Michael Obafemi knifed in a James Ward-Prowse corner kick deep in stoppage time to steal a point for Southampton in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday.
Manchester United failed to claim a top four place for the first time since September and remain behind fourth-place Leicester City on goal differential. Both sides trail Chelsea by one point with three to play.
[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]
Anthony Martial had a goal and set up Marcus Rashford for another as United stretched its unbeaten run to 18 in all competitions. United has Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Leicester City on the schedule in its bid for a top four spot.
Stuart Armstrong also scored for Saints, who draw United a week after beating Man City and claim point No. 45 on the season. That’s good for 12th place, behind Everton on goal differential.
Three things we learned
1. Mercurial Martial makes good: Find yourself another Premier League player with 21 goal involvements this season that few people will believe has 21 goal involvements this season. Martial, 24, added a 16th goal and fifth assist to his league season on Monday before the match was a half-hour old. Martial hasn’t gone more than three PL matches without a goal since December, and has pitched in five goals and three assists in 12 cup matches. Sneaky star.
2. More about Bruno: Surely it’s going to get tiring to hear people waxing poetic about Bruno Fernandes but his numbers in the Premier League have been absolutely sensational. The 25-year-old Portuguese has seven goals and seven assists in 11 league outings, kept off the score sheet by only Wolves and Sheffield United. The Red Devils have eight wins and three draws when he hits a PL pitch. That is good.
3. Two lapses, one point: Pogba’s early slip allowed Saints a 1-0 lead only for United to race back into the lead within a quarter-hour. But Victor Lindelof failed to clear Ward-Prowse’s stoppage time corner despite holding frontside position on a prone Obafemi, who reached in front of the center back to find the equalizer.
Man of the Match:
Martial, who could’ve had a second assist late when he set up Rashford.
Manchester United - Southampton recap
Two teams who’ve been playing well brought the entertainment early.
Paul Pogba made an error in a terrible part of the field that allowed Armstrong the opportunity to give Saints a 1-0 lead off a Nathan Redmond feed.
But the Frenchman delivered a “hockey assist” in playing Martial into the box to assist Rashford’s equalizer eight minutes later.
Martial then ripped home a shot from just inside the box to give United a 2-1 lead and cap off a three-goal run inside of 11 minutes.
[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]
The second half lagged a bit and United will be upset to not have put it to bed early. Rashford was denied in the 68th minute when Ryan Bertrand charged in front of his in-tight shot.
The Red Devils spent the better portion of the final stages keeping Saints between the United 18 and midfield with little threat from the visitors until Oriol Romeu found Redmond to force a terrific flying save out of David De Gea.
That was foreshadowing, as Obafemi stabbed home.
There was a lengthy delay at the start of stoppage time when Kyle Walker-Peters knocked heads with Brandon Williams, the latter leaving the match with a head injury as United finished with 10 men.