Man United obliterates Saints in nine-goal romp
Manchester United got back to winning ways in the Premier League by obliterating nine-man Southampton 9-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday (AEDT).
After a shock home loss to Sheffield United with a goalless draw at Arsenal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side responded in record-equalling style after young Alex Jankewitz had been sent off within two minutes of kick-off.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka opened the scoring before Marcus Rashford ended a six-game run without a league goal, with the contest effectively killed before half-time through a Jan Bednarek own goal and a header from Edinson Cavani.
Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Daniel James and a double from Anthony Martial in the second half, with Bednarek also dismissed, helped the Red Devils match their biggest ever Premier League victory and inflicted a second 9-0 loss on Ralph Hasenhuttl in his career as Saints boss.
Jankewitz's full Premier League debut ended in a hurry, the midfielder given a straight red card for a high challenge on McTominay.
The home side got the breakthrough 18 minutes in, Wan-Bissaka cushioning a fine Luke Shaw cross into the bottom-left corner after a long Victor Lindelof pass had disrupted the defence.
Shaw was key to the second seven minutes later too, driving into the box and feeding Mason Greenwood, whose cross was side-footed firmly past Alex McCarthy by Rashford.
David de Gea made a good save from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick, but United were soon 3-0 up, the previously excellent Bednarek turning Rashford's cross into his own net.
Cavani miscued from a Wan-Bissaka cross but made no mistake six minutes before the interval, steering a firm header past McCarthy from another precise Shaw delivery.
VAR intervened to disallow a second-half consolation goal from Che Adams, the Saints striker penalised for a fractional offside following a quick free-kick from Ward-Prowse.
Martial made it 5-0, taking down Fernandes' pass on the chest and firing high into the net, with McTominay then fizzing in a strike from outside the box two minutes later.
Fernandes converted from the penalty spot after Bednarek was sent off for a trip on Martial, who went on to add an eighth goal, though it was James who capped a stunning result with a clever flick from close range in added time.
