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 …

“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.”

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.”

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!

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.

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.

Wow! At the far post, Anthony Martial chests down a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and buries the ball from close range.

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.

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.

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.

81 min: Mason Greenwood tries his luck from some way out. His low drive is on target but easily saved by McCarthy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

66 min: Aaron Wan-Bissaka continues but is clearly in discomfort, his manager already having used all three substitutions available to him.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

52 min: Now Van De Beek gets booked for a rash lunge on Stuart Armstrong.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Premier League: Sheffield United came from a goal down to win courttesy of a splendid second half performance at Bramall Lane.

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 …

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Meanwhile at St James’ Park: Crystal Palace have come from behind and lead Newcastle 2-1 after 30 minutes of their Premier League clash.

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.

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.