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Match Analysis: Manchester United 0-1 Southampton

Sports Mole takes a closer look at Southampton's 1-0 victory away to Manchester United in the Premier League.

Southampton won at Old Trafford for the first time in the Premier League era on Sunday as they beat Manchester United 1-0.

The only goal of the game came on 70 minutes when substitute Dusan Tadic calmly slotted the ball into the net after Graziano Pelle had hit the post.

An out-of-sorts United looked laboured for much of the afternoon and ended the game without having registered a single shot on target.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action on a memorable afternoon for the Saints at the Theatre of Dreams.

Match statistics

Man Utd
Shots: 10
On target: 0
Possession: 60%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 9

Southampton
Shots: 9
On target: 1
Possession: 40%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 10

Was the result fair?

It is hard to claim that Southampton deserved all three points, but they certainly did enough to come away from Old Trafford with something. The Saints were organised and disciplined throughout, while United struggled to make anything happen in the final third despite enjoying more of the ball.

Man Utd's performance

Zero shots on goal tells you all that you need to know about United's display. The hosts looked underwhelming from the first whistle to the last as they failed time and again to get past the Southampton defence. The likes of Wayne Rooney, Angel di Maria and Juan Mata all saw plenty of the ball, but a severe lack of inspiration and invention was evident throughout.

Meanwhile, basics like their passing were not up to scratch, with the ball frequently being lost due to some sloppy exchanges. Louis van Gaal's side put more pressure on their opponents as the game wore on, though they never did enough to truly worry the visitors. There have been some mixed performances from the Red Devils so far this season and this was among the worst.

Southampton's performance

While United put in one of their weakest performances of the campaign so far, this will rank as one of Southampton's best. The Saints were exceptionally well-organised throughout as defence and midfield worked doggedly to keep the home side at bay. Meanwhile, Graziano Pelle did an admirable job as the lone striker.

However, forget individual displays; this was all about the team effort. The visitors showed great energy and enthusiasm throughout, chasing down the Red Devils and making life extremely uncomfortable for them. They were rewarded for their efforts with 20 minutes left to play when Dusan Tadic found the net, and from that point on they did enough to see out the game.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Morgan Schneiderlin: The Southampton midfielder was a model of stamina and commitment as he ran tirelessly all afternoon. His positional play also played a key part in his side's result, with the Frenchman giving ample protection to his defence and breaking up United's attacks at important moments. This was a fine showing that is likely to further fuel rumours that he could be on his way to one of the Premier League's big boys.

Biggest gaffe

Juan Mata had a glorious chance to draw United level with 13 minutes left to play when he shot wide from a few yards out following a Daley Blind cross. The Spaniard had to strike the ball with his weaker right foot, but you would have expected him to do better from that sort of distance.

Referee performance

Phil Dowd had a reasonably solid game, though there were a handful of occasions where he hampered the flow of the match by blowing up for petty fouls. The official brandished a total of five yellow cards, all of which were deserved.

What next?

Man Utd: United continue their Premier League campaign next Saturday when they face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

Southampton: The Saints are back in action on Wednesday with a trip to Ipswich Town for their third-round replay in the FA Cup.

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Southampton's Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic removes his shirt as he celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on Janua
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