Manchester United vs Southampton LIVE! Premier League match stream, latest score and goal updates today
Manchester United vs Southampton LIVE!
Ruben Amorim knows his team must produce more of the same as the manager looks to build momentum after impressive performances, and results, at Liverpool and Arsenal. Tonight, at home to Southampton, is a different type of test, as the worst team in the Premier League visits Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes made a point, on the pitch after knocking Arsenal out the FA Cup, that the focus was immediately on this game and now the United captain, and his team-mates, must back up those words against a team who are destined for the drop and have picked up just two points from the last 30 available.
Saint manager Ivan Juric recorded his first win, at the fourth attempt, since taking over, last time out, though it was against lower-league Swansea City in the FA Cup. These are the types of games where United struggle - how was Amorim’s men get on tonight? Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog.
Manchester United vs Southampton latest news
GOAL! Ugarte own goal breaks deadlock
Half-time!
20:48 , Alex Young
48min: United have been very poor. Boos around Old Trafford.
20:47 , Alex Young
47min: Amad wants a penalty but the referee isn’t interested.
20:46 , Alex Young
46min: One minute added on as United push for an equaliser.
20:45 , Alex Young
44min: Dibling now forces Onana into another big save!
GOAL!
20:44 , Alex Young
43min: It’s been coming and even Onana couldn’t stop that one!
Mateus Fernandes sends in the corner, Dibling flicks on and the ball bounces in off Ugarte’s back.
20:43 , Alex Young
42min: Sulemana fancies this tonight, and you don’t blame him. Only a last-ditch De Ligt tackle denies the opener.
20:42 , Alex Young
39min: United scrambling now and the team who are panicking and rushing things.
20:37 , Alex Young
35min: Bruno Fernandes tries his luck from distance and that Ramsdale’s first save.
20:35 , Alex Young
34min: Oh, Sulemana should score!
He has Yoro on toast again, drives at the defence but inside of cutting onto his left and shooting he cuts inside onto his right and gets his angle wrong. His shot flies over.
20:34 , Alex Young
31min: You didn’t expect Ramsdale to be the quieter of the keepers tonight.
DOUBLE SAVE!
20:29 , Alex Young
28min: Oh, wow! Onana has saved United with two huge saves, the first from Dibling and then Mateus Fernandes with the follow-up from point-blank range.
20:28 , Alex Young
27min: Garnacho gives the ball away twice inside a minute. He’s having a shocker so far.
20:26 , Alex Young
25min: Garnacho is at the centre of everything and this time decides to ignore Hojlund to his left and shoots at the legs of the Southampton defender.
20:24 , Alex Young
24min: Another chance for United as Mainoo skips into the area and tries to cut it back to Garnacho, but he’s too static and the pass is cut out.
20:21 , Alex Young
20min: Sitter!
Garnacho has to bury it. Hojlund does everything right to drive into the area and put it on a plate for Garnacho to sidefoot home, but he misses the target!
20:20 , Alex Young
19min: Mateus Fernandes takes a Garnacho shot square in the face. He’ll be OK.
20:18 , Alex Young
18min: Bruno Fernandes wins a corner, which Amad floats in and Dibling clears at the front post.
United have not started this game well.
20:17 , Alex Young
16min: Now Ugarte is beaten with ease to let Fernandes run at the United defence and squeeze a shot through.
Easy one for Onana but United need to respond here.
20:15 , Alex Young
14min: Southampton firmly on top at the moment.
20:13 , Alex Young
12min: Great chance as Sugawara skips past Yoro as if he isn’t there and forces a great save from Onana.
A corker of a cut inside from the midfielder.
20:12 , Alex Young
11min: All the possession is with Southampton at the moment. United not getting out of their own half.
20:10 , Alex Young
9min: Martinez with a late challenge on Fernandes (not that one), and Southampton have a free-kick about 25 yards out.
20:07 , Alex Young
6min: Southampton are all a bit frantic when on the ball. It’s rushed and careless.
20:05 , Alex Young
4min: Fernandes’ delivery has to be pushed away by Ramsdale. Almost snuck inside the near post!
20:04 , Alex Young
3min: A first drive through the middle from Fernandes, who feeds in Garnacho to win a corner.
KICK-OFF
20:01 , Alex Young
1min: Here we go!
20:00 , Alex Young
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver is blaring out of the PA system as Southampton win the toss.
19:58 , Alex Young
Teams are out, it’s a packed Old Trafford on this Thursday night.
19:56 , Alex Young
Right, the players are in the tunnel. Not long to go now.
19:48 , Alex Young
Final prep.
19:40 , Alex Young
I mentioned earlier this Southampton team have won just two points from the last 27 available.
United’s record during the same time? Eight points.
No new manager bounce at either team.
Amorim on team news
19:30 , Alex Young
"Harry [Maguire] is tired and he had a tough week. I think Southampton will play without a striker and with more speed in front.
“Leny is a quick player and he is a top talent. He is ready to cope with the demands of the game."
19:21 , Alex Young
Amorim began his reign with heavy rotation to find his best XI, but now three months into the job those changes have become less and less.
It’s now fairly easy to see who he likes, and who he doesn’t.
