Whatever it is in the south coast water, the rest of the Premiership will surely be on to David Jones and ask him to bottle some of it for them.

Two years ago Manchester United's championship bid had been almost derailed on the afternoon of the grey shirt fiasco, Southampton shocking them with a 3-1 triumph that nobody could see coming.

Last term the scale of the reverse had been crystal clear, Alex Ferguson's side hammered 6-3 in 90 minutes that seemed more and more incredible as they went on.

And tonight the established order of English football was turned on its head all over again as the Old Trafford aristocrats were sent back with another bloody nose at the hands of the relative paupers.

To add insult to United's injury, their fourth league defeat of the campaign was inflicted by a 20-year-old plying his trade with lowly Chesterfield this time last year.

Kevin Davies has become the new hero of The Dell since his arrival as Graeme Souness' £750,000 parting shot.

And no goal will have been celebrated more gleefully than his 12th in Southampton colours, a third-minute header from a free-kick by the recalled Matt Le Tissier that left Peter Schmeichel rooted to the spot.

It was the narrowest of advantages for Saints yet somehow one they managed to cling on to despite a host of opportunities for the champions.

With Claus Lundekvam and Ken Monkou giving outstanding goalkeeper Paul Jones brilliant protection, poor finishing and sheer bad luck left United cursing their luck.

Too vehemently at times, David Beckham running his disciplinary luck to the limit and Nicky Butt facing up to a two-match ban after an ugly clash with Le Tissier.

But for all their efforts the equaliser would not come, United's plans of relentlessly moving eight points clear of the chasing back torn to shreds as their rivals were given unexpected hope.

Yet after the last two visits, perhaps United should have feared the worst, especially when they were forced to travel without calf injury victim Teddy Sheringham.

It meant Andy Cole was partnered by Ole Solskjaer, with Butt back in midfield, and before the champions had the chance to impose themselves they were a goal down.

Cole's clumsy halt of fit-again Lundekvam's advance from deep showed why he is a striker by trade, yet there was a sense of slow-motion about the action that followed.

Le Tissier - looking like the beneficiary of a visit to a health farm - floated in the free-kick and when Butt lost his footing, Davies stooped to send a header past the flat-footed Schmeichel.

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Benali, Richardson (Spedding 87), Monkou, Lundekvam, Davies (Ostenstad 19), Palmer, Hirst, Le Tissier (Slater 80), Oakley.

Subs Not Used: Dryden, Moss.

Booked: Dodd, Le Tissier.

Goals: Davies 3.

Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville (Nevland 85), Irwin, Scholes, Johnsen, Pallister, Beckham, Butt (McClair 80), Cole, Solskjaer, Giggs.

Subs Not Used: P. Neville, Berg, Pilkington.

Booked: Giggs, Beckham, Butt.

Att: 15,241

Ref: M A Riley (Leeds).