Manchester United v Southampton: Match in pictures
Manchester United must wish they’d signed Edinson Cavani years ago. The Uruguay international produced another sublime display against Southampton before being forced off through injury, finding the net for the first time at Old Trafford. And how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must wish he had a time machine to go back and sign him during his peak years.
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And Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James also got in on the act.
It was a team effort. A night where everybody in a red shirt pulled together, sensing an opportunity to enhance their goal difference amid their push for the Premier League title.
And while many players stole the show, Cavani’s sensational performance in the first half shows he’s the striker the club have been lacking for several years.
But Cavani is something else. While he’s approaching the twilight years of his career, it’s evident the Uruguay international isn’t finished yet.
He was a menace against the Saints, posing all sorts of problems with his intelligent movement - often benefiting his team-mates in the process.
Cavani ran them ragged and his goal, his first at Old Trafford, was just what his dangerous performance deserved.
Not since Robin van Persie, in his debut season at United, have the club had a No 9 who is such a threat.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku both scored plenty of goals but it was often about them. Cavani is more of a team player, somebody willing to do the dirty work to ensure his side emerge victorious.
Manchester United star Edinson Cavani celebrates his goal against Southampton (Image: GETTY)
And how Solskjaer must wish he had a time machine.
Say he stepped into the TARDIS from Doctor Who, or the DeLorean from Back to the Future, he’d likely go back to when Cavani was younger to ensure he was theirs for the long term.
Instead, the Red Devils are having to live very much in the present when it comes to the veteran.
Solskjaer confirmed he was forced to take the former PSG star off after he sustained a knock to his ankle.
It wasn’t a night to take risks, with the Norwegian saying: “He was good, but he got a bad tackle on his ankle and so there was no point taking any risk, so hopefully it won’t swell up too much.”
Manchester United have a complete No 9 in Edinson Cavani (Image: GETTY)
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And whether Cavani is fit in time for the weekend’s showdown with Everton at Old Trafford remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Solskjaer praised his side for being ruthless against Southampton by saying: “Yes you want to take your chances, you want to score goals of course.
“Sometimes a league position can be decided by goal difference. So we knew that when they got the sending off this is the chance to score goals.
“But you have to get the first one that’s the main thing.
“If you get the first one they have to open up a little bit and then you’ll get more and more chances to score more goals.
“We’ve been on the end of goal difference being the deciding factor unfortunately and of course, it was important to make the right decisions, play as well as you can and don’t think about them being 10 men or whatever. Play as well as you can.”