Player ratings as Marcus Rashford stars but Paul Pogba's mixed display costs Man United

Aditya Devavrat 01:02 02/12/2018
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  • Marcus Rashford starred for United.

    Manchester United failed to win a Premier League game for the second week running, as they dropped points in a 2-2 draw against Southampton on Saturday.

    Though Jose Mourinho‘s side fought back from 2-0 down, they were unable to find a winner in their quest to climb up the league table.

    Here’s a look at how the players rated.

    STARTING XI 

    David De Gea 6 – Couldn’t have done much for either Southampton goal, either than ask the players in front of him to do a better job of defending. Solid, otherwise.

    Ashley Young 6 – At times his set-piece delivery was excellent, at others, not so much. The same could be said of his crossing. Defensively, dealt with an initially rampant Southampton well, and kept their fleet-footed attackers at bay.

    Phil Jones 7 – If United’s senior centre-back on the night went into the locker room shouting at his midfielders, he would have had every right. Was too often left trying to clean up their mess, and did a decent job doing so.

    Scott McTominay 6 – A much better performance than his previous outing as a centre-back, though it would have been harder not to improve on his showing from United’s 3-1 loss to West Ham. Energetic, and solid.

    Luke Shaw 6 – A committed display on his return to Southampton, though some of the quality of earlier-season displays has gone missing of late.

    Nemanja Matic 5 – Uninventive and slow, yet again. Matic neither controlled play from deep nor did a good job of aiding his defence, and was at fault for Southampton’s first goal as the attack ran rings around him.

    Ander Herrera 7 – An absolutely sumptuous finish for United’s equaliser, and seemed to cover every blade of glass to help his defence, showing up to intercept, block, tackle, or clear whenever needed.

    Marouane Fellaini 5 – Along with Matic, partially at fault for Southampton’s opener, as the Saints’ attack blew past him with ease. Didn’t cut it as a defensive shield and wasn’t involved in the attack enough to make an impact.

    Paul Pogba 5 – A mixed display from Pogba. Sporadic moments of brilliance and purposefulness coupled with a collection of misplaced passes and poor decisions – a summary of his entire United career.

    Romelu Lukaku 6 – Broke his goal drought, which was a welcome relief for both the player and his club. Could have had another, passing up an opportunity when the score was still 0-0, and his touch and distribution were poor.

    Marcus Rashford 8 – Though his shooting was erratic again, this was one of Rashford’s best displays in recent times. Got the assist for both goals and was full of running and intensity throughout.

    SUBSTITUTES

    Diogo Dalot 6 – A full-back lauded for his attacking ability wasn’t able to show enough of it. Overhit the one cross he got to deliver, though his pace on the right did make United look slightly more threatening.

    Anthony Martial 6 – Produced a few neat touches, and made one dangerous run that could have resulted in a goal had Lukaku been able to find him. Should have had the opportunity to play with Rashford rather than replace him.

    Jesse Lingard 6 – Came on late in the game as Mourinho’s last roll of the dice in search of a winner, but barely got the chance to produce anything of note.

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