Ole Gunnar Solskjær claimed his 10th Premier League victory was the most satisfying so far – because of the manner in which it was achieved.
United trailed at half-time and were pegged back to 2-2 15 minutes from the end, but fought back for a late win in the style Solskjær knows so well. “This club does great comebacks,” the caretaker manager said. “I’ve been a part of that so many times myself as a player, and as a manager or a spectator it’s great to watch.”
Solskjær revealed he had asked the players to up the tempo at half-time, when United were behind to Yan Valery’s unstoppable opener.
“I said at the interval we needed to play with more urgency, to get the ball into the box quicker and more often,” he said. “I remember what it’s like as a player when the crowd gets behind you like that. You are tired but you find you can keep running as long as the ball is played into the box. I told the players that if we could just do that the Stretford End would do the rest.”
United’s first goal, not quite as stunning as Valery’s but still an excellent effort from outside the area, came from Andreas Pereira, a young midfielder who was criticised when Solskjær last started him in the home draw against Burnley on 29 January.
“He was a different player today, perhaps we’ve found him a slightly better position,” Solskjær said.
Alexis Sánchez came off just after the interval with suspected ligament damage – he will undergo a scan on Sunday but is an obvious doubt for United’s Champions League game in Paris on Wednesday – but a new club record of eight straight away wins gives Solskjær hope. “We are confident away from home, we can score goals and we are good at comebacks.” he said. “We know it will be tough but who knows, its happened before.”
Ralph Hasenhüttl thought with some justification that his side deserved at least one penalty and could have done with a little more help from the referee, but said his players did well against a team in perfect shape at the moment.
“We didn’t stop working as a team but one fantastic player decided this game,” the Southampton manager said. “Romelu Lukaku is an unbelievable opponent to have to try and stop.”