Football: Manchester United thrash Southampton 9-0 in English Premier League

Southampton players react during their 9-0 drubbing. Photo / Getty

Southampton have another 9-0 loss to get over after Manchester United cleaned up at Old Trafford to tie the biggest margin of victory since English Premier League football began in 1992.

There have been two other games finishing by that scoreline — and Southampton was on the wrong end of one of them, losing 9-0 at home to Leicester in October 2019 for a club-record defeat.

"It doesn't hurt less," manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said. "It's the opposite — it hurts even more."

The other 9-0 in the record book also involved United, at home to Ipswich in 1995.

Southampton contributed to their own downfall by having two players sent off. The first red card came after just 82 seconds when 19-year-old midfielder Alexandre Jankewitz — making his first Premier League start and having yet to touch the ball — was dismissed for a thigh-high lunge on United's Scott McTominay.

By the time Jan Bednarek, who scored an own goal in the first half, was sent off for a brushing against an already falling Anthony Martial in the 86th minute, Southampton were trailing 6-0 and hanging on grimly to avoid more humiliation.

Bruno Fernandes converted the penalty, and further goals by Martial and Dan James meant Southampton revisited a score they thought they would never see again.

"What can I say? It is horrible," Hasenhuttl said.

By being relentless in their search for goals, United's goal difference soared to +19, just five behind first-place Manchester City. That is all that's separating the two local rivals, who both have 44 points.

In 2012, City won the Premier League for the first time courtesy of a superior goal difference to United.

"You never know what might be the deciding factor," said United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. "We know better than anyone what goal difference can do to you."

Remarkably, Southampton weren't the only team to finish with nine men, with Arsenal also having two players sent off — defender David Luiz and goalkeeper Bernd Leno — in a 2-1 loss at Wolverhampton. The result ended Arsenal's seven-match unbeaten run in the league.

After going the first 17 games without a win Sheffield United have now won three of their last five after rallying to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at home. Palace beat Newcastle 2-1, with Gary Cahill grabbing the winner to become — at 35 years and 45 days — the club's oldest scorer in the Premier League.

- AP