Casemiro’s second red card of the Premier League season helped produce a thrilling draw as you’ll see as Manchester United drew Southampton to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Southampton took the 56-minute man advantage and pushed for a goal, leading to a more open-than-expected game between a Saints side playing away against an 11-man Man Utd.
It’s four straight points for the Saints, who were still abuzz after a 1-0 win over former foes Leicester City and now hold 22 points. It’s still in the Premier League basement but also three points from 15th with two games up in the next 8 days.
Manchester United’s flickering and unlikely hopes of a Premier League title race seem extinguished with the surprise draw at Old Trafford. The Red Devils’ 50 points are 16 behind leaders Arsenal, and Tottenham’s 48 points are just behind them.
Casemiro’s red card is a game-changer; David De Gea’s reaction
The Brazilian’s reckless challenge saw him skidding with his foot off the top of the ball and straight into Carlos Alcaraz’s leg.
It’s a move that’s been used to inflict damage on a player without drawing referee judgment in the past, but now there’s VAR and once it’s gone through it was difficult to imagine that Casemiro would not see his second red card of the season.
Immediately after, Manchester United took control and it seems fair to infer that Saints haven’t worked much this week on what they would do if they had the ball.
But the half saw the Saints regroup and the second half was a mad house of chances for hosts and visitors alike. How it ended 0-0 we don’t know, but the goalkeepers were both good and the goalposts did their job as well.
Speaking of goalkeepers, De Gea didn’t like his teammate’s red card very much.
“I think Casemiro was unlucky,” De Gea said via BBC. “He tried to touch the ball and his foot went high. I think the referees need to be more consistent. Sometimes they show a red card and sometimes they don’t. … It’s going to be tough (to miss Casemiro). “He is a great player. We will miss him for four games but we have a big suqad. We have players coming off the bench who are doing well. We will continue to work hard.
Manchester United player ratings vs Southampton: Stars of the Show
Gavin Bazunu And David De Gea: The goaltenders made four saves each and were also blessed by their goalposts; De Gea’s superb close-range save on Theo Walcott was huge.
Jadon Sancho: Pulled forward to provide plenty of danger, oozing open-field class when he could find it, but his nine recoveries showed an adherence some sometimes doubted.
Kyle Walker-Peters: Hit the woodwork and also owned the right side of the field as Marcus Rashford struggled to make waves.
Armel Bella-Kotchap: It would have been a crime if VAR had awarded a penalty against the lying back for handball in general, but even more so given his huge day ahead of Bazunu. Five clearances, nine recoveries and a pair of chances created.
And after?
Man United leave for Betis on Thursday with a 4-1 first leg advantage in the Europa League round of 16, then host Fulham on Sunday in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The Saints are back on Wednesday with a visit to Brentford before Tottenham come to town on Sunday.
Erik ten Hag reaction: Inconsistent refereeing is a problem for Man United
Erik ten Hag didn’t like Casemiro’s red card, nor did Armel Bella-Kotchup go down for a lying handball in Southampton’s penalty area.
He had a particular contempt for the red card.
“Incoherent,” said Ten Hag, via the Manchester Evening News. “The referee arrives at the start of the season with a policy, we are in the Premier League, it is going strong here, we want intensity. Casemiro is through European games, more than 500 games, he has never had red card. Now he has two. Think about it. He plays hard but he plays fair. And also in that area he plays fair, like against Crystal Palace, so it’s very debatable.
“Anyone who knows anything about football, you know, and of course when you freeze it, it looks bad. But anyone who knows anything about football, who’s acted on top football, know what’s bad, what’s not bad and what’s fair. And I’m telling you: Casemiro is a really fair player. Tough, but fair.
Video of Casemiro’s red card: Careless foot sends Man Utd down 10 men
How to watch Manchester United vs Southampton live, stream link and start time
Kick-off: 10 a.m. ET, Sunday
TV channel/Stream: Online via Peacock Premium
Key storylines and star actors
Manchester United got a brilliant rebound from Bruno Fernandes, who netted a goal and an assist against Betis. Fernandes is not keen on dropping out of the line-up and will relish his chances of cutting Southampton’s back line.
Saints’ Carlos Alcaraz showed the club exactly what they expect from their strikers with his goal against Leicester, but the minor injury he suffered to celebrate was less than ideal. The Saints will hope he’s ready to go against Man United, who may struggle to find energy after a snowy and cold defeat at Betis.
Manchester United squad news, injuries, line-up options
OUT: Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Mason Greenwood (suspension – MORE), Anthony Martial (hip), Marcel Sabitzer (punching)
Southampton squad news, injuries, roster options
OUT: Valentino Livramento (knee), Juan Larios (adductor)