:
Meanwhile, in Notttingham … Forest are edging closer to the play-off final with Huddersfield. Brennan Johnson is some player.
Half-time: Southampton 1-1 Liverpool
As things stand, Liverpool have just a very slim chance of overcoming the three point (and seven goal) difference on Sunday.
45+2 min: Gomez crumples in a heap as he and Tella fall awkwardly. It looks as though the Liverpool defender trapped his left knee in the challenge. Oooo, could be a nasty one. But I’m pleased to report Gomez gets to his feet and walks to the sideline. It looks like Liverpool are going to assess the injury at half-time before deciding on whether to make a change.
45 min: Two minutes added on here.
44 min: This is a sensational little story.
“I was at the City Ground in April 1991 to watch Brian Clough’s Forest beat Liverpool 2-1 and *definitely* hand the title to Arsenal,” emails John Swan. “It was a cracking game, postponed from December because there had been a foot of snow in Nottingham. I nearly didn’t get in to the rearranged game because I’d kept my ticket on the window sill and it had faded in the sun, so the guy at the turnstile thought it was dodgy. Eek!”
42 min: Gomez boots a cross out for a goal-kick. Somewhere, Trent Alexander-Arnold wrinkles his nose.
40 min: The first-half is petering out a little. Southampton are defending deep and Liverpool are just doing a bit of tiki-taka, without any sort of threat.
36 min: Broja is going to be a very good striker for somebody in the future. He runs the channels, knows where the goal is, and gives Konaté and Matip a real going over. He could do a lot worse than come back on loan to Southampton next year.
@michaelbutler18 Surely that goal is a sign of what a good manager Pep is. We all remember his rant at Redmond after Southampton lost to City a few years ago where he apparently told Redmond how good he was. Clearly Pep playing the long game knowing this would one day happen.
@michaelbutler18 Surely that goal is a sign of what a good manager Pep is. We all remember his rant at Redmond after Southampton lost to City a few years ago where he apparently told Redmond how good he was. Clearly Pep playing the long game knowing this would one day happen.
— Brendan Large (@brendanlarge) May 17, 2022
That was a very strange moment. I always find Pep in front of the cameras a little inauthentic.
Pep is such a on camera beg friend man. https://t.co/lB1KA6hbIy
34 min: Elliott does well to dig out a cross and it catches the Southampton defence off guard! Firmino is alive to it and squares the ball across the six-yard box but Lyanco does well to clear from under his own crossbar!
32 min: “Was just about to say this was reminding me of when Saints beat Liverpool 1-0 in April 1991 to effectively hand Arsenal the title, then Liverpool scored,” rues Gregory Phillips. “There goes my chance to make use of one of the many useless bits of knowledge stuck in my addled brain.”
Decent nugget, though, Gregory!
30 min: The game is opening up a little. Jota is peeling wide left and finding space, Firmino has looked really sharp in the middle and is starting to pull a few strings.
GOAL! Southampton 1-1 Liverpool (Minamino 26)
The Japanese scores against the club he was on loan at last season! It’s a big goal, and it’s a very good one! Jota traps a tricky low cross from Gomez, and pops a lovely lay-off to Minamino, who takes a touch wide, before firing beautifully into the roof of the net. That was a tight angle and he fizzed it past McCarthy in an instant! We are level, and as things stand, we are going to the final day (just about).
Takumi Minamino thumps in the equaliser for Liverpool. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
23 min: Another angle of that foul on Jota has come up, and as a couple of you have pointed out, it was a clear foul on the Portuguese. VAR should really have picked that one up.
21 min: Looks like Liverpool are upping the tempo a little. But they haven’t created anything serious of note. Minamino has had a weak shot of goal, and there’s been a couple of hopeful crosses. But Southampton are packing the centre, and there’s no spaces between the lines. Liverpool are badly missing TAA and Robertson.
GOAL DISALLOWED!
18 min: From a deep free-kick, Firmino get ahead of Salisu and nods back across goal inside the far post, but the linesman correctly flags for offside. Klopp’s celebrations on the sideline are cut short!
15 min: Klopp is absolutely livid, seemingly at the referee rather than his players. He thinks that was a foul on Jota in the build-up to the goal. He certainly took the ball but probably after the man. But it was marginal.
