Southampton 2-3 Manchester United: Premier League – live!

That win takes United up to seventh, five points behind the leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. This season they’ve gone behind in all four away games and won them all with late goals.

Peep peep! For the first time in their history, Manchester United have won eight consecutive league games away from home. They were 2-0 down at half-time, but Edinson Cavani came off the bench to make one and score two in an exhilarating second half.

90+4 min Fernandes has a chance to make it four, spanking over the bar on the turn.

The substitute Edinson Cavani has made one and scored two! The goal stemmed from a free-kick35 yards from goal, which Fernandes clipped to the unmarked Rashford on the left. He fizzed a cross towards the near post, where Cavani stooped to flick an accomplished header past McCarthy. That is a seriously good goal, not just the finish but also the timing of the run.

90+1 min Fernandes tries to chip McCarthy from 30 yards. It’s a tame effort and McCarthy is able to watch it onto the roof of the net.

90 min A change for Southampton: Stuart Armstrong is replaced by Ibrahima Diallo.

89 min Wan-Bissaka appeals unsuccesfully for a penalty when his cross hits Bertrand. His arms were tight to his body and VAR supports Jon Moss’s original decision.

87 min Rashford plays a good pass to find van de Beek, whose low cross is put behind by Vestergaard.

86 min Maguire is aggrieved to be penalised for a tackle on Adams 40 yards from goal. Ward-Prowse’s dipping free-kick is headed away by Maguire.

85 min Fernandes leads a dangerous United break and finds Rashford on the edge of the area. He eschews the first-time shot and instead tries to play in Fred, but the pass is too heavy and Fred can’t reach it. He was also offside.

84 min United make their final change: Brandon Williams replaces Alex Telles, who had an okay game.

83 min Lots of pressure from United now, with Fernandes involved in everything. Southampton still look dangerous enough on the break, though, so this could still go either way.

81 min Only one team looks like winning this game, and it’s not Romania.

80 min Five of the last seven games between these sides have been drawn, so this scoreline wouldn’t be a complete shock.

79 min A half chance for Adams. Bertrand’s cross is headed up in the air by Telles and collected by Adams. He turns smartly and drives a low shot just wide of the far post. Henderson probably had it covered but it was a decent effort.

76 min “Morning Rob,” says Adam Roberts. “I was very dubious about the signing of Cavani, but he’s looked pretty good whenever I’ve seen him. And I like the look of young Henderson ‘between the sticks’.”

The same. Cavani is better – and hungrier – than I thought.

75 min Fernandes plays in van de Beek on the left of the area. He gets a bit too cute and tries to return the ball to Fernandes, allowing Southampton to clear. The better option was surely a cross-shot.

Telles’s corner was punched away to Fred on the edge of ther area. He teed up Fernandes, whose shot took a deflection and ricocheted towards Cavani in the six-yard box. He threw himself at the ball and headed emphatically past McCarthy. Southampton thought he was offside, but for some reason Vestergaard did not push out with his team-mates and was playing Cavani on.

Edinson Cavani has equalised!

72 min A change for Southampton: Shane Long replaces Moussa Djenepo, which means Walcott will move to the left wing.

72 min Fernandes’s corner is headed away at the near post.

71 min Wan-Bissaka runs at Djenepo and Bertrand to win a corner for United…

69 min: Just wide from Cavani! That was a fine effort, a flicked header from Wan-Bissaka’s cross. It looked too high for Cavani but he stayed in the air for an age, Denis Law-style, and almost steered the header into the top corner.

67 min Ward-Prowse’s corner is headed away well by Cavani. The ball comes to Armstrong, whose long-range shot deflects behind for another corner.

65 min Che Adams has had a fine game for Southampton, especially holding the ball up. He has improved so much in the last few months.

62 min Bruno Fernandes, bloody hell. United would be lost without him.

Wan-Bissaka started the move by finding Cavani in space on the right. He curled a jaunty cross into Fernandes, who was in far too much space 10 yards from goal. Fernandes had time to control the ball, turn and drive a low shot past McCarthy.

57 min Bednarek is receiving treatment after colliding with Djenepo when they threw themselves in front of Cavani.

56 min Another chance for United. Fernandes’s cross from the right leads to a scramble in the penalty area until Cavani’s shot on the turn is deflected over the bar.

