Man Utd equal record in 9-0 thrashing of Southampton
Manchester United matched the Premier League record win with a good 9-0 demolition of nine-gentleman Southampton on Tuesday to go level on points with Manchester City near the top of the table.
It's the second consecutive campaign Saints have suffered a good 9-0 thrashing after Leicester last season at St Mary's equalled the record place by United against Ipswich in 1995.
The visitors were punished for Alexandre Jankewitz's second-minute red card on his Premier League debut.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Jan Bednarek's own goal managed to get 4-0 before half-time.
Anthony Martial came off the bench to score twice in the next half, while Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James also netted either side of Bednarek's late dismissal.
City have two games at hand on United to reassert their advantage found in the subject race, the to begin which comes in Burnley on Wednesday.
But United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer evoked memories of the 2011/12 title race that City snatched on goal difference from their regional rivals as the key reason why his side had showing no mercy.
"We know much better than anyone what goal difference can do to you because we have shed the league on goal difference," explained the Norwegian.
Solskjaer had called on his onward players to become more clinical after several missed chances price United in a good shock 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United and 0-0 draw in Arsenal over the past week.
Rashford, Martial and Fernandes had each and every one seen goals dry out in 2021, but Solskjaer is hoping they'll now have the perfect confidence boost heading in to the second half of the season.
"We've been looking forward to them to show the magic and it was a night to allow them to go and revel in it," he added. "We've not had often where we could just benefit from the second half."
- Southampton 'helpless' -
Ralph Hasenhuttl survived the 9-0 thrashing by Leicester to turn his time in charge of Southampton around.
But after a good bright start to the growing season, the Saints have shed four consecutive leagues games to slide to 12th.
Southampton were already decimated by a personal injury crisis that resulted in Jankewitz buying his chance before the 19-year-out of date lunged into McTominay after just 79 seconds.
"He punished the people who had been on the pitch. These were helpless after he's sent off," stated Hasenhuttl.
"You understand the 90 minutes can be very lengthy against a team of the quality. The result is there and we have to live with the effect again.
"It generally does not reflect what we did this year up to now. It's hard to describe. We have to live with this again."
Wan-Bissaka opened the floodgates on 18 minutes when he scored just his second goal for the club by meeting Luke Shaw's cross at the back post.
Rashford in that case converted Mason Greenwood's cross and it had been from his driven low ball over the box that Bednarek converted into his own net.
Cavani powered home a header from another Shaw cross prior to the Uruguayan thought he previously won a penalty.
A VAR assessment gave Southampton a rare let-off as instead a free-kick on the edge of the box was awarded.
However, Hasenhuttl's men were denied themselves after the break when Che Adams possessed a consolation strike eliminated for a marginal offside.
The goals at the other end kept on approaching as Martial ended his eight-video game goal drought with a thumping finish off from Fernandes's through ball.
McTominay then drilled residence a low effort from long array.
A nightmare night for the tourists continued when Bednarek was harshly directed off after another lengthy VAR review for clipping Martial as he bore downward on goal.
Fernandes coolly converted the resulting penalty to get rid of his own five-video game goalless run in the league.
Martial then managed and finished Wan-Bissaka's cross before James inflicted the ultimate blow in stoppage period by flicking residence Fernandes's header.
