OLE Gunnar Solskjaer hopes his players learned a “hard lesson” as Saintsaystruck at the death to seal a point that prevented Manchester United climbing into the top four.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced on Monday morning that Manchester City’s two-season European ban would be lifted, increasing the importance for fifth-placed United of winning that evening at Old Trafford.

They were on course for a fifth successive Premier League victory, having bounced back from Stuart Armstrong’s early opener through Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial goals in quick succession.

But, just as the jump to third beckoned for Solskjaer’s men, substitute Michael Obafemi struck in stoppage time to seal a 2-2 draw the Norwegian could have few arguments with.

“Well, we have been on a great run,” the United boss said. “It’s not going to be like turning up and being given three points.

“They’re going be tough games, the next three as well.

“We didn’t expect anything else than what we got here today from Southampton.

“We knew they were going to be positive, they were going to go for it.

“It was a good game of football that unfortunately ended in a conceded goal at the end for us.

“I have to say the mentality of the boys has been brilliant. We’ve had a few setbacks over the season, of course, and this is another challenge for us.

“I am very confident in the mentality of them. Very disappointed, of course, but we have to take the disappointments as well as the positives when you win games.

“Conceding with one of the last kicks and lose two points, that’s just part of football. We’ve learned a hard lesson."