54 min Replays suggest Rashford was offside, so had he scored the goal would have been disallowed. It was still a poor finish though.

52 min: Good save by McCarthy! Out of nothing, Fernandes puts Rashford through on goal in the inside-left channel. His shot is well struck but too close to McCarthy, who stays big to make a good save. It was a glorious pass from Fernandes.

52 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “I know you’ll not hear of anyone but Liverpool winning the title this season, but a genuine question – might Southampton be this season’s Leicester? It would be quite some story (again).”

No. You’re welcome! I’d love it if they did, though, as they’re a very likeable side. Everything points to Ralph Hasenhuttl being a brilliant coach; he might be a contender for the Man Utd job when it becomes available.

51 min Southampton have started the second half really well, with most of the game being played in United’s half.

49 min A long-range shot from Walcott is comfortably held by Henderson.

48 min I haven’t a clue what formation United are playing now. It looks a bit like a 4-4-2 with Fernandes on the left and van de Beek on the right.

47 min Djenepo finds Walcott in a bit of space on the right side of the area. He has a touch and drives a crisp shot that is authoritatively held by Henderson.

46 min Peep peep! The game has kicked off with Cavani still putting his boots on by the touchline. Roy Keane will love that.

David de Gea has gone off at half-time with the knee injury he suffered in trying to save Ward-Prowse’s free-kick. Dean Henderson replaces him. It’s his Premier League debut for (Manchester) United. In fact United have made a double substitition: Edinson Cavani is on for Mason Greenwood.

“I haven’t formed a firm opinion on Telles, but in truth I didn’t really understand why Utd went for him,” says Francis Mead. “I’m personally a big fan of Brandon Williams, who I think is considerably better than Shaw. Yes, he needs a bit more experience, but he’s fast, highly technical and confident. Why not simply let Williams play?”

I don’t think he’s good enough either. He was really dynamic when he first came into the team but as the season went on he became far too safe in possession; I’ve no idea why. He’s also a right-footed left-back, which is not what United need if Rashford or Martial play in front of him. Maybe he could play at right-back, I don’t know.

“I feel like VDB has played well, but this United formation does not work,” says Mark Childs. “No width, not enough space for Bruno, nowhere for Greenwood and Rashford to run into: overly simplistic?”

A little bit, I’d say, but I know what you mean. The lack of width is a recurring problem, and the early signs are that Alex Telles isn’t going to solve it.

Peep peep! Southampton are in control thanks to the latest demonstrations of James Ward-Prowse’s set-piece brilliance. He dropped a corner onto Jan Bednarek’s head for the first goal and scored the second with a precise free-kick. United started superbly but have struggled since going behind.

45+1 min Rashford goes down right on the edge of the area after a tackle from Djenepo. Jon Moss isn’t interested, nor is VAR as it was just outside the area.

44 min “If only someone had alerted United that Southampton have a dead-ball expert in their ranks,” says Duncan Edwards. “So bloody predictable.”

40 min Fernandes drives a golf shot over the defence to find van de Beek on the edge of the area. He tries to cushion a header towards Rashford but gets too much on it and the ball runs through to McCarthy. That was half a chance. It looks like United have switched to a 4-2-3-1 with van de Beek on the left and Greenwood on the right.

36 min “Are we absolutely sure the kit isn’t grey?” says Richard Hirst.

Ha. They actually started really well, though they’ve been a mess since going behind.

35 min That was a mistake from de Gea, a woolly save from Djenepo’s long-range shot that almost gave Armstrong a tap-in. Armstrong tried to control it on the chest but the ball ran out of play. In fairness to de Gea, he’s struggling with his left leg and may have to come off. His knee thumped into the post when he tried to save Ward-Prowse’s free-kick.

It was an excellent free-kick from Ward-Prowse, clipped over the wall towards the near post. David de Gea flew to his right and got a good hand on the ball, but he couldn’t keep it out. At first I thought it might be a mistake from de Gea; on reflection I don’t think so. Ward-Prowse put it right in the corner, and if anything de Gea did well to get a touch on it.

32 min Djenepo is fouled this far outside the area by Fred. It’s a fair way to the left of centre, but still within shooting range for Ward-Prowse.