Manchester United have the perfect opportunity to continue their recent encouraging performances when Southampton travel to Old Trafford tonight.
A 2-2 Premier League draw against Liverpool was followed by last weekend’s FA Cup penalty shoot-out victory over Arsenal, despite playing with 10 men from the 61st minute onwards after wing-back Diogo Dalot was sent off.
Head coach Ruben Amorim now wants to see that same fight and spirit in every game, with the next seven meetings, against Saints, Brighton, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Everton and Ipswich, seemingly providing an opportunity for United to get their season back on track.
Writing in tonight’s match programme, the Portuguese said: “Over the past month we’ve been at the Etihad Stadium, Anfield and the Emirates Stadium – three of the toughest places to play in the country – and we’ve had positive results from each one. That requires quality and character, but now the job is to show that in every game, regardless of the opponents.”
The challenge for Southampton is simply to pick up points, regardless of the opponents.
Coming from the Championship last season, they managed just one win and three draws from 20 games. An immediate return to the second level seems inevitable.
Manchester United team news
Amorim made three changes to the side that did so well at the Emirates.
Dalot is suspended, Amad Diallo is likely to play on the right wing, and Noussair Mazraoui moves to the left flank.
Leny Yoro is preferred to Harry Maguire, while Andre Onana returns in goal in place of cup hero Altay Bayındır.
Manchester United: Onana; Yoro, De Ligt, Martínez; Amad, Ugarte, Mainoo, Mazraoui; Garnacho, Fernandes, Hojlund
Here are your Red Devils to face the Saints 👊#MUFC || #MUNSOU
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 16, 2025
Southampton team news
Saints coach Ivan Jurić made just one change to the team that beat Swansea City 3-0 in the FA Cup last weekend.
Then Japanese guard Yukinari Sugawara came on for Ryan Manning.
Southampton: Ramsdale; Walker-Peters, Sugawara, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Bree; Ugochukwu, Aribo; Fernandes, Kamaldeen, Dibling
Your YELLOW 💛 pic.twitter.com/yqR4gSipTj
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 16, 2025
