Southampton vs. Manchester United: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Southampton will be the latest side to attempt to halt Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in the Premier League, as they host the Red Devils at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday.
United won 4-0 for the third time already this season in the top flight in their previous outing, turning up the pressure late on to breeze past Everton.
In Romelu Lukaku, they have a fantastic forward who has settled in brilliantly at Old Trafford and is backed up by a team that's functioning wonderfully.
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Southampton have been sure enough so far this term under new boss Mauricio Pellegrino and picked up a creditable 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last time out. A victory over one of the division's elite outfits would give their campaign another jolt of positivity.
Read on for the key viewing details for this one, the latest team news for each outfit and a preview of the contest.
Date: Saturday, September 23
Time: 3 p.m. (BST), 10 a.m. (ET)
TV Info: NBC Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: NBC Sports App (U.S.)
Team News
Southampton: Pellegrino has a decision to make on whether to bring Virgil van Dijk back into the side after he made a late cameo against Crystal Palace.
Likely XI: Fraser Forster; Cedric Soares, Wesley Hoedt, Maya Yoshida, Ryan Bertrand; Mario Lemina, Oriol Romeu; Dusan Tadic, Steven Davis, Nathan Redmond; Manolo Gabbiadini
Manchester United: Mourinho will be without Paul Pogba due to his hamstring injury, meaning the biggest decision he faces is whether to start Ander Herrera or Marouane Fellaini in midfield alongside Nemanja Matic.
Likely XI: David De Gea; Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Ashley Young; Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic; Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial; Romelu Lukaku
Preview
Aside from a 2-2 draw at Stoke City, the start to 2017-18 has been pretty much perfect for United.
The clash against Everton epitomised their play so far—they grabbed an early goal, stayed in the game for long spells and moved through the gears late on. This term, Mourinho has options on the bench who can make the difference for his side.
As noted by Squawka Football, the Red Devils have showcased excellent fitness and determination late on in matches:
It helps when you have so much firepower, though. And in Lukaku, the Red Devils have a player who has helped take matches away from teams.
The Belgian may not get involved in general play as much as someone like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but he's lethal in the box. And while much is made of the physical gifts Lukaku possesses, his appetite for getting into goalscoring positions and determination to get on the scoresheet makes him a special striker.
Against Everton, he set up a goal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and then prodded home himself. As noted by the Match of the Day Twitter account, there aren't many strikers who have started their United careers as impressively as he has:
Southampton may be a difficult opponent for the Red Devils, though. Under Pellegrino, they've yet to come up against one of the division's elite outfits, but they have shown balance in their play and a renewed sense of cohesion.
While much of the talk surrounding Saints during the summer was in relation to a potential departure for Van Dijk, they look to have done some savvy business in terms of incomings. In Wesley Hoedt, 23, they have acquired a young centre-back who has settled brilliantly at the club.
The star man so far this season, though, has been Mario Lemina, who has looked tailor-made for the Premier League since his arrival from Juventus.
Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe was impressed with his display against Palace:
In Lemina and Romeu, there's no doubt Southampton have the defensive acumen and physicality to knock United out of their rhythm. With that in mind, it's difficult to see too many goals being scored in this one, even with the Red Devils' firepower taken into account.
Still, the early weeks of the season have revealed United are not only potent in the final third but ready for a battle, too. So, while Southampton will scrap and shut down space throughout, you would fancy the visitors to eventually find a way through.
Prediction: Southampton 0-1 Manchester United
