Southampton 2-0 Man Utd LIVE: Premier League score and latest updates; Cedric free-kick

Southampton vs Manchester United: Premier League LIVE score, goals and updates

SOUTHAMPTON 2-0 MANCHESTER UNITED | ARMSTRONG (12), CEDRIC (19)

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Cedric, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Stephens, Lemina, Valery, Redmond, Hojberg, Armstrong, Obafemi

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Young, Jones, McTominay, Shaw, Pogba, Matic, Herrera, Rashford, Lukaku , Fellaini

• Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku starts for Manchester United
• Michael Obafemi makes Premier League debut
• Stuart Armstrong opens the scoring with thunderous finish
• Cedric doubles lead with fine free-kick

SOUTHAMPTON 2-0 MANCHESTER UNITED

25: Big chance for United to pull one back as Ashley Young delivers a superb cross from the right that Scott McTominay heads over from inside the six-yard box.

23: Right… sorry I can’t really believe the start Southampton have made. Jose Mourinho has spent £400m on this side – anyone know what he’s got for his money?

SOUTHAMPTON 2-0 MANCHESTER UNITED | CEDRIC

20: Oh my word – you simply can’t hit a free-kick any better than that!

Full-back Cedric scores on his 100th appearance for Southampton with a sumptuous free-kick that flies over the wall and perfectly into the top left-hand corner.

Scott McTominay decided to kneel behind the wall to stop Cedric from shooting low, but he was about as much use a a blow-up dartboard.

19: How’s the Manchester United response been? I’ll tell you when I see it. Southampton are the ones on the attack with Cedric and Redmond standing over a free-kick about 20-yards from goal.

United have virtually everyone in the wall.

16: So how long before Liverpool come sniffing around Michael Obafemi? I expect to see rumours before Christmas eve. I’ll set up a sweepstake later.

SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED | ARMSTRONG

13: It’s a bonafide stonker from Stuart Armstrong folks! United simply aren’t at the races and have been punished for a woeful lack of organisation at the back.

The Scottish international scores his third goal in seven days after Nathan Redmond feeds 18-year-old Michael Obafemi, who keeps his composure to flick the ball over to Armstrong to power underneath David de Gea.

Mark Hughes given the perfect start, although you wouldn’t have guessed it judging by his expression.

10: Manchester United have enjoyed 65 percent possession but they’ve found it difficult to cause Southampton any real problems.

8: Southampton’s bright young thing Michael Obafemi makes his Premier League debut tonight having impressed against Leicester. Early impressions are that he’s rapid and not afraid to shoot from anywhere.

5: What?! I don’t believe what I’ve just witnessed.

Alex McCarthy goes to clear a routine backpass but completely misses the ball. Marcus Rashford keeps it from rolling out of play with a bizarrely nonchalant back-heel to nobody at all. Somehow Romelu Lukaku collects and his low shot is blocked before Saints eventually boot it into space.

Definitely a passage you’ll see on ‘the 100 worst goalkeeping blunders’ over Christmas.

3: Southampton free-kick to start us off but Fellaini rises highest to head clear. He simply cannot stop endearing himself to Mourinho. Very Maradona-esque, right Jose?

SOUTHAMPTON 0-0 MANCHESTER UNITED

1: Right then, we’re underway. I’ll be honest with you – I’ve not been looking forward to tonight’s match. United were dreadful in Europe during the week and Saints weren’t much better in the anonymous Carabao Cup clash with Leicester. Fingers crossed I’m completely wrong.

The starting XI…

17:25: Quick reminder for y’all.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Stephens, Valery, Hojbjerg, Lemina, Armstrong, Cedric, Redmond, Obafemi.

Subs: Hoedt, Davis, Austin, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Gabbiadini, Gunn.

Manchester United XI: de Gea, Young, McTominay, Jones, Shaw, Matic, Ander Herrera, Fellaini, Pogba, Lukaku, Rashford.

Subs: Mata, Martial, Lingard, Rojo, Fred, Dalot, Romero.

Referee: Kevin Friend

Lights show

17:20: Impressive lights display at St Mary’s this evening. I mean, even if the football is terrible then that was well worth admission price.

Twitter round-up

Edward: I’m convinced all Manchester United players do during training is wrestle each other rather than actually train. We see no improvement on the pitch whatsoever on match days and all these players are picking up random injuries when some hardly ever start games.

Zee: Shocking shocking line up. Four defensive midfielders. Don’t want to be negative but we’re playing the worst team in the league…

Chris: Our line up today gives me the jitters…. Hoping a performance proves me wrong but I’ve a bad feeling about this game.

Matic or Vidic

17:10:  “I would like to have Nemanja Vidic but no Vidic, only Nemanja Matic and he is a midfield player,” Jose Mourinho explains to BT Sport.

I suspect there are quite a few Manchester United supporters saying the same thing.

Be positive

17:05: Easier said than done, Mark.

Mark Hughes has challenged his team to “be versatile” as they look to kickstart their season with a positive result against Manchester United.

The Saints boss believes keeping an open mind on how to approach each game will prove key as the former United striker prepares to tackle one of his old clubs, themselves not in the most consistent form.

“We looked at a different thing (against Leicester) – different in terms of formation, going back to three at the back,” said Hughes.

“That will have positives in games, and sometimes there’s negatives in any formation you go with, but it was interesting to see how the guys got back to that system and they looked very, very comfortable with it.

“I think that’s the benefit of the work we’ve done during the summer, so very quickly they understood the fundamentals of that.”

Alexis injury

17:00: So we need to talk about Alexis.

The Chilean forward to be sidelined for around six weeks after he injured his hamstring in training on Thursday.

“No scans yet, but the player is experienced, the player knows what the injury is,” Mourinho said. “Also from the top of my experience, just the painful scream and the way the injury happened, I know it’s going to be for a long time.

