Premier League 2018-19: 3 takeaways from Manchester United's 2-2 draw against Southampton
Manchester United came into the game seven points adrift of the top four, while Southampton languished in the relegation zone. Both teams needed points for two different reasons, which promised a thrilling encounter at the St Mary's Stadium.
The first chance of the match fell to Romelu Lukaku after a mistake by the Saints' goalkeeper, but he did his best to block the Belgian's shot. It was the home side that opened the scoring after Armstrong's powerful shot flew past David De Gea on goal.
Mark Hughes's side then doubled their lead after Cedric produced an absolute gem of a free kick from just outside the box.
United got back into the game with Lukaku smashing home from Rashford's pass to reduce the deficit to half. The Red Devils were level before halftime as Herrera skillfully guided the ball into the net, again from a Rashford assist.
The onus was on Manchester United in the second half to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and get all three points, the way they did against Newcastle United earlier in the season. However, the Saints were the better side in the second 45 minutes, creating a few decent half-chances of their own.
The Red Devils never really looked in the game and were reduced to mere set pieces.
It was a frustrating evening for both the managers as they dropped points for different seasons. Here are the three takeaways from the game.
#3 A half of two halves
The first half was something to remember for the neutrals. Manchester United started the game in their usual slow and sluggish way, with Pogba giving away some easy passes in the midfield. It didn't take long for the home side to take the lead, and that was immediately followed by a sumptuous free-kick from Cedric Soares.
However, the big lead didn't last long as Rashford led the United comeback. He first set up Lukaku with a neat pass to reduce the deficit, and then set up Herrera for the equalizer.
It was a half which saw the momentum shift from one side to another as it progressed.
Unfortunately though, the second half was weak compared to the first, and both teams settled for a draw in the end.