Manchester United return home to Old Trafford for Premier League action as they take on Southampton on the 30th of January with a nervous glance behind on the league table having seen their seven point lead at the top of the table cut to just five after they conceded in the last minute to draw 1-1 against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. United were completely outclassed by Andre Villas Boas’s men last Sunday and if it wasn’t for David de Gea in goal, The Red Devils could easily have suffered a huge loss at the hands of Spurs.

But the mark of great teams is how they bounce back from disappointments and with the match against Southampton, they might just set the stage on fire and unleash the likes of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney at the south coast club as they look to get their challenge to the title back on track. United were completely dominated in midfield in the match against Spurs with the only player who somehow lived up to his reputation was Michael Carrick. Shinji Kagawa, the new Japanese signing for United in the summer was absolutely disastrous in the match and had to be replaced by Wayne Rooney in the second half.

Although the defense of United played their part more or less in the match, the final moments of the game was something that will come back to haunt the United defenders if they do not manage to win the league this year again. But with Southampton in very mental condition after the sacking of Nigel Adkins which the players have not taken to very kindly, this gives United the edge that they had been looking for to get their confidence back and if they can get a hammering past the relegation threatened club, it will do a world of good to the players’ mindset and also leave arch rivals Manchester City in the lurch.

But the question here is whether Southampton can do United’s noisy neighbors a favor by holding the mighty club at their own backyard. The Saints managed a draw against Everton in their last match in which they completely outplayed The Toffees and were unlucky to have not won the match. But Manchester United will be a different prospect for the club altogether and if they can manage a victory, it will be the biggest upset of the season.