Manchester United 3-2 Southampton: Andreas Pereira and Romelu Lukaku lead stirring second-half show

Manchester United 3-2 Southampton: Solskjaer’s men initially fell behind to an stunning strike by young full-back Yan Valery but a second-half surge led by Andreas Pereira and Romelu Lukaku turned the game on its head

"Like the old days," Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said as he walked into his post-match press conference after his side's late 3-2 victory and it was difficult to disagree.

Manchester United won this game from behind, threw the three points away and then clawed them back again in a stirring second half against a spirited and unfortunate Southampton.

United initially fell behind to an stunning strike by young full-back Yan Valery which caught David de Gea out at his near post, but a second-half surge inspired by Andreas Pereira, Romelu Lukaku and - tellingly - Alexis Sanchez’s departure suddenly turned the game on its head.

Solskjaer’s tenth win in 12 league games appeared to be on its way but James Ward-Prowse had other ideas. The set-piece specialist’s stunning free-kick in the closing stages levelled the score once again and appeared to have given Ralph Hasenhuttl's visitors an important point in their battle for survival.

But two minutes from time, Lukaku snatched at loose ball and sent it straight and low into the bottom corner. From there, United managed to hold out, even though there was still time for Paul Pogba to miss a late penalty.

The draw in the north London derby at lunchtime had given United an opportunity to climb into fourth-place and move just three points behind Tottenham Hotspur. It was an opportunity that they would take, but only just.

United began with the urgency we have come to expect from a Solskjaer side but this drifted once two early chances went begging. Both fell to Lukaku and though the first brought a fine save out of Angus Gunn, he should have beaten the former Manchester City goalkeeper from close range with the second.

On the basis of the first five minutes alone, Southampton were there for the taking but United failed to build on this early momentum and the visitors began to gradually hold their own.

But despite Southampton’s improvement, nobody around Old Trafford expected Valery’s thunderous strike, and least of all De Gea. The United goalkeeper moved across his goal too late, the two hands he got behind the shot were too limp and he was beaten at near post from a range of around 35 yards.

Romelu Lukaku celebrates United’s second goal (Getty ) (Getty)

Valery, a 20-year-old right-back who only debuted for Southampton in November, celebrated a first senior goal of great quality on an even greater stage. De Gea spent the next few minutes shaking his head and muttering to himself, knowing a goalkeeper of his calibre could have stopped it.

United’s search for an equaliser began with much of the untidy and muddled play that had preceded it. Marcus Rashford nipped the ball off Lukaku’s toes when his team-mate was well-positioned to shoot and Lukaku then failed to make a true connection with a glorious Pereira cross.

At the start of the second half, Sanchez was lost to an apparent knee issue but it says everything about the Chilean’s year at United that his absence can be a blessing in disguise.

Solskjaer had to re-think. Diogo Dalot was introduced, Pereira was moved further upfield and these changes precipitated a turnaround.

Dalot’s first significant contribution was devilish cross to the far post which Rashford nodded inches wide. His second was a burst through the inside-right channel and a lay-off to Pereira.

The Brazilian checked inside on his right foot and, from range, placed the ball out of Gunn’s reach and into top right-hand corner to equalise. The momentum of United’s start suddenly returned. A second felt inevitable and when it came, Pereira was the provider.

He collected Luke Shaw’s pass from the left, skipped Maya Yoshida’s challenge and found Lukaku, fractionally onside, on the edge of the box. This time, the Belgian made no mistake, slotting past Gunn.

There is usually a sense of finality about a United comeback at Old Trafford. The opponents, having squandered their lead, are supposed to be beaten once and for all and there was a spell during the second half here where Southampton appeared to be finished.

But the benefits of a free-kick specialist should not be underestimated. When referee Stuart Attwell felt compelled to penalise the force of Ashley Young’s aerial challenge on Stuart Armstrong, but the dead ball was placed in an excellent position for Ward-Prowse.

Around 30 yards out, from the inside-left channel, he wrapped his right foot around the ball to take it over the wall and then inside the top left-hand corner.

Unfortunately for Southampton, a quarter-of-an-hour is more than enough time for a Solskjaer turnaround. Lukaku chanced his arm in the 88th minute, firing low from the edge of the penalty area after the ball had broken his way.

Gunn stretched but could not stretch far enough. He would deny Pogba from the spot with his feet in the final minute of stoppage time, after Armstrong had brought down Rashford inside the box, but by that late stage a breathless Old Trafford was finally sure of a United win.