Preview: United need a positive win over Southampton on Thursday to help overcome poor Premier League form

Manchester United -v- Southampton

Premier League

Old Trafford, Manchester

Thursday 16 January 2024, KO 20:00 GMT

Manchester United return to Premier League action at Old Trafford as they welcome Southampton on Thursday evening. United have not won any of their last four matches in the Premier League, drawing once and losing three since the victory over Manchester City a month ago. United needs to change their future.

t the time of writing, United sit in 13th place in the Premier League – 13 points off the top four, which gives United a struggle between now and the end of the season get rejuvenate their form and claw back some points this season. Southampton sit at rock bottom of the Premier League, ten points from safety with a terrible goal difference.

United have 18 more matches in the Premier League this season and they must win the majority of them to turn their season around. It seems unlikely that United will make the UEFA Champions League next season, unless they win the UEFA Europa League, which is still on the table at present. United will need to try harder.

United – Form, Goals Scored & Assists

Arsenal 1-1 (5-3) W, Liverpool 2-2 D, Newcastle 2-0 L, Wolves 2-0 L, Bournemouth 3-0 L, Spurs 4-3 L

Goals: 8 – Alejandro Garnacho, 7 – Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, 6 – Amad, 4 – Christian Eriksen, Joshua Zirkzee, 3 – Casemiro, 1 – Antony, Matthijs de Ligt, Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez

Assists: 11 – Bruno Fernandes, 7 – Amad, 5 – Alejandro Garnacho, 3 – Christian Eriksen, Marcus Rashford, 2 – Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee, 1 – Rasmus Hojlund, Lisandro Martinez, Manuel Ugarte

Southampton – Form, Goals Scored & Assists

Swansea 3-0 W, Brentford 5-0 L, Palace 2-1 L, West Ham 1-0 L, Fulham 0-0 D, Liverpool 2-1 L

Goals: 5 – Cameron Archer, 4 – Tyler Dibling, 3 – Adam Armstrong, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, 2 – Joe Aribo, James Bree, Mateus Fernandes, 1 – Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Flynn Downes, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Yukinari Sugawara

Assists: 3 – Mateus Fernandes, 2 – Adam Armstrong, Tyler Dibling, Adam Lallana, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Charlie Taylor, Kyle Walker-Peters, 1 – Yukinari Sugawara, Lesley Ugochukwu

Previous Meetings & Connections

United and Southampton have met 49 times in the Premier League. United won 30 times, drew 12 times and lost seven times. United have scored 102 goals against Southampton winning four penalties, scoring two. Southampton have scored 52 goals, winning two penalties, scoring none. United need to get back to winning ways again.

United have kept 15 clean sheets against Southampton, who have kept seven against United. United players have been shown 73 yellow cards and two red cards with Southampton players being shown 75 yellow cards and four red cards – which shows that even this encounter can be a fiery one for both teams.

Luke Shaw, Danny Wallace, Danny Higginbotham, Joe Jordan, Mark Hughes, Morgan Schneiderlin and Andrei Kanchelskis have all played for both United and Southampton over the years. Shaw is the only current player for United to have played at the St Mary’s club.

Team News

United: United could be without up to six players for the visit of Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday evening at Old Trafford. Diogo Dalot will miss the clash as he is suspended and Victor Lindelof, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans are injured. Marcus Rashford is ill, but maybe he could make the squad?

Ruled Out: Victor Lindelof (other), Mason Mount (thigh), Luke Shaw (calf/shin/heel) and Jonny Evans (muscular)

Doubts: Marcus Rashford (illness)

Suspended: Diogo Dalot (suspended for one match)

Southampton:he Saints could be missing three players for the trip to Manchester with Jack Stephens and Ross Stewart both out injured. Flynn Downes is a doubt but in the next few days he could be passed fit to at least travel with the Saints squad to Old Trafford. It will even be a tough match for Southampton.

Ruled Out: Jack Stephens (other) and Ross Stewart (calf/shin/heel)

Doubts: Flynn Downes (thigh)

Suspended: None

Predicted United Starting XI – 3-4-2-1

Bayindir;

De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez;

Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Malacia;

Amad, Fernandes;

Hojlund

Predicted Southampton Starting XI – 3-4-3

Ramsdale;

Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Wood;

Bree, Ugochukwu, Aribo, Walker-Peters;

Dibling, Onuachu, Sulemana

History, training and the lead up to the big match

United and Southampton have a vast history playing 134 times in all domestic competitions in the history of both clubs. United have won 69 times, drawn 37 times, losing 28 times. The last defeat to Southampton came on the 23 January 2016 in the Premier League – a 1-0 loss with Charlie Austin scoring for the Saints.

United have faced Southampton 16 times since their last defeat to the club, winning eight times and drawing eight times. United beat Southampton 9-0 almost four years ago, which was a cracking match for the Red Devils. It seems unlikely that United will do that again this season, but you never know.

United will have just three full days of rest and recovery following their penalty victory over Arsenal in the Emirates FA Cup on Sunday evening, which is not always the best after two hours of football with a midweek match still to play before a weekend one. However, United are in good hands ahead of this fixture.

Manchester United 2-0 Southampton

Written by Paul