Jurgen’s not amused. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images
GOAL! Southampton 1-0 Liverpool (Redmond 13)
Is that the goal that hands Manchester City the title?! Liverpool have been lukewarm, and Southampton have caught them cold on the break. Lyanco wins the ball from Jota, and Redmond is released down the left wing. He cuts inside on his right foot and releases his shot from 18 yards out, taking a nick off Milner’s thigh and flying into the top corner. Allison no chance!
Nathan Redmond lets fly to give the Saints the lead. Photograph: Ian Walton/Reuters
9 min: Broja latches onto a neat ball down the line, and suddenly he is one-on-on with Matip. A couple of feints and he darts past the Cameroonian but goes slightly too wide and Alisson comes out to narrow the angle and stop the cross/shot with his feet. Signs of life from the Saints!
7 min: Konaté goes down in a heap after a collision with someone at a Liverpool corner. Looks like Salisu gave him an accidental whack in the mouth. The Frenchman is going to be OK to continue.
4 min: A very lax start from both sides. Gomez, playing at right back today as he did at Newcastle, punts the ball out for a goal kick when trying to find Minamino down the line.
2 min: Some support here for the raft of changes made by Klopp.
“I think not enough credit is being given to Liverpool’s squad here,” emails Ricky Gill. “Liverpool coped well enough without Salah & Mane during Afcon. And without Salah, Mane, VVD, Fabinho and Trent to still have that bench speaks volumes about the depth of this squad right now. If there was a game where he could rest players after 120 minutes of relentless football, this was going to be it. I don’t think Klopp is throwing in the towel for the league, this was surely expected.”
“What are the odds that Villa beats City? Lottery odds. He can wear down his squad in a Man of La Mancha fantasy or he can give them the rest they need for realistic, attainable goals.”
Not sure about lottery odds. And the Champions League final is a full six days after the Wolves game. It’s not as though these Liverpool players are going to be run off their feet.
Peeeeeep! We’re off at St Mary’s.
The teams are out. Southampton in their red and white shirts, black shorts and white socks. Liverpool in their all-yellow number. The teams take a knee. There is no room for discrimination in our society.
This could be Armando Broja’s last game in a Southampton shirt at St Mary’s with the Saints’ final game away at Leicester. The 20-year-old has done brilliantly this season, and he certainly has a few options. It’s not impossible he could be in Chelsea’s squad next season, Newcastle are reportedly sniffing about or it could be another loan move. He’s done enough to sideline £15m signing Adam Armstrong this season. Armstrong was supposed to be the one to replace Danny Ings but has only two goals this season.
It’s been absolutely tipping it down on the south coast.
Ah. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP
“You think Klopp knows the game is up and it’s time to concentrate on Big Cup?” emails Geoff Saunders.
It certainly seems that way. Klopp will claim he trusts his whole squad and that injuries and fatigue have forced his hand. If I was Pep, I would have the cigars at the ready.
Wow. That is quite the line up from Liverpool. We knew about Salah and VVD being out tonight, and heard that Robertson might have been suffering from cramp after his Wembley exploits. But there arae nine changes from Saturday. Nine!
Milner, Jones, Elliott, Minamino all come in from the cold. The latter two have particularly not had much game time of late. No Mané or Alexander-Arnold, even on the bench.
If Liverpool lose tonight, Manchester City will be crowned champions of England. Win, and the Reds are lingering on the shoulder of the leaders, one point adrift, with just the final day of the season to come on Sunday. The stakes rarely get higher than this.
Most of us will be rooting for a Liverpool win tonight, because we all apparently support Klopp and co, but mainly because we just love a bit of drama. The prospect of Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa beating City to hand Liverpool the title on the final day is a delicious idea, however which way you cut it.
Klopp has already confirmed Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will miss the trip to Southampton due to minor niggles, which shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Liverpool are relatively well stocked in those positions and the pair will be fit for the Champions League final and could return for Sunday’s game against Wolves.
