Manchester United beat nine-man Southampton 9-0 on Tuesday to tie the biggest margin of victory in a Premier League match. It came 15 months after Southampton lost by the same score line at home to Leicester, for the heaviest-ever home defeat.
Southampton had 19-year-old midfielder Alexandre Jankewitz sent off after 82 seconds and was trailing 6-0 when Jan Bednarek also received a red card for a foul on Anthony Martial in the penalty area in the 86th. United scored three more late goals and matched its biggest-ever win in the Premier League, having also beaten Ipswich 9-0 in 1995.
“What can I say? It is horrible,” Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said. “But we stood up after the first 9-0 and we have to do that again. I said at the time we do not need it again, but when we have it again you have to take it.”
United moved level on points with first-place Manchester City, behind only on goal difference.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani added to the own-goal by Bednarek as United went into halftime 4-0 ahead. Martial replaced Cavani for the second half and scored twice, with Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James also netting.
United’s goal difference is now +19, only five less than City’s.
One more goal would have tied United’s club record, a 10-0 victory over Anderlecht in the European Cup in 1956.