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Manchester United returned to winning form by dismantling Southampton with a 3-0 victory on Saturday, September 14. Central to their success was Matthijs de Ligt, who defended brilliantly while also scoring his first goal in United colors. However, his evening was cut short by what appeared to be an injury, and the Dutchman later provided an update on his condition.
United initially struggled, spending much of the first 30 minutes on the back foot as Southampton frequently found space in the attacking third. The turning point came when Andre Onana saved Cameron Archer's penalty in the 33rd minute.
Shortly after, United capitalized on a set-piece, with an unmarked de Ligt rising high to break the deadlock in the 35th minute. Marcus Rashford doubled the lead six minutes later, with Alejandro Garnacho rounding off the scoring in second-half stoppage time (90+6').
De Ligt’s commanding presence at the back was crucial for United, but he was substituted in the 87th minute after appearing to limp off. However, the 25-year-old confirmed it was only a cramp, and the substitution was merely a precaution.
“I’m fine, I just had a little cramp in the last four minutes. It’s the first time in probably five months that I’ve played three in a row. I wanted to play until the end,” he said to TNT Sports (via Mirror).
De Ligt had a challenging start to the campaign, conceding three goals on his debut against Liverpool, followed by a difficult international debut where his mistakes led to goals against Germany. Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman even substituted him at half-time, explaining it was to protect him after a poor run of form.
However, the former Bayern Munich center-back is showing his true potential and believes he is finally regaining his rhythm.
I was happy I played one and a half, it’s a long time since I played games. This is my third game in a week. For me it’s important to get rhythm and I can show a little more what I can do, he added.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag’s faith in Matthijs de Ligt pays off
De Ligt had a particularly rough week during the international break, facing heavy criticism after the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw against Germany. However, Erik ten Hag, who previously coached the defender at Ajax, was confident it was just a temporary dip in form.
Speaking to the media ahead of the match against Southampton, ten Hag expressed his full confidence in de Ligt's ability to turn things around, and this was proven right as the centre-back delivered a strong performance against the Saints.
“I know Matthijs and he’s a great personality. With his character, he will overcome this and will bounce back in this situation with the Dutch squad. It’s definitely not his club situation. “I’m not afraid of this situation, I know his qualities, I know his personality and I know he’ll fight back," ten Hag said on Friday, September 13 (via Mirror).
It was a much-needed win for Manchester United, moving them to eighth place in the Premier League with six points from four games.