For Southampton, this has been a dreadful end to the season but they are safe from relegation, despite a run in form that has seen them win just once – against Arsenal – in the last 10 league games. But they come into this “completely fresh” having had an 11-day break since their last outing at Brentford, and have taken points off Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium this season.
“Last summer, we lost our best striker and other key players and people said we would struggle to stay clear of relegation,” Ralph Hasenhuttl said. “And we have had nothing to do with it. The teams that are down there would love to change places with us so this is a big achievement. Never forget that.”
Manchester City were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, despite being handed a reprieve by the VAR that led to Kyle Walker’s red card being overturned.
After an uneventful first half where City were well below par, Southampton thought they had been handed a golden chance to edge in front early in the second period as they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Adam Armstrong.
– How VAR decisions have affected every Premier League club
To make matters worse for City, Walker was sent off for the foul, only for referee Jon Moss, following a VAR intervention, to overturn both the red card and the awarding of the spot kick.
Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden were both summoned from the bench as City pressed for a winner, which they thought they had grabbed at the death through Raheem Sterling, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The result means City fall three points behind leaders Liverpool in second place, ahead of third-placed Manchester United, who are in action at West Ham United on Sunday, on goal difference.
Southampton’s fourth draw from five league matches this season keeps them 15th.
“We were not good in our buildup and missed simple passes,” City coach Pep Guardiola said. “The reason is because our process, all over the pitch, was not good enough.
“We had chances to shoot, but we were not clinical enough. We have to create much more.”
Guardiola’s side came into the contest having scored five goals in each of their previous three home league games, as well as six in the Champions League in midweek.
But the Spaniard’s five changes to the side who won 6-3 against RB Leipzig on Wednesday seemed to have a detrimental effect, with the champions failing to create any openings of note in the first half.
A sloppy City did not improve in the second half, and they were carved open by Armstrong, who appeared to be upended by Walker as he was about to shoot just after the hour mark.
As Walker headed for the tunnel, referee Moss was asked to review his decision on the pitchside monitor, and elected to change his mind, much to the relief of a frustrated Etihad.
“It was a strange one for me that it can go from a red card and penalty to absolutely nothing,” Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse said. “Surely there has got to be something in between.”
The let-off got the crowd – who gave Guardiola a warm welcome despite the City coach’s comments in midweek urging fans to show up in greater number – off their seats, but it failed to galvanise the players.
City only had one shot on target in the entire match – their lowest tally in a Premier League game since March 2017 – and from that effort, a 90th-minute Foden header that was saved by Alex McCarthy, Sterling thought he had scored on the rebound.
The lineman’s flag denied the England international the glory, however, with VAR confirming that the decision was the right one.
Premier League: Jamie Jackson had his abacus out at Old Trafford as he watched Southampton get slaughtered following the very early dismissal of their midfielder Alexandre Jankewitz. Read on …
17:54
A decidedly numb looking Ralph Hasenhuttl speaks …
“It was tough,” the Southampton manager tells BT Sport. “You lose a player after two minutes against this team … it’s already tough to compete here without going a man down and with all the players we are missing at the moment, it’s even more tough. We tried to keep the clean sheet in the second half as long as possible but … yeah, it was tough to defend. And finally, to concede again nine goals … you have your story now and we have the blame but I can take it … I can take it. We stood up after the first one and we will also stand up after this one. It’s Ok.
On Alex Jankewicz’s dismissal: “I don’t know what I can say to him,” he says. “He abandoned the guys on the pitch and they were helpless immediately after his send-off … and then it’s gone, very quick. You know the 90 minutes can be very long, but afterwards nobody will speak about the one player sent off or the second player sent off. The result is there and we have to live with the result again. And that’s it.”
17:29
Ole Gunnar Solskjær speaks …
On the performnces of his forwards: “We have been waiting for them to show the magic but that was a night they could go and enjoy,” says Manchester United’s boss in an interview with BT Sport. “We haven’t had too many of those, where I can just sit down in the second half and enjoy the football. They enjoyed it – some good performances. We’ll get lots of confidence from a performance like this and scoring goals is always good for forwards and a team.”
On the first sending-off: “You don’t really see many of those tackles around any more and I’m glad Scott is OK. It looked like a bad one when he stayed down, but he’s got away with a couple of bruises there.”
