Manchester United 2 - 2 Southampton
United led 2-1 for 73 minutes before substitute Michael Obafemi scored in the 96th minute, bundling in a set-piece at the back post after it had been flicked on by Jan Bednarek.
Stuart Armstrong had given Southampton a 12th-minute lead, but Anthony Martial set up Marcus Rashford to equalise before firing a superb second goal for United.
Solskjaer's side were on course to leapfrog top-four rivals Chelsea and Leicester - who both suffered defeats over the weekend - and move up to third but they remain fifth with three games left in the chase for Champions League qualification.
"The mentality has been brilliant. We have had a few setbacks this season. This is another challenge for us," said Solskjaer.
"I am very confident in mentality. I'm disappointed of course, but you have to take the disappointments as well as the positives. We have learned a hard lesson. We will put it right. I trust the boys in that respect."
Despite United's setback, they will still qualify for the Champions League if they win their last three games, as they travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester on the final day of the season.
Solskjaer was unhappy with what he called a "nasty" first-half challenge by Oriol Romeu on Mason Greenwood, for which the Southampton midfielder went unpunished after a video assistant referee review.
Man Utd chained to fifth spot
But the late goal from Obafemi came as a blow for the Red Devils, who had been the better side for most of the match.
They had chances to extend their lead at 2-1 - Martial proving a constant threat throughout, while Rashford came close with a driven effort from long range after having a goal ruled out for offside in the first half.
But the Saints never looked out of it and the clinical edge United had shown coming into this match - they had scored 15 goals in their five previous games - seemed to evade them in the second half when Rashford's effort was blocked on the line by a sliding Ryan Bertrand.
There will be concern for Solskjaer over Luke Shaw, who hobbled off in the second half after he seemed to twist his ankle, before Brandon Williams took a heavy blow to the head.
However, United's hopes of Champions League football are still very much alive.
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