Jannik Vestergaard hailed Southampton’s fighting spirit after the team recovered from falling behind to draw level, before battling on with ten men to earn a share of the spoils against Manchester United at St Mary’s.
It was Vestergaard who rose highest to head home a 58th-minute equaliser with his first goal in Saints colours.
Fifteen minutes later, the hosts were dealt a setback when Kevin Danso was shown a second yellow card, but that was when Saints showcased their resilience to secure a hard-fought draw.
“We’re very happy with a point," Vestergaard said. "I think we deserved it already against Liverpool, when we didn’t get it, but today we were rewarded for the hard work we put in.
“It was our game plan to go out there and shake them a little bit – make them uneasy – because when they get comfortable, they’re obviously very good and have world-class players."
“We wanted to get off to a very good start, and even get in the lead, but their goal came out of the blue. It was a blow, but we stuck with it and kept the game open, because there was only one goal in it.
“We waited for the chance when we could put some pressure on them, and the second half was a good half for us.
“If you’re 1-0 up, at some point you will be afraid to lose that lead, and that’s when you can get a little bit more momentum and possession – it’s just a mind game.
“I think that worked out really well. At 1-1 I think the game was there for the taking, but then we got the sending off. Obviously after the red card everything changed, and we had to fight for just a point.
“We like to play very aggressively. We like to attack forward and not run backwards, so it’s a risk that comes with the way we play, but we came together as a team and fought very well.”
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