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Edinson Cavani scores twice off the bench in superb Manchester United comeback win against Southampton

Jeremy Wilson
·23-min read
Cavani wins the game for Man Utd - NEWS GROUP
Cavani wins the game for Man Utd - NEWS GROUP

A brilliant substitution? An expensive get out of jail card that simply covers inadequacies elsewhere? There is truth to both answers but, having seen Edinson Cavani inspire a remarkable second-half comeback, you only had to look at the reaction on the Manchester United bench to sense that this result might carry a wider significance.

Trailing 2-0 at half-time to a very good Southampton side, United looked destined for a fourth Premier League defeat of the season and a week of familiar scrutiny about just how long patience with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can last.

It always helps, though, to have the option of a genuinely world-class striker among your substitutes and, while you might equally ask why Cavani had not started, Solskjaer was at least decisive in bringing him on for Mason Greenwood at half-time.

An assist and two Cavani goals later, including a brilliant headed winner in added time, and United had salvaged the sort of last-gasp and momentum-building victory that was the club’s hallmark when Solskjaer was a player. This was also United’s eighth consecutive away win and, while it would take a brave pundit to predict any sort of serious title challenge under Solskjaer, they have at least again eased the immediate pressure and moved up into the top half of the Premier League.

With what looked like a tweaked 4-3-1-2 formation, they also began brightly and might twice have taken the lead. First Jan Vestergaard had a serious lapse in concentration and presented Mason Greenwood with a clear run at goal but, having taken the ball around Alex McCarthy, he shot into the side-netting with the goal at his mercy.

Bruno Fernandes then also glanced the outside of McCarthy’s post with an effort from just outside the penalty area. United were in command but regular watchers of Southampton will be familiar now with how, having absorbed a period of pressure, they can suddenly switch up a gear.

Hasenhuttl had also become more vocal on the touchline and, after about 15 minutes, United began being pinned back by an added urgency in Southampton’s pressing. From a corner, Ward-Prowse’s precise cross found Jan Bednarek who, having sprinted between Alex Tellos and Marcus Rashford, glanced his near-post header beyond David de Gea.

Kyle Walker-Peters quickly followed that up with a deflected shot off De Gea’s post and then Moussa Djenepo, who was causing problems down United’s right, won a free-kick from Fred. There are few better dead-ball exponents just now in Europe than Ward-Prowse and he brilliantly sent his free-kick up over the United wall and inside De Gea’s near-post.

It was his fifth goal direct from a free-kick since the start of last season - a statistic that only Lionel Messi can equal across the top European leagues.

United did have further first-half chances themselves, notably when McCarthy’s clearance was horribly miss-kicked into Greenwood’s path. Greenwood’s shot was just close enough for McCarthy to parry and the Southampton goalkeeper then quickly recovered to make an even better point-blank save to deny Bruno Fernandes on the follow up.

De Gea had collided with the post in trying to save Ward-Prowse’s free-kick and he was replaced at half-time by Dean Henderson.

Solskjaer hoping De Gea can win fitness race ahead of PSG match
Solskjaer hoping De Gea can win fitness race ahead of PSG match

After missing those two good first-half chances, Greenwood was also taken off at half-time as Solskjaer opted for the added physical presence alongside Rashford of Edinson Cavani. It was the catalyst for a huge improvement even if two frustrating misses soon followed.

Having raced clear on goal, Rashford ignored the option to his right of Cavani and instead had his shot well saved by McCarthy. Cavani himself then had an excellent chance but was unable to keep his swivelling volley beneath the cross-bar.

United were an increasing attacking threat, however, and a deserved goal did come after 59th minute when Cavani’s run and cross helped tee up Fernandes’s impressive finish past McCarthy. Cavani had also just headed only narrowly before brilliantly glancing Fernandes’s powerful shot beyond McCarthy.

He had already turned the match on its head but, as the match entered its second minute of added time, there was still time for one final flourish. Fernandes fed a free-kick to Rashford, whose cross to the edge of the six-yard box was quite brilliantly headed beyond McCarthy by Cavani.

