Van's the Man!

Southampton FC vs. Manchester United FC at St Mary’s Stadium was just a fascinating game of football for the Premier League fans! The Saints had not secured a single point so far this season, falling to Manchester City on the opening day and Wigan Athletic the next weekend. On the other hand, Manchester United faced a shocking defeat against Everton FC on the opening day and then won the home game against Fulham at Old Trafford. Both the clubs securing unsatisfying results for their respective fans, it was indeed quite predictable the game at St Mary’s stadium would not be just a regular fixture of the league. The stat that made the game more unique was that it was Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1000th game in the Premier League. The match was made for something more special.

The game began with United’s dominance in the early minutes but was later controlled by Southampton, who took a shocking lead thanks to their star striker Rickie Lambert’s headed goal in the 16th minute! But the Saint’s lead lasted for only 8 minutes when United’s star signing Robin van Persie equalized by scoring a left-footed goal on the 23rd minute. The first half ended with a 1-1 draw, which made clear that Southampton were the better side in the game.

The second half again began with dominance by the Saints’, which resulted in 2-1 lead in the 55th minute, with the goal scored by Morgan Schneiderlin. The St Mary’s Stadium crowd was at it’s best! The stunningly loud noises from the fans clearly stated they were hoping for a win. And suddenly, United won a penalty. Unfortunately, the spot kick wasn’t converted into a goal by van Persie. 5 minutes were left on the clock and the home team were still ahead with a narrow lead. And guess what, the man who scored the goal in the first half and missed a penalty in the second did score for Manchester United on the 87th minute. The score was level again. The fourth official indicated four more minutes to play on. At this stage, it could had gone worse and better for both the teams and it did happen. There was a miraculous moment to come. The 24 million United striker Robin van Persie headed the ball into the net from a corner which was taken by Nani in injury time. Indeed, United had won the game!

The match showed that Manchester United were not in their best form yet as they narrowly won the game. But one thing is for sure – The signing of van Persie is the biggest boost to the squad. Undoubtedly, he is a top class player. Fergie ended his memorable evening with a smile on his face as his team snatched 3 points on the table. The Saints deserved much more that what they got. The 90 minutes match was an absolute terrific game of football played by both the teams. A match like this indicates there is a lot more to come in this season of Premier League.