Manchester United are starting to show promise under Ruben Amorim and will be aiming for another positive result when they host Southampton on Thursday night.
Their confidence is on the rise after Sunday’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup, which followed an impressive 2-2 draw at Anfield. Now, the Red Devils are determined to end their three-match losing streak at Old Trafford.
The last time United endured a longer run of home league defeats was in the 1933/34 season, when they lost five consecutive matches in the second tier. They’ll be desperate to avoid revisiting such a bleak chapter in their history.
Standing in their way are Southampton, the league’s bottom club, who have managed just two points from their last 10 matches. Anything less than a win against this struggling side would be a major setback for Amorim’s team.
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WHAT THE STATS SAY
Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League games against Southampton (W7 D8) since a 1-0 home loss in January 2016.
Southampton lost 13 of their first 14 Premier League away games against Manchester United but have since lost just three of their last 10 visits to Old Trafford in the competition (W2 D5).
Manchester United have lost each of their last three Premier League home games. They last lost more consecutively in February 1934 as a second tier side (5), while they last did so in the top-flight in October 1930 (6).
Southampton are winless in their last 17 Premier League away games (D4 L13) – only between March 1985 and February 1986 have they had a longer run without a win on the road in the top-flight (19).
Nine of Manchester United’s 28 Premier League goals conceded this season have been headers, while nine have also come from corners – in both cases these are league-high percentages (32%), while only Wolves have conceded more of each type overall (10 headers, 10 from corners).
Southampton rank sixth for most passes made in the Premier League this season (9,910) but second bottom for most shots (187), meaning Saints average 53 passes per shot in the competition this term (more than any other side).
Just 44.7 per cent of Manchester United’s open play shots in the Premier League this season have come while under challenge from within two metres (115/257) – only Liverpool (43.5 per cent) have a lower such share this term. Indeed, the Red Devils have fired a higher proportion of their shots from outside the box than any other side so far (37 per cent).
Among attacking players in the Premier League this season (attacking midfielders, wingers, strikers), Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has received more passes in open play than anyone else (836), while only four players overall have made more progressive passes in open play than the Portuguese (88).
Amad Diallo has been involved in nine goals in his last 12 Premier League starts for Manchester United, scoring three and assisting six. The Ivorian could be the first African player to reach double figures for goal involvements in a single campaign for the Red Devils.
Southampton defenders Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens pass to each other on average 40 times per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, the highest average of any duo to play at least 500 minutes together this term.