04:13 PM

Cavani's impact off the bench

OGS knows a little bit about being a super-sub himself but here's the lad's stats:

Cavani has definitely still got 'it'. 

04:07 PM

What a game

I said at half time that United hadn't really done anything wrong today. Two set pieces, one avoidable, one which could be better defended, but United mostly in charge. Then momentum swung a little bit, as it does in those situations, and United stuck to their plan until pulling it back to 2-2. Then a small change in system to a 4-2-3-1 helped create space against a tired Southampton and Cavani scored poacher's goals. That's why he's on the big bucks.

In summary, Southampton were excellent, the system worked almost perfectly and they took their chances, but United have the better players and stayed patient.

03:56 PM

FULL TIME

A brilliant comeback from United who had to work hard to beat a really good team. Super sub Cavani wins the game!

03:55 PM

90 mins+5 - Southampton 2 Man Utd 3

The weird thing is that even when Southampton were 2-0 up you sort of knew United were coming back into it. The United system and set up made sense, the plan to bring Cavani on later has worked perfectly... and unless anything happens now it'll be three points for OGS.

03:52 PM

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!

CAVANI HAS DONE IT!!!!!

Southampton 2 Man Utd 3

Brilliant goal poaching from Cavani! Rashford whips a lovely ball into the box from the left, Cavani times his run to arrive in space and puts his head on it, glancing the ball past the goalkeeper. 

03:52 PM

90 mins+1 - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

Five minutes of added time to come and Fernandes celebrates by trying to chip McCarthy from about 40 yards. He over hits it onto the roof of the net.

03:50 PM

90 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

Armstrong off, Diallo on. That's a defensive substitution, putting some steel in the middle of the park. 

03:48 PM

89 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

United win a corner. Fernandes launches into the sky, Fred goes back, Maguire is wide right (!) and hits a low cross into the area. Southampton look a little tired here and United want to take them out. Lots of nice link play between Van de Beek and everyone around him. Another corner.

03:45 PM

86 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

Telles goes off for Williams. He seems to be clutching his groin as he goes and it would be bad news if he is injured. 

Suddenly United have men over as Fred intercepts Romeu's pass. Rashford opts to slide Fred in for a tap in rather than shoot and even if the pass had been decent enough to give him a chance, Fred was offside.

03:43 PM

84 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

Cavani is working so hard off the ball to close down Southampton players. He's done a heap of running already.

Southampton come forward now and United drop behind the ball.

03:41 PM

82 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

Great recovery from Matic to intercept and hold off Adams, who isn't easy to defend against on account of being a unit. Looks like you could throw him off a building and he'd either drill through the earth out to Australia like a comet or spring back up like a bouncy ball. 

03:39 PM

80 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

Oooohhh Adams goes close! A spin and shot inside the area almost gives Southampton back the lead but the ball bobbles wide of the far post. Decent effort. 

Vestergaard has carried the ball into midfield and left his position vacant as possession is turned over... but United can't take advantage early enough.

03:38 PM

78 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

I think United have changed shape slightly to more of a 4-2-3-1, with Van de Beek wide left and Rashford on the right. 

03:36 PM

76 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

United aren't done yet here though, they clearly want the win. Southampton don't have quite the same intensity as earlier in the match, which makes perfect sense, and is making it slightly easier to pass through them.

03:33 PM

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!

CAVANI EQUALISES!

Southampton 2 Man Utd 2

It's been coming. Southampton have been brilliant in this game but United have the players and after punching a cross away, McCarthy has to try and save a header from six yards from Cavani off a Fernandes cross. 

03:32 PM

73 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 1

Wan-Bissaka does well to win a corner. Fernandes comes to take it and has amuch better go of the cross this time, although the ball does end up out for a throw.

Shane Long comes on for Djenepo for the final 20 minutes. The fifth time in six games that this exact same sub has happened.

03:29 PM

70 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 1

CAVANIIIIII! So close! Wan-Bissaka's cross isn't great but Cavani leaps like a human salmon and manages to get a header to it, sending the ball spinning just wide of the top corner.

