It was a difficult win for Manchester United with a single but great goal scored by Bruno Fernandez in the game.
However, the other main highlight of the game is the penalty that Southampton should have had. A penalty that could have changed the game and earn the Saints a point.
They were as good as Manchester United or even better with intermittent lightning speed passes, long stretches of domination against the giants of England and that penalty.
While two Manchester United legends, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes, says Southampton should have been given the penalty, the referee, the VAR and a retired marksman disagrees.
Ferdinand said: “I thought they got fortunate in the end and the decision went for Man United.
“I don’t think they’ll be too aggrieved if it was given, going either way I don’t think there would be too many complaints from Man United. When you see it, it’s two or three times he’s actually handled the ball there.”
For Schole,: “It’s handball, it’s hit his hand numerous occasions inside the box. I don’t know how you can’t give that.”
Former referee Peter Walton agrees with the Premier League meeting’s on-field and VAR decisions.
The ball pinballed on and around United’s Scott McTominay inside the penalty area, in a series of handballs clearly seen during the match and in the replays.
But referee Andy Madley did not call the initial infringement, and Peter Bankes upheld the on-field decision after a VAR review. Too bad for Southampton.
While there is no doubt the ball hit McTominay’s arm twice when he was in a challenge with Che Adams from Southampton in the box, the question for the referee was whether it was a deliberate action by the United player.
For the referee, it was not, thus no penalty was given.
As for the match itself, it was not boring at all, but Manchester United did not seem like it can dominate the Southampton side for long.
The home side continuously reversed the situation in its favour and only a good strike on goal was missing, albeit the great saves by keeper David De Gea and player of the match Lisandro Martinez who saved a shot on the goal line.
Man United also fielded Brazilian Casemiro, while Cristiano Ronaldo was given a longer stretch of play than the 10 minutes he had against Liverpool.