Manchester United secured an emphatic 3-0 win away at Southampton on Saturday afternoon; a much-needed result after suffering two defeats on the trot.
While it was the hosts who dominated proceedings for much of the first half, Erik ten Hag’s side found their groove after Andre Onana made a spectacular penalty save to keep the scores level. Still, it wasn’t only the team as a whole that made a comeback.
Marcus Rashford produced a solid performance that he desperately needed in order to regain fans’ confidence in him following a extensive period of poor displays.
As the half-time break fast approached, he got on the end of a blistering counter-attack to take a snapshot that the keeper parried out for a corner. It was then that Rashford received his moment to shine, collecting a ball from Amad Diallo and shifting play to his right foot before bending the ball into the far corner of the goal, handing United their second goal of the game.
After the break, Rashford appeared just as motivated as ever to leave a lasting impact as he continued pursuing more goalscoring opportunities.
The winger took a blistering shot from distance, with the home side’s goalkeeper tipping the ball over the crossbar to save his team from further embarrassment.
Rashford took four shots in total, leading both teams with three attempts on target while seeing another shot blocked. His dribbling was not on point, however, as he failed to complete either of his attempted dribbles.
With just 31 touches, Rashford remained impactful with the ball at his feet, completing 18 of his 22 passes for 82% accuracy while making one key pass. He attempted no crosses, however, while he also failed to complete his only long ball of the match.
When it came to physicality, Rashford showed a marked improvement, winning three of his five ground duels. He did not engage in any aerial battles and only lost possession on six occasions.
Despite an improved attacking display, Rashford’s defensive performance was underwhelming at best. He made just one tackle, his sole defensive action of the afternoon.
In comparison, fellow winger Amad Diallo completed four tackles, marking a clear contrast between himself and Rashford on the opposite flank.
All in all, it was a much-improved performance from Rashford, who must be relieved to get his name on the scoring sheet after a dry spell of 12 games.
Still, he will need to produce a few more strong performances if he is to truly win back the faith of the United fanbase over the long term.
(Stats via Sofascore)
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