Chapter 845: One Goal Away
On the evening of February 2, the English winter transfer window officially closed.
For Manchester United, the month passed quietly. Apart from loaning Jesse Lingard—who had barely featured—to West Ham United and temporarily sending out several academy players, there were no major moves.
United's first match after the window's closure came later that same night—a home fixture against Southampton.
Early in the season, the Saints had impressed many with their energetic performances, but as the campaign wore on, their limited depth began to show. After 21 matches, they sat 11th with 8 wins, 5 draws, and 7 losses—29 points in total.
Facing a mid-table opponent and just three days removed from their clash with Arsenal, Mourinho rotated his lineup moderately: De Gea in goal; João Cancelo, Victor Lindelöf, Harry Maguire, and Luke Shaw in defense; Fred, Bruno Fernandes, and Jude Bellingham in midfield; with Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, and Mason Greenwood forming the attacking trio.
Despite the modest lineup and a restricted crowd of just 2,000 fans due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, Mourinho's expectations remained firm—only three points would do.
United's lead at the top of the table was comfortable, but complacency against weaker sides was unacceptable.
...
No one could have predicted just how smooth the game would go for Mourinho's men.
United pressed high from kickoff, dominating possession and suffocating the visitors' defense through relentless pressure led by McTominay's physical presence up top.
Just one minute in, McTominay was fouled brutally by Jankewitz, who lunged in recklessly with his studs up. The referee wasted no time—straight red card!
Southampton were down to ten men practically from the start.
From that moment, everyone sensed what was coming—a rout.
And that's exactly what it became. Undermanned and overmatched, Southampton wilted under United's crimson tide.
In the 17th minute, Rashford received the ball on the left, laid it off to Luke Shaw, whose cross reached Cancelo at the far post. The right-back timed his run perfectly and fired off the post into the net. 1–0 United!
When the halftime whistle blew, cheers thundered through Millennium Stadium.
The scoreboard told the story: 4–0.
As usual, the home team listed first.
After Cancelo's early strike, United went on a rampage.
In the 24th minute, Maguire launched a long pass to Shaw, who carried into the box and squared to Greenwood. The young forward cut it back beautifully for Rashford to slot home—2–0.
In the 33rd, Bruno orchestrated an attack from the top of the box, feeding Rashford on the right. The winger's cross deflected off Bednarek and into his own net—3–0.
Six minutes later, Bruno threaded a pass left to Shaw, who crossed once more. McTominay, unmarked near the six-yard box, rose and headed it home—4–0!
Bruno had chances of his own throughout the half but couldn't quite convert—each strike seemingly missing by inches. Walking off beside teammates Cancelo, Rashford, and McTominay, all scorers, he forced a wry grin.
He'd given everything—yet the goal still eluded him.
"I'll get it next half," he muttered as Rashford clapped him on the shoulder. "It's coming."
"You'll take the record soon enough, no rush," said Cancelo reassuringly.
After his recent goal against Arsenal, Bruno had reached 185 Premier League goals, just two shy of Andy Cole's legendary 187—tantalizingly close to third place on the all-time scorers list.
Everyone wanted to see him match or break it tonight—but Southampton's tight marking left no easy openings.
Bruno chuckled helplessly, patting both teammates before heading down the tunnel.
...
Though Bruno was frustrated, the faithful two thousand supporters were electrified.
"United's relentless assault has completely obliterated the Saints!" exclaimed match commentator He Weiru during the live broadcast.
Back in the dressing room, Mourinho's mood was buoyant. The first half had gone perfectly to plan.
"Keep playing like this after the break," he told them. "Don't think 4–0 is enough—remember, goal difference matters!"
He knew well that in tight title races, every goal could be decisive. One extra score could mean the difference between glory and heartbreak.
He hadn't forgotten 2011–12, when Manchester City snatched the title from United on goal difference.
"Push harder in the second half," he insisted. "Break their spirit completely!"
Although Southampton sat mid-table, they had proven troublesome opponents: 3–3 draws with Chelsea, 1–1 with Arsenal, a 1–0 win over Liverpool, and victories over in-form sides like Everton and Aston Villa.
Under Ralph Hasenhüttl, the Saints had matured—disciplined, energetic, and fearless. Fans adored their fighting spirit so much that even after a 0–9 defeat to Leicester City the previous season, they continued to support them passionately. That perseverance had lifted Southampton to 11th last season, their best finish in three years.
So, Mourinho warned—no complacency.
United's past encounters proved the point: narrow wins, occasional draws, even a few nervy thrillers. Southampton were no easy prey.
...
The second half resumed with United in total control, pressing harder than ever. Their high press was precise, coordinated, devastating.
Bruno never stopped running, constantly finding pockets of space, looking for one chance—just one.
Against a player of his caliber, Southampton's defenders faced an impossible task.
In the 56th minute, Cancelo carried the ball forward into the final third but was quickly closed down by two defenders. Unable to progress, he looked right—and saw Bruno raising his arm in space.
The pass came immediately.
Bruno received, swivelled, and accelerated into the box. McTominay drifted right to pull defenders away, clearing the lane for his captain.
Two defenders closed from the front; one chased from behind. Bruno, reading it perfectly, slid the ball diagonally to the right.
McTominay caught it cleanly but didn't turn to shoot. With defenders crashing toward him, he shielded the ball and deftly rolled it back to the edge of the box.
There, unmarked, waited Bruno.
Taking one touch, he burst forward just as goalkeeper Alex McCarthy charged out—too late. Bruno calmly swept the ball into the empty net.
5–0!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"
"Bruno Fernandes at last! He's done it!"
"In the 57th minute, a brilliant exchange with McTominay—cool under pressure—and he slides it home before the onrushing keeper!"
"It's United's fifth of the night, Bruno's 25th league goal of the season, and his 186th in the Premier League overall—just ONE goal shy of Andy Cole's record for third on the all-time scoring chart!"
(END CHAPTER)
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