Solskjaer: Players ‘showed the magic’ against Southampton
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his team had rediscovered their best form with a 9-0 thrashing of Southampton in an English Premier League game yesterday morning (Singapore time) after two disappointing results.
Solskjaer's side came into the contest on the back of a goalless draw with Arsenal after a 2-1 defeat by bottom side Sheffield United, but turned on the style against Southampton to equal their record 1995 win over Ipswich Town.
Southampton played with 10 men for much of the game, but ended with just nine as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial (two), Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James scored for the Red Devils, with Jan Bednarek bagging an own goal in the first half and getting sent off in the second.
The Saints' teenage defender Alex Jankewitz had seen red after just two minutes for a lunge on McTominay.
"We have been waiting on them (the players) to show the magic and tonight was a night that they could go and enjoy," Solskjaer told BT Sport.
"Confidence is one thing but it was about the mojo and spark, the X-factor. We haven't had too many of them where we could sit down and enjoy the football. They enjoyed it...(there were) some good performances."
Victory lifted the team to the top of the standings with 44 points, level with Manchester City, ahead of the Citizens' match against Burnley this morning.
It also boosted the Red Devils' goal difference to 19 and Solskjaer said that could be important later in the season.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuettl said the 9-0 loss hurt much more than a similar defeat by Leicester City in 2019.
He said: "This time it's a completely different situation... It hurts even more when you get this result again." - REUTERS
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