03:27 PM

68 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 1

JWP aims at the near post with his corner again and wins another corner. Cavani doing an awful lot more defending than I ever thought we'd see of him in a United shirt. Cavani clears both corners.

03:26 PM

66 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 1

Southampton the more dangerous team now. They've controlled the attempted United fight back very well. 

03:23 PM

63 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 1

United give the ball away a couple of times trying to charge at Southampton, who are prepared to deal with teams doing exactly that and fire quick passes between themselves to get out of a press. 

On a side note, Fred is just awful isn't he? Doesn't do anything in particular, and what he does do is never very good. 

03:19 PM

GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!

FERNANDES SCORES! 

Southampton 2 Man Utd 1

Fred does really well to keep the ball when doubled up on with two defenders, feeds it into Cavani in the right channel, he looks up and aims a perfect pass to Fernandes on the penalty spot. One touch to control, turn to face the goal, a shot to finish.

03:18 PM

59 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Man Utd have a corner with Bednarek forced off the pitch for a bit... and Fernandes punts it straight into the first man. What a waste. He's been poor today.

03:17 PM

57 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Cavani hits a pass across the box, Fernandes chases it and keeps the play alive, crosses back in, McCarthy dives and misses, Van de Beek moves it on rather than shooting and Cavani swivels to shoot from the penalty spot but launches the ball over.

Bednarek has gone down in a heap after and looks to be in trouble. He's being looked at carefully by the physios after a collision with Djenepo.

03:14 PM

55 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Cavani, the central striker famous for poaching goals for fun in France, is having to drop as deep as his own box to help United get out from the back. It's not ideal. Southampton so quick to win possession back too, with players knowing where to go when they do win a turnover

03:12 PM

53 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Rashford is away! He looks offside as Van De Beek is able to slip a ball through to him, has Cavani in the middle ready for an easy tap and Rashford shoots straight at the goalkeeper, who saves well. A big miss but a good save. That chance came out of Southampton possession - United are most dangerous when they can counter.

03:09 PM

50 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Walcott has another dig from range! Southampton are really good. I'm such a big fan of Hasenhuttl and you can see his fingerprints all over this.

03:07 PM

48 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Southampton look dangerous early, Walcott has a dig from the corner of the box and Henderson holds the shot well. It seems as though United have been told to get the ball to the strikers much quicker with longer passes.

03:06 PM

KICK OFF 2

Cavani's laces are now ready, about 40 seconds into the start of the second half. 

03:05 PM

Two changes

De Gea off, Henderson on. Cavani on, Greenwood off. And he still hasn't done up his laces.

02:57 PM

The JWP effect

  • Among English players, only David Beckham (18) has ever scored more direct free-kicks in the Premier League than Southampton's James Ward-Prowse (9 - level with Frank Lampard and Jamie Redknapp).

02:57 PM

The goals

Roy Keane and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink both think it would be harsh to criticise De Gea at the corner but having watched a few times, I wonder whether he ought to have punched that clear.

Keane is raging with Fred for giving away the free-kick on the edge of the area, pointing out that the coaches will have warned him to avoid doing exactly that.

He also reckons his goalkeeper should stop this shot, which I don't agree with:

 

02:49 PM

HALF TIME

What a weird half. United the better team right up until that stunning corner was headed in. Bad defending maybe, probably yes, but after that Southampton grew into it and scored that magic free-kick. McCarthy has gotten away with a couple of massive errors... but otherwise this is just weird. Are Southampton the better team? I can't tell anymore.

02:48 PM

45 mins+1 - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Rashford goes down on the edge of the area (possibly just inside) but the referee doesn't care, and Var agrees. 

02:47 PM

43 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

United haven't even really done anything wrong here when you think about it. Tactically it all makes sense, and were it not for a tiny bit of bad defending at the near post from a corner - which was brilliantly struck - and Fred hacking down Djenepo near the box for a JWP wonder hit they'd be level. Southampton have gotten away with at least two massive mistakes so far.

02:41 PM

40 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Oooooh Van de Beek has given up a bit opportunity there to shoot by passing to Rashford. Should have had a ping himself. 