“It’s not a little muscular injury that in one week or 10 days, the player is ready.”

So… huge Christmas party round your house then, Alexis?

All aboard the banter bus

16:55: Vintage press conference from Jose Mourinho yesterday. Having crushed Manchester United’s transfer hopes in January – he’s somehow got the words “Marouane Fellaini” and “Maradona” in the same sentence.

Jose said Fellaini is no Maradona but he scores important goals and deserves plenty of credit.

“I think now everyone gives him what he deserves,” Mourinho said. “Everybody knows Marouane is not Diego Maradona but everybody knows what Marouane is and what he can give… this season and also last he did what strikers couldn’t do, which is score important goals in important moments.”

Fellaini has been at United since 2013, brought to the club by his former Everton boss David Moyes in a move that did not go down particularly well with fans.

Now that’s an understatement If ever I heard one…

Team news

16:50: Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku both return to Manchester United’s line-up as boss Jose Mourinho makes five changes for the Premier League trip to Southampton.

Ashley Young steps in as captain, with Scott McTominay and Ander Herrera starting, as United returned to league action after Tuesday’s Champions League win against Young Boys.

Saints’ academy defender Yan Valery makes his Premier League debut, with Michael Obafemi stepping in for his first league start.

Jose on transfers

16:45: Any Manchester United fans hoping for a BIG superstar name to arrive in January may be left disappointed, according to Jose.

Mourinho believes the Premier League landscape has changed to such an extent that Manchester United are no longer able to entice their rivals with big-money offers for players.

“It’s more difficult to buy players of a high, high level. The clubs are more powerful. The clubs don’t want to sell, and to sell is to go to absolutely incredible levels,” Mourinho said.

“Before the smaller clubs were almost begging big clubs, ‘Get my best players. I need to sell. Please, you are powerful. Buy my best player’. At this moment, they don’t want to sell.

“A few years ago, who was Tottenham’s best player? Michael Carrick. And a few years later, who was the best player? Berbatov. Can we go there now and bring Harry Kane? Dele Alli, (Christian) Eriksen, Son (Heung-min)? Can we go there and bring those players here? No.

“The transfer market is very difficult unless the clubs want to go to what I call crazy numbers.

“You have no chance in the market unless you go to crazy numbers, or instead you go to what you call the second level players and still have crazy numbers, but that second level is the level people say, and I agree, that’s not what Manchester United is.

“Honestly, I don’t think we are going to sign (anyone in January). If we do, I would say one player. I don’t see us going more than that.”

Twitter reaction

Josh: McDoNothing over Fred, our new £50m signing. I’m on the verge of giving up, can’t stand this anymore.

Fred: Seriously? Dalot is available but you still choose Tominay? Do you still want to stay here or what, Mou?

Sanches: This is a joke, Mctominay starts ahead of Fred & Periera, Matic at CB ahead of Rojo, Jose losing the plot.

The starting XI…

16:30: The wait is over – here are today’s line-ups. Not 100 percent sure what to make of these sides – Nemanja Matic or Scott McTominay at centre-back?

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Stephens, Valery, Hojbjerg, Lemina, Armstrong, Cedric, Redmond, Obafemi.

Subs: Hoedt, Davis, Austin, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Gabbiadini, Gunn.

Manchester United XI: de Gea, Young, McTominay, Jones, Shaw, Matic, Ander Herrera, Fellaini, Pogba, Lukaku, Rashford.

Subs: Mata, Martial, Lingard, Rojo, Fred, Dalot, Romero.

Referee: Kevin Friend

Will Red Devils turn up heat on Hughes?

16:28: When your side are scrapping for points at the wrong end of the table, having not won in the Premier League for nine games and just gone out of the Carabao Cup on penalties at Leicester, the spotlight is always likely to be very much on your own future.

Hosting Manchester United therefore is probably not what the doctor ordered. Southampton boss Mark Hughes, though, insists talk of his position is very much “water off a ducks back” and he will meet the challenge of facing his old club head on. “It is an opportunity for us and is not one we should be apprehensive about,” he said.

Twitter round-up

Tommy: Shouldn’t be negative but in all honesty I see us getting absolutely trounced today. Romelu Lukaku will be played back into form and we won’t score. Prediction. United 4-0.

David: To have scored only 20 goals after 13 games and have a -1 goal difference is nothing short of embarrassing and has to be rectified starting today at Southampton.

Angelina: It’s MATCHDAY! We haven’t come back from international break with great performances but I’m optimistic and confident today. Let’s get those 3 points!

Afternoon…

16:20: Hello, fancy seeing you here.

Welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League as Southampton host Manchester United at St Mary’s Stadium.

Hosting Manchester United therefore is probably not what the doctor ordered for Mark Hughes.

Southampton have not managed a league win since September 1 and are currently joint-bottom alongside Fulham.

“It is an opportunity for us and is not one we should be apprehensive about,” said Sparky.

I’m sure we’ll find out if his players are equally confident very soon. Time for some team news and line-ups I think.

SOUTHAMPTON vs MANCHESTER UNITED

Southampton will again be without forward Danny Ings due to a hamstring problem. Ryan Bertrand is struggling with a back issue which has kept him out of full training, while Shane Long continues treatment on his ankle injury.

Manchester United will be without Alexis Sanchez and Victor Lindelof. Sanchez is set to be sidelined for around six weeks after injuring his hamstring in training, while Lindelof joins fellow defenders Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian on the sidelines with a muscular injury that could keep him out for three weeks.

Last season: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0, Southampton 0 Man Utd 1

Last five league matches: Southampton D D L D L; Man Utd D W W L D

Top scorers: Danny Ings (Southampton) 5; Anthony Martial (Man Utd) 7

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)