MANCHESTER, England – Manchester United managed to draw 0-0 with Southampton despite Casemiro playing almost an hour with 10 men after the red card.
– Report: Manchester United 0-0 Southampton | Premier League table
The Brazilian midfielder was sent off for a serious fight with Carlos Alcaras after a VAR check. Referee Anthony Taylor initially showed Casemiro a yellow card, but it was raised after Taylor looked at the incident on a fieldside monitor.
Both David De Gea and Gavin Bazunu made good saves to keep the game goalless and United will likely be happy with the result.
Fast reaction
1 Man United hold, Southampton miss
Under manager Erik ten Hag, United put on some exciting attacking football, but on Sunday everything was tenacious and determined. Playing with 10 players from the 35th minute after Casemiro received a straight red card for a reckless challenge at Alcaraz, United have solidified to ensure they extend their unbeaten streak at Old Trafford to 22 games.
Ten Hag needed De Gea to make two good saves, but Southampton goalkeeper Bazunu was also impressive, making hard stops to keep Rafael Varane and Bruno Fernandes out. After all, Southampton, bottom of the Premier League table, will feel like it’s a missed opportunity after playing the men’s lead for so long, while United will be delighted to score a point in a game they could easy to lose.
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A big disappointment for Ten Hag will be the loss of Casemiro in the next four home games, including a trip to Newcastle on April 2, while Alejandro Garnacho’s late injury is also something he could do without.
Casemiro has never received a red card during his time at Real Madrid, but has been shown two in his last three Premier League matches.
2. Ten Hag has a mystery with De Gea
Ten Hag has seen the best and worst of De Gea over four days this week and it highlights the challenge for the United boss as he decides what to do next for the goalkeeper.
On Thursday against Real Betis, De Gea played poorly, causing trouble for his teammates more than once. One misplaced pass almost gave the Spaniards a lead late in the first half before United took control of the tie.
However, against Southampton, De Gea showed he was still one of the best stoppers in the world with a reflex save that kept Theo Walcott from a six-yard header. It was the save he made over and over again over the last decade at Old Trafford.
You can see why Ten Hag might want a goalie with better foot control – especially when you want to bolster the defense – but the risk is that any new addition won’t help as well. saves. This is a question that Ten Hag must decide when he implements the second phase of his renovation in the summer.
3. Bazunu has the best game for Southampton
Questions have been asked about Bazuna this season after Southampton spent an estimated £16m on the goalkeeper who played in League One a year ago in the summer. Last season he was on loan at Portsmouth from Manchester City, this season it sometimes felt like tier three was the level of a 21-year-old, but at Old Trafford he looked at home in the Premier League.
With Southampton playing against 10 for almost an hour, Bazunu didn’t have the busy day he probably expected, but he still made two great saves to make sure United didn’t snatch all three points.
In the first half, an Irish international rushed to the back post to interfere with Rafael Varane, throwing himself at the Frenchman. Then, after the break, he made a fantastic stop and Bruno Fernandes’ shot went inside the post. He’s also been quick to come off his lane on more than one occasion to overcome duels with Marcus Rashford.
Bazun still has some work to do to win over the majority of Southampton fans, but a clean sheet at Old Trafford is a good start.
Best and Worst Performers
BEST
– Gavin Bazunu, GK, Southampton: The 21-year-old made two outstanding saves from Varane and Fernandez.
– David De Gea, goalkeeper, Manchester United: Masterfully headed Theo Walcott over the bar from six yards.
– Aaron Wan-Bissaka, defender, Manchester United: Stopped Scott McTominay from scoring an own goal with an instinctive clearance from the goal line.
WORST
– Theo Walcott, MF, Southampton: The striker had and missed his chances to win the game for Southampton.
– Casemiro, midfielder, Manchester United: His challenge to Carlos Alcaraz was high and he has few complaints about the VAR check.
– Wut Weghorst, forward, Manchester United: He spent most of the first half in disputes with the referee and was soon sacrificed after Casemiro’s red card.
Main and notable points
Did this seem like the right offer for Casemiro? Indeed it seems so.
Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse is known for his heroism from set pieces and he came so close to breaking the deadlock with a great free kick.
Was the red card the right decision for this tackle by Casemiro? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/ZWi3qhc2kI
— Sportzshala FC (@SportzshalaFC) March 12, 2023
In the end, United kept trying… but a point seems like a fair cut given how much the game has changed since Casemiro’s red card in the first half.
After the match: what the players/managers said
“A few months ago we would have lost this game. I hope this will give us an impetus for further development. Judging by today’s performance, we can play against any team in this league and we just have to keep going.” – Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu in an interview with Sky Sports.
“I think Casemiro is out of luck. He tried to touch the ball, but his leg flew high. I think judges should be more consistent. Sometimes they show a red card and sometimes they don’t. big player. We will miss him for four games, but we have a big squad. We have players coming off the bench who are doing well. We will continue to work hard.” — Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea in an interview with Sky Sports about Casemiro’s red card.
Key statistics (provided by Sportzshala Stats & Information research)
– Casemiro: Second red card with Manchester United (first since 4 February in the Premier League). In 37 competitive appearances with Manchester United in all competitions, he equaled the total number of red cards in his entire Real Madrid career. This is equal to his total number of red cards (336 games).
– Manchester United have failed to score in consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since the last two games of the 2021-22 season (4-0 loss to Brighton, 1-0 loss to Palace).
– Via Opta: Casemiro became the first player to receive two red cards in the same Premier League season for Manchester United since Nemanja Vidić in 2013-14.
Next
Manchester United: Ten Haga’s side have a potentially fun week ahead of them with the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Real Betis on Thursday – and with a 4-1 aggregate lead – Sunday is the FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham.
Southampton: From now on, it’s nothing short of Premier League action for the struggling Saints, who have a midweek game against Brentford (March 15), followed by a visit from Tottenham on Saturday.
Source: www.espn.com
