Player Ratings: Southampton 2 United 3 – Martial Does It Again

De Gea – Two league games with him in goal and two wins for United. Hardly a coincident either as he made a series of mesmerising saves. 8

Darmian – Looked nervous early on and failed to support the attack. Substituted at halftime. 5

Smalling – Nervous for the first thirty minutes and his misplaced ball could have sent United two down. Settled in well after regaining composure. 6

Blind – Exposed on a few occasions which left him back peddling. Guilty for both goals. 4

Rojo – Involved at times but failed to live up to the expectations set by Luke Shaw. 5

Schneiderlin – Accurate with his passing and distributed the ball well from deep. A bit cautious on the ball but promising regardless. 7.5

Carrick – Should have done better to shield the defence and his error proved costly. Subbed off early into the second half. 5

Mata – Completely anonymous for early spells but had a terrific 30 minute spell towards the end of the game. Scored and linked brilliantly with Martial. 6

Memphis – Like Mata, he was nowhere to be seen for a long period in the game. One bright moment saw him hit the post and set up Mata. 5

Martial – Phenomenal performance from the youngster who grabbed a brace by demonstrating incredible composure and finishing for both goals. Saved the game for United. 9

Rooney – Less said about him, the better. Shocking even by his low, low standards this season. 3

Subs:

Valencia – Looked firmer at the back and also offered more going forward. 7

Schweinsteiger – Dictated the game with ease and was key to United’s brilliant third goal. 8

McNair – Bizarre substitution that nearly cost the game. 3

Other:

Louis van Gaal – A dodgy first sixty minutes were saved by an excellent Frenchman who came to United’s rescue. The performances improved afterwards and United did well to extend their lead, including scoring a goal that included 44 passes – philosophy. However, the substitution of McNair was shocking and nearly cost United the three points. It’s not unfair to suggest the manager’s naivety in thinking the game was dead and buried at that point. Arrogance too, maybe? Regardless, had it not been for De Gea’s heroics, today could’ve ended very differently. Still, another win and a step closer to City. Positivity.

Referee: N/A