Chapter 493: Black Lightning
On the sidelines, Mourinho clenched his fist and waved it energetically. He finally got the goal he wanted, which gave him a sense of relief.
"This goal came at a very timely moment, allowing them to take control of the match. Southampton is not a weak team; they have consistently finished in the top half of the standings over the past few seasons!"
"Harry Kane's goal is crucial! The superstar, who cost Manchester United £120 million, has performed outstandingly since joining, with 6 goals and 3 assists in just 3 league matches, an incredibly efficient start!"
The Manchester United players celebrated wildly around Harry Kane. This goal and counter-attack were the results of countless rehearsals in training. The sweat shed on the training ground had translated into a tangible goal, boosting the team's confidence significantly.
Indeed, Mourinho's reputation as a world-class coach commanded respect, but the team's growing belief in him was primarily built through winning matches.
After conceding the goal, Southampton played more openly. Mauricio Pellegrino, advocating for offensive play, instilled a fearless spirit in his team. Just before halftime, United struck again. Rashford passed to Kane, who flicked the ball on with his head, and Bruno scored with a long-range volley.
2-0!
This goal, coming just before the halftime whistle, left Southampton with no time to respond, dealing a significant blow to their morale.
...
During the halftime break, Mourinho praised his players' performance, especially singling out Harry Kane.
Kane beamed with a wide smile, basking in the praise.
Faria glanced at Mourinho, remembering how furious Mourinho had been with Kane's poor pass earlier. Faria had no doubt that if the opportunity had been wasted, Mourinho would have lashed out at Kane.
As the second half commenced, Pellegrino made several substitutions to bolster the attack. However, United's solid defense repeatedly thwarted Southampton's efforts. By the 71st minute, the score remained 2-0, with Southampton trailing.
During a Southampton attack, Tadic's long-range shot from outside the box went way off target.
Seeing this wild shot, Mourinho laughed heartily. Such misses could demoralize the team: after working hard to create a decent chance, squandering it so badly was a blow to team spirit.
"Southampton is getting anxious," Carrick said, pleased.
Mourinho nodded, making a tactical substitution.
Smalling replaced Gundogan, while Rashford and Mbappe dropped back to midfield, transforming United into a 5-4-1 formation, leaving Kane as the lone striker.
...
"This adjustment is timely. Southampton has been attacking fiercely; reinforcing the defense is necessary," commented Andy Gray. "Kante and Bruno in the middle are like pincers, clamping down on Southampton's passing lanes."
Gray was right. Soon, he noticed another tactical shift from Mourinho, who granted Bruno significant freedom on the pitch.
Bruno roamed all over, aiding Kante in defense, playing as a deep-lying playmaker, and pushing forward as an attacking midfielder. Kane remained upfront, flanked by the speedy Rashford and Mbappe, constantly threatening Southampton's defense. With Bruno pulling the strings, Southampton was on high alert whenever he had the ball.
As time passed, Southampton's relentless attacks seemed increasingly desperate. They didn't pose much threat to United's goal and left gaps in their defense.
In the 83rd minute, United intercepted a ball in their own half. Bruno then delivered a long pass forward.
"Overhit," Lineker shook his head.
Southampton's center-back Hoedt signaled his teammates to push up, thinking he could control the ball and initiate another attack.
But then he saw what looked like a bolt of black lightning.
"Mbappe! This kid is so fast, my god!"
...
Hoedt realized too late that Mbappe was closer to the ball. Instinctively, he reached out and pulled down Mbappe, who was about to break through.
Hoedt, already on a yellow card, knew he was in trouble. The referee's whistle blew, and Craig Pawson pulled out a yellow card, followed by a red.
"Two yellows make a red, Hoedt is sent off."
"Hoedt had no choice but to foul, but it cost him a red card. This is a significant blow for Southampton."
Mourinho smiled on the sidelines, clapping. This red card was even more damaging to Southampton than conceding a goal.
With Southampton's captain Davis already substituted, Hoedt was the defensive linchpin. Moreover, Pellegrino had used all three substitutions.
Pellegrino rubbed his face in frustration, knowing the game was likely lost.
"We've got this," said Faria.
Mourinho nodded but decided to secure the win further. He called on Fellaini, who had been warming up.
Mourinho made his third substitution, bringing on Fellaini for Rashford.
...
Fellaini played upfront with Kane, forming a twin tower partnership that overwhelmed Southampton's depleted defense. With the speedy Mbappe, United tore through Southampton's backline.
If not for referee Pawson's leniency, Southampton might have had another player sent off. Yoshida's reckless foul was only met with a verbal warning.
Mourinho protested vigorously at the touchline.
As the final whistle blew, the stands at St. Mary's were filled with boos.
"The match ends with goals from Harry Kane and Bruno securing the win."
"After three consecutive matches with a six-goal margin, United has slightly slowed their goal-scoring spree but continues their winning streak, now ten straight wins in all competitions."
"Compared to the narrow victory against Chelsea in the Community Shield, Mourinho's team has shown significant improvement. This is largely due to Bruno's quick return to form and the seamless integration of summer signings Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, and Riyad Mahrez."
Andy Gray, who had previously criticized Mourinho during the Community Shield, now offered fair praise for Mourinho and United.
Gray's objective stance meant he judged performances rather than personalities.
Disappointed Southampton fans began to leave, while the away stand of United fans celebrated.
...
The next day, Manchester's local media, The Guardian, featured a headline in its sports section: Invincible!
After six league matches, Manchester United had six wins and 18 points, the only team in the Premier League with a perfect record.
What's more astonishing is that United had scored 28 goals in 6 games and conceded none.
Such performances indeed warranted the term "invincible."
However, The Sun criticized United's performance in this match, describing it as an "ugly victory." Compared to the emphatic wins by Manchester City and Chelsea, United's win was seen as hard-fought. Thanks to goals from Kane and Bruno, United won 2-0 against Southampton, but throughout the game, they were often on the back foot. Particularly in the second half, Mourinho parked the bus to secure the win.
Objectively, United's first-half performance was decent, with Kane and Bruno leveraging their skills to secure early goals.
But in the second half, Southampton surged forward, pinning United back, who resorted to a defensive stance.
Had Southampton not had a player sent off in the second half, United might not have left St. Mary's unscathed.
Mourinho's substitutions further strengthened the defense. Players like McTominay and Lingard remained unused, indicating Mourinho's defensive intent.
Southampton's relentless attack, supported by the introduction of strikers Gabbiadini and Austin, turned the match into a one-sided siege.
The highlight was when Mourinho seemingly delayed Southampton's substitution by standing in front of the officials.
(End of chapter)
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