02:38 PM

37 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

Yeh it looks like De Gea has absolutely clanged his knee into the post while trying to stop the JWP goal and is definitely feeling the effects. He's basically kneecapped himself.

02:37 PM

35 mins - Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

That was such a brilliant free-kick and United are in all sorts of trouble just now. And Southampton are in again! Djenepo has a strike which De Gea pushes away but Armstrong panics a little and doesn't control the ball properly. De Gea looks to have done himself an injury as well, potentially trying to save that free-kick. He might have to go off.

02:34 PM

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!

Wow. What a hit! Ward-Prowse scores.

Southampton 2 Man Utd 0

De Gea does well to even get close to it, even though he knows exactly where the shot is going. By the time his glove on the ball it's already behind the line. Brilliant.

02:34 PM

33 mins - Southampton 1 Man Utd 0

Djenepo keeps going past United players like they're mannequins and having done Fernandes earlier, wins a free-kick with a trick past Fred on the edge of the area. This might be too close to goal for JWP to get it up and down with the power needed against De Gea but he'll definitely have a go. 

02:33 PM

31 mins - Southampton 1 Man Utd 0

HOW HAS HE MISSED!???!!?! HOW!? McCarthy passes the ball straight to Greenwood, who takes a couple of touches then fires at goal, but straight at the goalkeeper. That gives Fernandes an empty net to convert the rebound but the goalie is up and down in an instant to block near his own line. Outstanding recovery from a dreadful mistake! 

02:29 PM

28 mins - Southampton 1 Man Utd 0

WALKER-PETERS HITS THE POST! The full-back gets forward, dribbles towards Telles and tries a hopeful low shot through legs, getting the deflection he wanted but watching as the ball pings off the goal. United need to just calm things down a second.

02:28 PM

27 mins - Southampton 1 Man Utd 0

Ward-Prowse hacks Van de Beek again in the centre of the pitch... and that is a red card waiting to happen. VDB clearly annoyed at the close attention he's getting - Southampton's attempts to disrupt the flow of the game could end up costing them if they aren't careful.

02:25 PM

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!

BEDNAREK HEADS IN!

Southampton 1 Man Utd 0

The ball is whipped to the near post with so much pace that all Bednarek has to do is get a head to it and glance the ball into the net. De Gea could maybe do better and come off his line earlier but that might be extremely harsh. Whoever was defending the corner of the six yard box had to win the header.

02:24 PM

23 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Great ball by Ward-Prowse but Lindelof heads it behind for a corner. JWP will take this one again.

02:23 PM

22 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Southampton manage to keep the ball and work it through the lines, Djenepo takes on the defence at the box, tries a little trick and gives possession away. Southampton keep the pressure on and win a free-kick 35 yards out, which Ward-Prowse will whip into the area.

02:20 PM

19 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Wan-Bissaka is the latest to taken out with a strong Southampton tackle. Hasenhuttl has clearly set their tackling to 'Get Stuck In' today.

02:19 PM

18 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

United's midfield shape is helping them dominate Southampton's. With the full-backs pushed high it effectively means they have six across the middle and two strikers between the lines to offer a pass too. 

Ward-Prowse has been booked for hacking through the back of Van de Beek.

02:18 PM

17 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Van de Beek has gone howling in pain after a collision near half way but is up quickly to his feet. Some really clever pass and move football between him and Matic. Fernandes is back on and you won't believe this, but he's actually fine. 

Fred gets involved, slides a pass forward, Rashford lays it off and Fernandes spots a chance to shoot! He launches one, it's dipping in - the goalkeeper is beaten! Hits the outside of the post!

02:16 PM

15 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Romeu stays tight to Fernandes and gives him a little dunt, planting his foot on top of the Man Utd player's. He loves a drama so I have no idea whether Fernandes is actually hurt or just playing up but the physio has had a look and Fernandes is angry the referee hasn't done anything about it. Was probably a yellow tbf.

02:13 PM

12 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Rashford has almost completely done Vestergaard with an unbelievable first touch from a high clearance to knock the ball one side so he can run round the other but the defender does well to read and intercept. Would have been away and one v one if that had worked.