On his full-backs: “They were brilliant. Aaron kept going in there to the far post and Luke kept putting crosses in, like I asked him to do. It’s always hard but it’s just about getting quality balls into the box, which we did.”
On Edinson Cavani: “He got a bad tackle on his ankle so there was no point in taking any risks.”
17:22
Well, that was interesting. Following a record-equalling win in which a teenager making his full Premier League debut was sent off within two minutes and several fine goals were scored, BT Sport, as is customary, are devoting almost all their post-match attention to various VAR decisions they believe are ruiining ther game.
“It’s a shame we have to talk about this again,” says Jake Humphrey, who is leading the post-match chat between himself, Glenn Hoddle and Rio Ferdinand, but apparently oblivious to the fact that he could talk about something – anything – else instead: Cavani’s fine header, McTominay’s wonderful long-range strike, the potentially devastating effect of his dismissal on Alex Jankewitz. But no, let’s obsess over VAR … again. Gah!
17:13
Full time: Manchester United 9-0 Southampton
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over and Manchester United have edged it at the death. Following the dismissal of Alexandre Jankewitz on 76 seconds, Southampton capitulated completely. They shipped nine goals and lost another player along the way in yet another top flight game riddled with baffling, finicky VAR decisions.
Updated
17:09
GOAL! Manchester United 9-0 Southampton (James 90+3)
Stop! Stop! They’re already dead! Dan James gets on the scoresheet in the final minute of added time. He scores courtesy of a deft touch off the outside of his right boot, converting a cushioned Bruno header across the face of goal from a few yards out.
Daniel James of Manchester United gets to the ball to diverts it into the nets. Photograph: Bradley Ormesher/NMC Pool
James celebrates scoring his Manchester United’s ninth goal Photograph: Bradley Ormesher/NMC Pool
Updated
17:05
GOAL! Manchester United 8-0 Southampton (Martial 90)
Wow! At the far post, Anthony Martial chests down a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and buries the ball from close range.
Anthony Martial fires home for Manchester United’s eighth goal. Photograph: Bradley Ormesher/NMC Pool
Updated
17:03
GOAL! Manchester United 7-0 Southampton (Fernandes 88pen)
United go 7-up: Bruno Fernandes ends a fairly barren spell by his own lofty standards, making no mistake from the spot. This is almost cruel now – the equivalent of United kicking a blind man’s stick.
Bruno Fernandes slots the ball home from the penalty spot for Manchester United’s seventh goal. Photograph: Bradley Ormesher/NMC Pool
Updated
17:01
Jan Bednarek gets sent off …
In an almost identical incident to the one that did for David Luiz in Arsenal’s defeat at the hands of Wolves earlier this evening, Jan Bednarek is sent off. It’s the correct decision by the letter of the law, but seems particularly harsh … not least because the deefender was trying to get out of Martial’s way. Southampton are 6-0 behind, down to nine men and have a penalty to face.
Mike Dean shows Jan Bednarek of Southampton a red card after checking VAR. Photograph: Bradley Ormesher/NMC Pool
Updated
16:59
PENALTY FOR MANCHESTER UNITED
Anthony Martial goes down under a “challenge” of sorts from Jan Bednarek, making the most of what looks like a very inoccuous challenge indeed. VAR Graham Scott tells referee Mike Dean to goi and have a look at his pitchside monitor. Bednarek could get sent off here – he made no effort to play the ball but his knee clipped Martial’s thigh. If he’s adjudged to have denied Martial a goalscoring opportunity without trying to play the ball he’ll be off.
Jan Bednarek of Southampton brings down Anthony Martial of Manchester United. Photograph: Bradley Ormesher/NMC Pool
Updated
16:54
81 min: Mason Greenwood tries his luck from some way out. His low drive is on target but easily saved by McCarthy.
16:53
77 min: Southampton substitution I hadn’t got around to telling you about yet: Nathan Redmond on for Danny Ings. And just now: 19-year-old Frenchman Allan Tchapchet on for his Southampton debut, Moussa Djenepo off. No pressure, son.
