Manchester United and Southampton meet for the first time since the former won 9-0 in February and though a repeat of that scoreline probably will not be on the cards Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be confident about his side making it two wins from two in the Premier League so far this season.
A 3-1 defeat to Everton was a worrying way for Southampton to start their season, Ralph Hasehuttl’s side throwing away a first half lead in front of Goodison Park. Though Danny Ings’ replacement as a striker Adam Armstrong found the net on his top flight debut, there will be concern about the quality at both ends of the pitch of a Saints’ side that has lost key players in the transfer window. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
How to watch and odds
Date: Sunday, Aug. 22 | Time: 9:00 a.m. ET Location: St Mary’s Stadium — Southampton, United Kingdom TV/Live stream: Peacock Premium Odds: Southampton +500; Draw +333; Manchester United -188 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
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Storylines
Southampton: It is not just the loss of Ings that threatens to derail Southampton’s season. In defense Jannik Vestergaard, the hub of Hasenhuttl’s defense, has moved on to Leicester and whilst there is confidence that he will be replaced before the transfer window closes there is so far no new signing through the door.
A contract extension for James Ward Prowse was a welcome boost as Aston Villa sniffed around the England international but going into what promises to be a challenging match Southampton look like a side that are a little light on experience.
Manchester United: After being unveiled in front of Old Trafford last weekend, Raphael Varane could feature in some capacity on the south coast along with Edinson Cavani, who returned to training later than many of his team mates after the club gave him an extended summer break to spend time with his family. There is also the possibility that Jadon Sancho could start after a brief cameo in last week’s 5-1 win over Leeds United.
“They’ve worked well,” Soskjaer said of Sancho and Varane. “They’ve had minutes. We’ve had a very good week ourselves. We’ll see who’s making the flight down to Southampton on Saturday.”
Prediction
Manchester United hit a rich vein of attacking form last weekend, expect that to continue against a Southampton side that will do well to keep them from running up the scoreline. PICK: Southampton 1 Manchester United 3
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