02:11 PM

10 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Rashford tries to take a couple of steps back inside the box to get to a ball that's bobbled behind him, Ward-Prowse has a wee hack at him and connects and Rashford looks like he might go down. Var has a look at it... takes their time and decides it's not clear and obvious. Seems fair to me. It's one of those where it's probably technically a penalty but it would be incredibly lame to award it.

02:09 PM

8 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

GREENWOOD MUST SCORE! HE'S MISSED AN OPEN GOAL! Brilliant link play by Van de Beek and Telles, with the latter threading Greenwood in behind the defence. Vestergaard just lets the ball run when he should cover and Greenwood collects, rounds the goalkeeper then hits the sidenetting from a narrow angle. 

02:06 PM

5 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Telles is getting high up the pitch to provide width, Wan-Bissaka too and the early signs are that this could be quite an end to end game with both teams trying to get as many players into the opposition half as they can as quickly as possible. When United get to the final third, Southampton have almost everyone back. 

02:04 PM

3 mins - Southampton 0 Man Utd 0

Southampton pressing high up the pitch from the start, prompting United to pick their next pass carefully. United are definitely in a 4-4-2 diamond as we expected.

02:02 PM

KICK OFF

A minute's applause for Maradona, the players all take a knee, and then we're off. We've also witnessed the rarely seen side swap from the coin toss, which will make a huge difference considering there are no fans in the stadium...

01:57 PM

Here come the players

Both teams are out on the pitch having come out of different tunnels. I'm really interested to see what happens here today.

01:49 PM

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01:27 PM

Why Van De Beek is so good

I wrote this tactical analysis of Van De Beek and why OGS doesn't really have a choice when it comes to picking him after his performance mid-week.

Come and leave your thoughts in the comments and I'll get back to you. Don't worry about the Vidic/Matic mixup that others have already noted, that's just one of those common errors that holds me back from the journalistic elite. 

01:17 PM

Solskjaer's tactical tinkering

Man Utd have a different lineup from week to week. A 4-2-3-1 worked really well mid-week against Basaksehir and today it looks like, once again, the system has changed. 

If it is a 4-4-2 diamond, Fernandes will be the 10, Matic the six, and Fred and Van De Beek both as eights. Rashford and Greenwood will be split strikers. Cavani was superb in the Champions League but must be getting brought into the starting XI slowly to ensure he doesn't pick up any more injuries on his return from a big one.

Southampton are usually a 4-4-2 which becomes a 4-2-2-2 but the XI Hasenhuttl has named could quite easily shift shape during the match. This could be an interesting tactical battle.

01:10 PM

Starting lineups

Here are the teams! OGS has opted for four midfielders, which will either be a midfield diamond or possibly with Van De Beek playing off one of the wings. I'm not sure which.

12:58 PM

Hello!

Welcome to our liveblog for Southampton vs Manchester United, a game which could send one of these two teams to second in the table if they win... and yes that's right, obviously it's Southampton. What a season they've had so far and although the fixture list has been kind enough up until now, if Hasenhuttl's team can keep it up with victory today who's to say they can't go even longer and qualify for Europe. It's early, sure, but this is a very well coached team indeed.

A United win could put them up to sixth, which would look a whole lot better than the 13th they're currently in and relieve the pressure on the players and manager.  This is what Solskjaer has said this week about it:

"We live in a results business and all I want is for Man United to improve as a team and as a club.

"I have very good dialogue with the club all of the time. You have to think long-term and short-term - and I would never ever think that this is my chance to prove a point and that it's all about me.

"That's not what it's about here. Every decision I make is for the good of Manchester United.

"For me, it's about results and if we keep improving we have a very good opportunity because this team and this squad is going places."

Meanwhile, in the red corner this afternoon is old Ralphy boy, as his friends like to call him (I have never met him).

"We know it is tough, we are the underdog, but we go in this game to be as competitive as possible and to be a strong opponent and let's have a look at how many issues we can cause them and how much problems we can make for them and then we can hopefully take something."

Kick off is 2pm, stay here for live analysis and updates throughout.