After delivering two enthusiastic and encouraging performances away against Liverpool and Arsenal, Manchester United will be optimistic about their chances of defeating Southampton at Old Trafford on Thursday night. The Saints are at the bottom of the Premier League table, having secured only one win out of 20 league matches since earning promotion at the end of last season. On paper, this is the most favorable league match United could hope for following two demanding away games in a row. However, they have demonstrated too many times in recent years that nothing can be assumed. Southampton has allowed 44 league goals this season and has the worst away record among England’s top four divisions, collecting only two points out of a possible 30. United is anticipated to secure a solid victory. After Sunday’s FA Cup win against Arsenal, Bruno Fernandes emphasized the importance of maintaining the high standards demonstrated against both the Gunners and Liverpool. This likely means that Ruben Amorim will caution his players against becoming complacent before their first home match of 2025. Fernandes also revealed some of Amorim’s private discussions with the team, highlighting the coach’s push for increased productivity in the attacking zone. “The manager has been stressing that we need to score more goals,” Fernandes shared with Sky Sports. “And that’s accurate since we are a team that can score goals. I recognize that we have many young players, but we possess the skills needed to score because Rasmus [Hojlund] is able to find the net.” Having scored 16 goals in his first season at Old Trafford, Hojlund has shown that he can find the net. Nevertheless, he hasn’t done it nearly as often this season, having scored seven goals in 163 appearances. Rasmus Hojlund scored 16 goals in the previous season. (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside through Getty Images.) The Dane went scoreless for the seventh consecutive game on Sunday, putting him on the verge of his longest scoring drought of the season so far.