Updated
16:50
74 min: Anthony Martial darts down the inside left, running on to a superb pass from Fred. Alex McCarthy dashes off his line, prompting Martial to clip the ball over the advancing goalkeeper in the direction of the far post. It’s a great effort, which bounces and spins inches wide of the upright.
Moments previously at the other end of the pitch, Che Adams had failed to hit the target when presented with a glorious opportunity to take the bare look off Southampoton’s half of the scoreboard.
16:47
GOAL! Manchester United 6-0 Southampton (McTominay 71)
That’s a beauty! Meeting a ricochet from a blocked Donny van de Beek effort first time about 25 yards from goal, Scott McTominay drills a low, gun-barrel straight daisy-cutter through the penalty area and into the bottom right-hand corner.
Scott McTominay fires home Manchester United’s sixth goal of the game. Photograph: Phil Noble/Pool/PA
Updated
16:44
GOAL! Manchester United 5-0 Southampton (Martial 69)
Anthony Martial scores! After eight games without a goal, the substitute chests down a ball over the top into a crowded penalty area from Bruno Fernandes, swivels and smashes the ball past Alex McCarthy.
Manchester United’s French striker Anthony Martial controls the ball … Photograph: Phil Noble/AFP/Getty Images
Before thumping it home for Manchester United’s fifth goal. Photograph: Bradley Ormesher/NMC Pool
Updated
16:41
68 min: Manchester United corner. The ball sails through the penalty area, dropping for Fred. He shapes to shoot and pulls the trigger, but his effort is blocked.
16:40
66 min: Aaron Wan-Bissaka continues but is clearly in discomfort, his manager already having used all three substitutions available to him.
16:39
63 min: Relentless pressure from Manchester United, as they stretch the 10 men of Southampton over and back across the pitch. Southampton lump the ball forward towards Che Adams, who holds it up brilliantly before playing a weighted pass forward towards the willing runner from midfield that is Danny Ings. Aaron Wan-Bissaka stretches to intercept and injures himself in the process.
16:36
63 min: Dan James gets in behind Moussa Djenepo and Kayne Ramsay and sends a cross into the penalty area from the left. He overcooks his delivery and the ball sails towards the far touchline.
Updated
16:33
58 min: With Southampton down to 10 men, Manchester United have been targeting inexperienced Southampton right-back Kayne Ramsey, who is making his first Premier League start tonight and has been left isolated time and again, thanks in no small part to the early dismissal of his fellow debutant Alerx Jankewitz. He’s coped as best as he can, all things considered, but is unlikely to forget his full league debut in a hurry.
16:30
Goal overturned by VAR!!!
It’s as you were, as Adams’s goal is ruled out by the curtain-twitchers at Stockley Park. It takes a couple of minutes of fiddling about with the set square and protracter for them to decide Adams was offside by a whisker. It remains Manchester United 4-0 Southampton.
16:28
GOAL! Manchester United 4-1 Southampton (Adams 53)
The comeback is on! Che Adams scores from a tight angle after burrowing his way through the Manchester United penalty area after a quickly taken free-kick. His low drive goes through the legs of Harry Maguire, past David De Gea and into the far corner.
Che Adams of Southampton (centre) puts the ball in the net. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Pool/EPA
Updated
16:26
52 min: Now Van De Beek gets booked for a rash lunge on Stuart Armstrong.
16:26
51 min: Harry Maguire gets booked for a foul on Jack Stephens that leaves the Southampton defender in need of medical assitance. He’s OK.
16:25
49 min: Will Manchester United take pity on their opposition, or try to emulate the nine goals without reply Leicester scored against Southampton in October 2019? The early indications in this second half suggest they are going to try to fill their boots. Martial and Van De Beek link up inside the Southampton area, before the Frenchman shoots wide from a tight angle.
16:21
48 min: Fred seems to have moved into the spot previously occupied by Luke Shaw, with Donny van de Beek taking up position in the centre of midfield.
16:20
Second half: Manchester United 4-0 Southampton
46 min: Play resumes, with two changes in personnel for the hosts. Anthony Martial and the lesser-spotted Donny van de Beek are on for Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw.
