SAINTS were reduced to 10 men against Manchester United but had long been on course for the 3-0 defeat they eventually endured.
Matthijs De Ligt and Marcus Rashford scored the goals for the visitors in a double-salvo before the break after Cameron Archer missed a penalty for Saints.
Talented youngster Tyler Dibling began well on his first Premier League start and won the spot-kick, with Saints looking the better team for the first 30 minutes.
Skipper Jack Stephens is set for an automatic ban for serious foul play after he was given his marching orders in the closing stages of the match.
Alejandro Garnacho buried emphatically with the last kick of the game to leave Saints with zero points from their first four on return to the Premier League.
A brief view from me after that one.#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/Epnsvf9Orb
— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) September 14, 2024
Man United have been a tough opponent for Saints historically, last beating the Red Devils 1-0 in a league game at home in August 2003.
Saints came into this one winless in 14 Premier League meetings against United, dating back to 2016, but had renewed ideas and enthusiasm.
Four players made their first league starts, including summer signing Archer, Mateus Fernandes and Lesley Ugochukwu.
Dibling, just 18 years old and graduating from the academy, was the other - manager Russell Martin admitted he deserved his start weeks ago.
He had the first chance of the match for either side, bursting to the edge of the box and forcing Andre Onana into his first save of the afternoon.
Both goalkeepers were busy but Aaron Ramsdale had more to do, anticipating a Joshua Zirkzee shot from close range to keep the scores level.
Yukinari Sugawara was a creative force for Saints down the right, working in tandem with Dibling whose determination was rewarded in the 31st minute.
Dibling beat Portuguese defender Diogo Dalot and was fouled just inside the box - confirmed by VAR - to give Archer a chance from the spot.
Despite having never taken a penalty in his career, the 22 year old stepped up but Onana saved - and that was the last Saints shot of the day.
Just two minutes and 31 seconds later, De Ligt was left unmarked in the box from a Bruno Fernandes cross to head the visitors into the lead.
United added their second before the break with another second phase from a set-piece, as Rashford was afforded time to shoot through a crowd and into the far corner.
Ramsdale made two more important saves to deny Rashford and De Ligt another before Martin had a chance to regroup his charges in the break.
Martin waited until the 63rd minute before enacting a quadruple change, bringing on a front three including Ross Stewart for their first minutes of the season.
Deadline-day signings Ryan Fraser and Maxwel Cornet flanked the Scot, while Adam Lallana was tasked with bringing control back to the midfield.
However, it went from bad to worse for Saints when captain Stephens was given a straight red card by referee Stuart Atwell for a serious foul on Garnacho.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis was called from the bench to steady the ship and made a big block on a goalward Zirkzee shot, but it made no difference to the tie as a contest.
Garnacho was fed by Dalot, who had snuck in marginally onside to square for the Argentinan and thumped past Ramsdale deep into added time.
Saints: Ramsdale; Sugawara, Bednarek, Stephens, Walker-Peters; Downes, Ugochukwu (Lallana, 63), Fernandes (Harwood-Bellis, 84); Dibling (Cornet, 63), Brereton Diaz (Fraser, 63), Archer (Stewart, 63).
Unused subs: McCarthy, Taylor, Aribo, Armstrong.
Booked: Cornet.
Sent off: Stephens.
Man United: Onana; Mazrouri (Maguire, 72), De Ligt (Casemiro, 86), Martinez (Evans, 76), Dalot; Eriksen (Ugarte, 72), Mainoo, Fernandes; Amad, Rashford (Garnacho, 72), Zirkzee.
Unused subs: Bayindir, Antony, Wheatley, Collier.
Booked: Mainoo, Eriksen, Fernandes, Maguire.
Referee: Stuart Atwell.
VAR: Chris Kavanagh.
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