Manchester United will return to a more familiar setting on Thursday night as they host Southampton at Old Trafford in the Premier League. United kicked off 2025 with two consecutive away matches against Liverpool and Arsenal, performing well and achieving positive outcomes in both. One week after ending their four-game losing streak with an impressive 2-2 draw against league leaders Liverpool at Anfield, United faced Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, winning 5-3 on penalties to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup, where they will meet Leicester City at Old Trafford next month. Given their previous four-game losing streak, there were low expectations from nearly everyone associated with United going into the matches against Liverpool and Arsenal. They found themselves in a tough situation, and their performance at Anfield and the Emirates in recent years had been quite disappointing. Nevertheless, United demonstrated a level of commitment and determination that had been lacking earlier in the season, achieving positive results and receiving abundant praise and recognition along the way. Their current challenge is to uphold a similar level of performance against Southampton, who are sitting at the bottom of the table. The Saints have managed only one league win since their promotion back to the Premier League last season and are already facing an uphill battle to avoid relegation. On paper, United couldn’t have asked for a better home game after two tough away matches. However, as United has shown repeatedly in recent years, nothing is guaranteed. Additionally, their performance at home has not been impressive this season. It’s only natural for some United fans to approach the trip to Old Trafford on Thursday night with concerns that complacency could set in due to Southampton’s current situation. Skipper Bruno Fernandes has already discussed a concern, expressing that he was “worried” about the Saints coming to M16 following the draw with Liverpool. “I wasn’t concerned about everyone giving their all today since it was Liverpool,” Fernandes stated to Sky Sports after the stalemate at Anfield. Everyone will strive to perform at their best. Bruno Fernandes understands that Manchester United cannot afford to lower their standards. (Picture: Marc Atkins/Getty Images.)
