Pressure on Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag eases after win over Southampton

Marcus Rashford and Matthijs de Ligt among the goals at St Mary's

Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt celebrates with teammates. PA

Southampton's English goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale can't keep out De Ligt's header. AFP

Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale fails to stop Manchester United's Marcus Rashford (not pictured) from scoring the second goal. PA

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana makes a diving save. PA

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana saves a penalty. PA

Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee fights for the ball with Southampton's French midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu. AFP

Manchester United's Dutch manager Erik ten Hag. AFP

Matthijs de Ligt and Marcus Rashford both scored after Andre Onana’s vital spot-kick save to lift Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United to a much-needed 3-0 victory at promoted Southampton on Saturday.

Both sides returned from the international break in need of a result as Saints looked for a first point since their Premier League return against a team humbled at home by rivals Liverpool last time out.

Southampton started well but capitulated after Onana saved Cameron Archer’s weak penalty, with De Ligt’s maiden United strike and Rashford’s first of the campaign doing the damage.

Alejandro Garnacho was chopped down by Jack Stephens, who saw red, before adding a third late on in a result that alleviates some of the pressure on Ten Hag, who could ill afford another setback.

Dutchman De Ligt said: "The win was obviously really important. I think if you get three points from three games it's not enough so there was some pressure but I think today we played very well. A big credit to Andre Onana who saved a really important penalty, he changed the game for us.

"We've been working on some set pieces, this one was not exactly out of the book but this was from a good spot. It's my wife's birthday so this one is for her!"

Asked if he had a point to prove after being subbed at half-time for the Netherlands last week, he added: "Not exactly a point to prove, sometimes it doesn't go as well as you want but you have to look at the positive side. 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.

"I am enjoying it a lot [at United]. We have a great group, amazing guys. A lot of young guys who have to grow and want to grow. Hopefully we can get more results like this and grow as a team."

'Sometimes you have to find a way to win'

United began badly but the game changed when De Ligt headed home two minutes after Onana stopped Archer’s spot-kick, with the striker then guilty of giving Rashford too much time to strike soon after.

Saints boss Russell Martin made four changes, with homegrown Tyler Dibling among those brought in. The talented 18-year-old tested Onana before winning a penalty after a rash challenge from Diogo Dalot.

After a long delay - the ball was on the spot for 51 seconds - in which the VAR checked the foul was in the box, Archer stepped up and saw Onana save his poor 33rd minute penalty and weak follow-up header.

It was a huge let-off and United capitalised just two minutes later. Aaron Ramsdale had done well to tip a 20-yard Joshua Zirkzee attempt wide but could not stop De Ligt guiding home a header when the resulting corner was played back to Bruno Fernandes to send in a cross.

Saints looked stunned and fell further behind in the 41st minute as Rashford was afforded too much time by Archer and sent a curling 20-yard strike beyond Ramsdale.

Any faint hope of a comeback was ended in the 79th minute as the referee gave a straight red card for Stephens’ poor challenge on substitute Garnacho.

Fernandes shot wide and substitute Taylor Harwood-Bellis impressively blocked a Zirkzee attempt, with Garnacho firing home the third in stoppage time.

"Sometimes you have to find a way to win," said Ten Hag. "First minutes of the game we had some problems but after Andre [Onana] stopped the penalty and the goal by Matthijs de Ligt, the game was all ours."

On Rashford's goal, he added: "It's very important. We spoke before the game and it is so huge for him, for every striker, when the season starts you want to be on the scoring list. Now he has his first, I'm sure more will come. We had the chances to kill the game off, we had the chances, I don't know how many. We had several to go to 3-0 or 4-0."