Updated
16:16
Premier League latest: In the evening’s remaining game, Crystal Palace lead Newcastle United 2-1 during the interval at St James’ Park. Jonjo Shelvey put Newcastle ahead in the second minute, but Crystal Palace have since turned things around courtesy of goals from Jairo Riedewald and Gary Cahill.
16:11
Match report: Sheffield United 2-1 West Brom
Premier League: Sheffield United came from a goal down to win courttesy of a splendid second half performance at Bramall Lane.
16:09
Match report: Wolves 2-1 Arsenal
Premier League: David Luiz and Bernd Leno were sent off, as Wolves came from behind to make the most of Arsenal’s Arsenal-ness. Nick Ames was there …
16:06
Half-time: Manchester United 4-0 Southampton
Peep! Depleted by injury before a ball had been kicked, Southampton were reduc ed to 10 men after just 76 seconds when Alexandre Jankewitz saw red for a preposterously high lunge on Scott McTominay. United have since made hay, their goals coming from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani, while Jan Bednarek also chipped in with an own goal.
16:02
45 min: Bruno Fernandes shoots low and hard, hoping the defensive wall will jump and his effort will fizz underneath it. They oblige, but don’t jump high enough and his shot is blocked.
16:01
Penalty overturned …
43 min: Graham Scott is on VAR duty tonight and decides to take pity on Southampton. He adjudges, incorrectly in my opinion, the Ramsey foul to have taken place just outside the penalty area, so Manchester United get a free-kick instead.
Updated
15:59
Penalty for Manchester United!!!
Kayne Ramsey fouls Edinson Cavani on the edge of the penalty area and a merciless Mike Dean points to the spot. That was right on the line, which means it’s a spot-kick.
Kayne Ramsay of Southampton brings down Edinson Cavani of Manchester United just outside the penalty area and is shown a yellow card. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/NMC Pool
Updated
15:57
GOAL! Manchester United 4-0 Southampton (Cavani 39)
Ouch! Edinson Cavani gets between two defenders in a crowded penalty area to power home a header from seven yards out. The cross came from Luke Shaw on the left.
Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani bangs home a header. Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/PA
Updated
15:55
37 min: Marcus Bean, former professional footballer and a regular guest on the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast, was sent off early on his debut for … I think … Queen’s Park Rangers as a youngster. At the time, he would later recall with the benefit of 20 odd years of hindsight and experience, he thought that was it … that his career was over before it had even started. It wasn’t.
15:52
GOAL! Manchester United 3-0 Southampton (Bednarek 34og)
Oh dear. Marcus Rashford whips the ball acrossd the face of the Southampton six-yard box. With Fred behind him waiting to poke it home, Jan Bednarek tries to intercept the delvidery but succeddes only in steering it into his own net. He beats the ground with his fist in frustration. A penny for the thoughts of young Alex Jankewicz, who was se4nty off after 76 seconds, as his team go three down in just over half an hour.
Southampton’s Jan Bednarek scores and own goal giving Manchester United their third of the game. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Pool/PA
Sad faces all round. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Pool/Reuters
Updated
15:50
33 min: Jack Stephens concedes another corner, stretching every sinew to head the ball over his own bar as Edinson Cavani lurked behind him hoping to get on the end of a whipped cross from the right. From the set piece, the ball drops kindly for Luke Shaw, who brings another save out of McCarthy.
15:48
31 min: Alex McCarthy dives low to his left to palm a Bruno Fernandes drive from distance out for a corner. Fernandes takes the set piece and Jack Stephens heads the ball clear.
Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy saves from Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/NMC Pool
Updated
15:46
Meanwhile at St James’ Park: Crystal Palace have come from behind and lead Newcastle 2-1 after 30 minutes of their Premier League clash.
Gary Cahill heads the ball goalwards … Photograph: Ian Hodgson/NMC Pool
And into the net to give the visitors the lead. Photograph: Jon Super/PA
Updated
15:45
29 min: Using his fists of fury for the second time in as many minutes, David De Gea punches Ward-Prowse’s delivery from the corner clear.
15:44
27 min: Southampton win a free-kick right on the edge of the United penalty area, slightly left of centre, for a Cavani foul on Djenepo. James Ward-Prowse curls the ball towards the top right-hand corner, but David De Gea punches it out for a corner.