Southampton slumped to a third consecutive defeat this evening as Manchester United moved up to third in the Premier League table with a 2-1 victory at St Mary's.

Robin van Persie scored both goals for the visitors either side of a Graziano Pelle strike to lead the Red Devils to a fifth consecutive win.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at who stood out during an entertaining top-five encounter.

SOUTHAMPTON

Goal

Fraser Forster: Was let down by Fonte for the opening goal but perhaps should have come off his line to claim the second. (5/10)

Defence

Nathaniel Clyne: Came close late on with a drilled effort that flew just past the post. Full of energy throughout and contributed to a good performance from his side. (7/10)

Jose Fonte: At fault for the opening goal with a suicidal back-pass that was pounced upon by Van Persie. Recovered well to put in a decent performance, but that proved to be a costly error. (5/10)

Maya Yoshida: Replaced the injured Alderweireld in the side and kept the likes of Van Persie and Rooney quiet for the vast majority of the match. (6/10)

Ryan Bertrand: Not quite as much joy on his flank as Clyne had on the right, but a solid display nonetheless. (6/10)

Midfield

Steven Davis: Played a big part in his side's goal with a driving run forward from midfield. That was typical of the energy and intensity he showed throughout. (7/10)

Victor Wanyama: Broke up numerous attacks and helped Southampton to completely dominate the midfield, with United failing to deal with the hosts' pressing. (7/10)

Dusan Tadic: Was always involved and looking for a clever pass. Provided one a few times and looked as likely as anyone to find a way through. Had a part to play in the first goal and also set Pelle up on a couple of other occasions. (7/10)

Attack

Sadio Mane: Certainly a lively performance. His contribution was mixed on the ball, with not everything he tried coming off, but he was heavily involved and always keen to test the United defence with his pace, direct running and trickery. (7/10)

Graziano Pelle: Looked like his former self having ended his six-match goal drought with an opportunistic finish inside the box. Linked the play very well and came close to adding another goal on a couple of occasions. (7/10)

Shane Long: Worked as hard as anyone on the field, but lacked the quality when it really mattered, missing one glorious chance in the second half and another slightly more difficult one earlier in the game. (6/10)

Substitutes

Jake Hesketh: Made his debut in place of Tadic for the final 20 minutes but failed to influence the game as the departing playmaker had. (6/10)

Emmanuel Mayuka: Came on for Long in the 79th minute and was barely involved despite Southampton chasing the game. (6/10)

MAN UTD

Goal

David de Gea: Couldn't do anything about the goal and didn't have much to do otherwise despite Southampton's dominance. Did make one smart save low to his left to preserve the lead, though. (7/10)

Defence

Antonio Valencia: Deployed in a wing-back role and struggled up against Mane. A more consistent winger would have had him on toast every time. (5/10)

Paddy McNair: Made numerous errors in the first half as Southampton began to run riot, and was hauled off before the break by Van Gaal as a result. (5/10)

Chris Smalling: Forced off after just 18 minutes with what looks like a groin injury. (6/10)

Marcos Rojo: Gave the ball away in a dangerous position on more than one occasion and was fortunate not to be punished. (5/10)

Ashley Young: The vast majority of Southampton's chances in the first half came down his flank, with the makeshift wing-back unable to stop the crosses. One such cross led to the Southampton goal. (5/10)

Midfield

Marouane Fellaini: Really poor in possession, producing sloppy passes time after time. Was at fault for the Southampton goal having given the ball away cheaply in midfield. (4/10)

Juan Mata: Barely noticeable in the middle of the park as Southampton dominated that area of the field. The game completely passed him by. (5/10)

Michael Carrick: Was dropped back into defence when McNair went off, and that helped a little. Still not exactly convincing at the back, though, and was shrugged off by Pelle for the goal. (6/10)

Attack

Wayne Rooney: Got the assist for the winning goal with a deep free kick, but was barely involved other than that. (6/10)

Robin van Persie: Had all three of his side's shots, scoring two goals and rippling the side-netting with another. Was anonymous for large spells, but popped up with the match-winning contribution when it mattered most. That sort of ruthlessness was what Southampton were missing. (8/10)

Substitutes

Jonny Evans: Replaced the injured Smalling in the first half and had a solid game compared to some of those around him. (6/10)

Ander Herrera: Came on for McNair with six minutes remaining of the first half, but United still struggled to keep hold of the ball. (6/10)

Darren Fletcher: Replaced Mata in the dying stages to help wind the clock down. (6/10)