19:10 , Alex Young
So, Dalot’s replacement is Amad at right wing-back as Mazraoui moves to left wing-back.
Amorim clearly really trusts the former Bayern Munich man, he’s used him in multiple roles this season.
19:01 , Alex Young
It is interesting that Garnacho starts again. He has been linked with a move away this month, with Napoli reportedly very keen.
18:56 , Alex Young
It's two changes for United as Yoro and Garnacho come in. Dalot is suspended, and Maguire is also given a rest.
Southampton also make two changes. Sugawara and Fernandes come in, with Wood and Onuachu making way.
Confirmed team news
18:51 , Alex Young
Manchester United XI: Onana; Yoro, De Ligt, Martinez; Amad, Ugarte, Mainoo, Mazraoui; Garnacho, Hojlund, Fernandes.
Subs: Bayindir, Kukonki, Maguire, Malacia, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, Antony, Zirkzee
Southampton XI: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Bree, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Walker-Peters, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Aribo, Dibling, Kamaldeen
Subs: McCarthy, Manning, Wood, Smallbone, Downes, Lallana, Armstrong, Archer, Onuachu
Southampton XI
18:46 , Alex Young
...and the visitors!
Your YELLOWS 💛 pic.twitter.com/yqR4gSipTj
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 16, 2025
Man Utd XI
18:45 , Alex Young
Here’s how the host looks!
Here are your Red Devils to face the Saints 👊#MUFC || #MUNSOU
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 16, 2025
18:37 , Alex Young
The big questions for Amorim is over who comes in for Dalot, where does Amad goes (those two could be linked) and has Zirkzee earned a start over Hojlund?
18:32 , Alex Young
Team news to come in 15 minutes.
Amorim: This game will teach me more about players than last two
18:25 , Alex Young
Ruben Amorim sayus tonight's will show him more about his Manchester United side than their recent performances against Liverpool and Arsenal.
"I think this next game will teach me more from my players than the last two, so I'm really focused to see what kind of game we are going to play," Amorim said.
"We will learn more (on Thursday). There were no expectations for us in the last two games, nobody believed in us to do a great performance or win a game, but now they are expecting us to win and to play well. So I will learn more in this game."
Squad arrives
18:17
Also spotted arriving at Old Trafford includes: Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Casemiro, Toby Collyer, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Amad, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshia Zirkzee
Oh, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Latest odds
18:10 , Alex Young
The bookies agree with us, then. This should be fairly routine for United tonight.
Manchester United – 1/3
Draw – 17/4
Southampton – 15/2
(Odds provided by Betway.)
Kukoni included again
18:05 , Alex Young
It looks like youngster Goodwill Kukoni is again in the matchday squad tonight. He had made an impression on Ruben Amorim since the manager’s appointment but is yet to get on the pitch.
Surely his time will come soon.
Score prediction
18:00 , Alex Young
Bruno Fernandes said on the pitch at the Emirates on Sunday that the focus was immediately on this game, and he was right to do so. United have managed to get results at the three best teams in the country - Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal - but it is against the weaker teams where they produced far weaker performances.
However, very few teams leave the field after facing Southampton without points - it’s happened just once in 20 games this season - so United have no excuse. Fail to win, and win well, will eradicate the promising signs on show since the start of 2025.
Man Utd to win, 2-0.
Southampton team news
17:50 , Alex Young
Southampton have been boosted by the return to fitness of Flynn Downes.
The defensive midfielder is back in contention to face United, having been absent since being forced off with a leg injury during the Boxing Day defeat to West Ham.
"Flynn Downes did his first training (on Tuesday)," manager Ivan Juric said.
"He is OK. We will see if he can play from the beginning or later, but he is OK."
Matheus Fernandes is available after serving a one-match ban, and Will Smallbone is also back after injury.
Man Utd team news
17:40 , Alex Young
Manchester United will be without Diogo Dalot tonight as Ruben Amorim is forced into changes.
The defender’s two yellow cards against Arsenal in the FA Cup penalty shootout win means he serves a one-game suspension.
In his place, Amad Diallo could come in at right wing-back. On the opposite flank, Tyrell Malacia could be afforded a start.
Harry Maguire earned many plaudits for his performance against Arsenal, but may make way for Leny Yoro in Ruben Amorim’s back three.
The rest of the team should pick itself, with Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte in midfield and both Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho in attack.
Though Toby Collyer has impressed his manager, who told reporters on Wednesday that the youngster is “one more option for tomorrow."
Ruben Amorim said: "A lot of players I had to think this week, Toby is training really well, he has a lot of pace, he likes to learn."
Rasmus Hojlund could make way for Joshua Zirkzee, but the former appears to be first-choice under the new manager.
How to watch Manchester United vs Southampton
17:33 , Alex Young
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Coverage starts at 7pm GMT ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Welcome
17:29 , Alex Young
Good evening and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Southampton.
This is a marker game for United and Ruben Amorim. After taking points off Liverpool and then knocking out Arsenal out of the FA Cup, it’s the games against the weaker teams where United’s mentality struggles.
But, surely, this Southampton team gets nothing today? Stranger things have happened. Kick-off is at 8pm.