Will the real Man Utd please stand up at Saints?
The Saturday lunchtime kick-off in the Premier League sees Southampton host Manchester United at St. Mary's Stadium. Results have been typically erratic under Austrian head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, with a 1-1-1 record and having already scored five and conceded seven. Despite that, they sit above the Red Devils in the standings, even with the visitors' stirring performance with the pressure cranked up against Liverpool on Monday night. Erik ten Hag's men performed when they had to, but can they repeat the feat on the south coast? Read our preview here:
Adams and eve it
One of the highlights in the early season has been the individual displays exhibited by forward Ché Adams. The Scottish international has never hit double figures since making the move to the Hampshire club three years ago, but has started 2022/2023 in superb form, notching successive braces against Leicester City to turn defeat into victory in the league last weekend and following it up in the EFL Cup at third tier Cambridge United. As the focal point of the 4-2-3-1 with good support from the trio behind him, the 26 year old is flourishing. Concerns remain in the backline, but the likes of Armel Bella-Kotchap have adapted well to life on the south coast.
Martial music
Though some of the narrative of that vital win over Jürgen Klopp's charges might have focused on how ordinary the Reds looked on the night and in general thus far, little can be taken away from how electrifying the home side at Old Trafford looked for vast swathes of the contest. ten Hag showed some vindicated ruthlessness with team selection, swapping out names like Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Cristiano Ronaldo, replacing them with pacier options. The risk paid off, and forgotten man Anthony Martial stepped off the bench in the second period to lay on the decisive assist for the hitherto underperforming Marcus Rashford. Casemiro will be available for selection, but will probably have to be content for the time being with a substitute role.
Betting tip
ten Hag's side have odds of 3.10 to win with both teams scoring.
