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Going into tonight’s fixtures, the Premier League table looks like this. Not particularly great reading for Manchester United supporters; thoroughly painful viewing for Southampton fans. The other game this evening is Ipswich Town v Brighton & Hove Albion (7.30pm) which we’ll keep you posted about.
Manchester United make three changes to their starting XI after the FA Cup win at Arsenal. André Onana reclaims his place in goal at Emirates hero Altay Bayındır’s expense, while Leny Yoro and Amad Diallo step up, Harry Maguire drops to the bench, and Diogo Dalot misses out through suspension after his red card last weekend.
Southampton make one change to the team that swatted aside Swansea City 3-0 in the Cup. Yukinari Sugawara comes in for Ryan Manning, who drops to the bench.
The teams
Manchester United: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Yoro, Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Garnacho, Fernandes, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Kukonki, Maguire, Malacia, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, Antony, Zirkzee.
Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Bree, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Aribo, Walker-Peters, Dibling, Sulemana.
Subs: McCarthy, Manning, Wood, Smallbone, Downes, Lallana, Armstrong, Archer, Onuachu.
Preamble
Yes, yes, all the humorists are calling it a relegation battle. But let’s be serious, so never mind them. Not that Manchester United are doing well, exactly, down in the not-recently-charted waters of 15th spot. But a win tonight over the doomed Saints would spring them up to 12th, and within swinging distance of the top half of the table. Thin gruel for a club of United’s stature and history, but this is where they are right now, though a couple of street-fighting results against big rivals in Liverpool and Arsenal have got Ruben Amorim and his men looking upwards towards the light once more. Rock-bottom Southampton, who have lost 12 of their last 15 Premier League matches, winning just one, and were beaten 3-0 by United on their own turf back in September, will most likely settle for a dignified defeat. Then again, football being what it is, you never know, and the Saints have given the Red Devils an unexpected bloody nose more than once before, as this retro edition of the Joy of Six illustrates. Kick-off at Old Trafford is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
