Southampton ended Manchester United’s 10-match unbeaten run in the Premier League on Sunday with a 1-0 victory that dislodged Louis van Gaal’s side from third place.
Dusan Tadic clinched Southampton’s first win at Old Trafford in 27 years in the 69th minute to strengthen the team’s chances of qualifying for the Uefa Champions League for the first time.
“Overall we had the better chances, played the better football and deserved to win but we have been punished for not taking our chances,” United captain Wayne Rooney said. “I have seen Southampton play better to be honest. We stopped a lot of their threats.”
But five minutes after coming off the bench, Tadic set up Graziano Pelle for a shot that hit the post. Tadic was then alert enough to send the rebound into the net with the game’s only shot on target.
The Serbia midfielder did earn a booking for his celebration, taking off his shirt and flexing his muscles in front of the cameras.
“We showed good resilience, even if at some times it wasn’t easy,” Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin said. “We had one opportunity and scored.”
Southampton are now two points ahead of fourth-place United, having recovered from a run of four successive league losses late in 2014.
“We went through a very hard patch in December and we showed good character (since then),” Schneiderlin said. “We believe in each other that we can do something great this season. To win at Old Trafford is just a reward of the work we have put in. At the start of the season a lot of people were writing us off.”
Alexis Sanchez delivered a majestic display as Arsenal closed the gap in the race for a top four finish in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Stoke City on Sunday.
Sanchez made Laurent Koscielny’s opener and then netted his 17th and 18th goals of the season either side of half-time at the Emirates Stadium to lift Arsenal above Tottenham Hotspur into fifth spot.
The battle for Uefa Champions League qualification is hotting up, with Arsene Wenger’s side now level on points with fourth placed Southampton, who face third placed Manchester United at Old Trafford later.
Just five weeks after Stoke’s shock victory over the Gunners, Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Robert Pires watched from the stands as French defender Koscielny started the revenge mission with a sixth minute header from Sanchez’s cross.
The hosts struck again in the 33rd minute. It was another moment of magic from Sanchez as the former Barcelona forward took Tomas Rosicky’s pass and sized up his options before cleverly beating Asmir Begovic at his near post.
Sanchez was not finished yet and his deflected free-kick four minutes after the interval sealed the points.
Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy was carried off on a stretcher clutching his right shoulder after falling heavily.
The Frenchman collided with Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic as the pair jostled near the byline and had to be replaced by Hector Bellerin in the 13th minute.
Debuchy missed three months of the season having suffered a serious ankle injury in a 2-2 draw against Manchester City in September.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is planning to sign more players this summer but admits captain Thomas Vermaelen may leave.
Louis van Gaal will arrive in Manchester for the first time as United manager this week.
