Manchester United 3-1 Southampton: Premier League – as it happened | Premier League

“A display so concerning it was surreal.” That’s Jamie Jackson on tonight’s match; here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.

Ivan Jurić gives TNT his verdict … and it’s a no-nonsense salvo at his players. “We did 75 minutes really good … playing much better that Manchester United … the last 15 we were like innocent kids … not a good mentality … the last 15 minutes you have to be much more malicious … more evil to win the game … it’s not physicality … you have to earn some fouls … throws … lose some time, be much more clever … a lot of situations we were naive … we have to work even more on the training, to not go down in the last 15 minutes … it was really good but not for 90 minutes … I am sorry and angry … we had lots of chances … we didn’t score … we did a really good game until 75 … I want the same performance against Nottingham Forest and to have the type of mentality to win games.”

Ruben Amorim speaks to TNT Sports. “In the end it is good … very difficult game … Southampton did a very good job creating space between the lines … we had some difficulties stopping [Kamaldeen Sulemana] … when they lost physicality in the last 30 minutes, we found the space to use … then we could change the game … we have so much to do … the team were really tired after Liverpool and Arsenal … not just physical but mental … it was a win, that’s good, let’s continue … we didn’t do a very good game, but in this moment, winning is the most important thing … playing in this stadium … the pressure is different … we have difficulties pressing high … today was not a lack of enthusiasm … it was a lack of speed and sometimes control … the players are not used to playing like that … you have to cover a lot of space … we don’t have the training [sessions] … it’s a different system … the profiles sometimes is not the right ones, but we have to improve players … we know the situation of the group and we have to continue.”

Poor Southampton, who were the better team for the best part of an hour and could easily have been two or three goals in front. A combination of profligate finishing and Andre Onana’s heroics kept the score down, and after Ruben Amorim replaced the toiling Rasmus Hojlund with Joshua Zirkzee, the tide turned. United started doing what they used to do during the Fergie Glory Years, grinding the opponents down before applying the killer touch late on. And what a killer touch: a 12-minute hat-trick by Amad Diallo, who is fast turning into United’s new superstar. Amorim won’t be fooled by the result, because United were dismal for the majority of the game. But that’s for another day, and this result relieves so much pressure on his team, who snap their losing run at home and rise to 12th spot. They welcome Brighton on Sunday, when they can move one step closer to the top half with a win, providing Liverpool see of Brentford the day before. United fans will be keeping their fingers crossed for all of that, right?

Hat-trick hero Amad Diallo takes his deserved ovation from all four corners of Old Trafford, and saunters off with the match-ball tucked under his arm. “In football you have to believe,” he tells TNT as the crowd continue to serenade him. “We are very happy to win this game. After drawing with Liverpool and Arsenal the confidence was there. This team deserved to win this game so I am very happy. We were the best team on the pitch.”

The referee takes pity on Saints and blows his whistle before the corner can be taken. What a comeback victory by Manchester United Amad Diallo! A superstar is emerging here.

90 min +6: Garnacho has a whack from a tight angle on the right. Ramsdale turns over the bar for a corner. Four would be absurdly cruel on Saints.

90 min +5: Poor Southampton, who could have been two or three up. They’ve been hit by a textbook smash-and-smash-and-smash and grab! A 12-minute hat-trick for Diallo.

Well this has gone south quickly for Southampton. Ramsdale plays out from the back. Harwood-Bellis, facing his own goal, takes a heavy touch. Diallo nips in from behind to steal, and whistles the ball into the unguarded net. That’s his first hat-trick in professional football!

90 min +3: No, but nearly! Harwood-Bellis wins a header and sends it goalwards, only for Downes to get in the road and deflect it inches wide of the right-hand post. Onana was rooted to the spot.

90 min +2: … but Southampton win a corner down the right. They couldn’t, could they?

90 min +1: Poor Aaron Ramsdale, so close to a first clean sheet in the Premier League looks like crying. There will be five additional minutes.

It’s that man again! Diallo tiptoes down the right touchline and rolls infield for Eriksen, who wedges a return down the inside-right channel. Diallo extends a leg and whip-cracks a glorious first-time effort into the bottom right. What a finish! What an escape for Manchester United!

89 min: It’s all United in terms of possession now. Saints struggling to string anything together. And then …

87 min: Diallo diddles his way down the right and thinks he’s won a corner but the referee points for a goal kick. Much finger-wagging.

86 min: Old Trafford is bouncing now, for the first time this evening. Diallo the late-scoring hero yet again, but Zirkzee has made an impression since coming on, too. Clapped off ironically the last time he played here, tonight he’s got an assist to his name. It’s a great feelgood comeback story, registering a full 10 on the Bryce Young-o-meter™.

84 min: Both teams respond with a double change, albeit one they were making anyway. Eriksen and Maguire come on for Yoro and Mazraoui. Meanwhile Bednarek and Ugochukwu are replaced by Wood and Onuachu.

Diallo, fed by Zirkzee, drives down the inside-right channel. He tries to beat Walker-Peters but the ball’s blocked. He gets the break of the ball, though, off his shin. He takes advantage by slotting into the bottom right, Ramsdale with no chance. It had been coming!

80 min: Downes is booked for fouling an in-flight Antony. When the game restarts, Bruno Fernandes is found in space to the right of the six-yard box. He attempts to dink Ramsdale but the keeper spreads himself and blocks. Bree completes the clearance.

78 min: Zirkzee drives down the left. Bree comes in from behind and nicks the ball off him. It’s sailing out for a corner. Ramsdale hooks clear, albeit from a couple of yards behind the line. Weirdly, and preposterously, no corner is awarded. United livid.

77 min: United with the sterile possession. They need more as the clock ticks on. “Man U fans will be hoping Collyer can mine a rich seam of form,” quips Russell Brady. He’s here all week, try the Cornish pasty.

75 min: United have enjoyed 79 percent of possession during the last five minutes. Ruben Amorim still pacing up and down the technical area in the agitated style.

73 min: Mateus Fernandes and Aribo are replaced by Armstrong and Downes.

72 min: Garnacho advances down the left, reaches the byline, and cuts back for Diallo, whose first-time drive is spectacularly blocked by Harwood-Bellis. Saints aren’t quite hanging onto their lead by their fingernails, but United are beginning to dominate territorially for the first time tonight.

71 min: Collyer dinks a cute pass down the inside-right channel to release Diallo, who has options in the middle but blooters a wild cross over everyone’s head and out for a goal kick.

70 min: A couple of runs by Diallo down the right. Full of effort and ambition, but both heading down a dead end.

68 min: It’s finished at Portman Road. FULL TIME: Ipswich Town 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion. A good result for Everton, Wolves, Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton. [MBM hack opts against obvious cheap shot]

66 min: United have at least regained a semblance of control. And they’ve made a couple of half-chances … plus that really big one that Antony somehow spurned. So for the first time in a while, the Old Trafford faithful are in good voice. John Denver on vibes.

64 min: Zirkzee advances dangerously towards the Saints box, and has the opportunity to shoot, but takes one touch too many so when he eventually does, it’s blocked. “If anyone should be replaced it’s Garnacho,” argues Peter Littley. “Hojland seems to take the blame for the failures elsewhere. To be honest apart from Onana you could have replaced any of the other 10.”

63 min: The excellent Dibling can’t continue, and he’s been replaced by Smallbone. “Could Paul Scholes have sounded more flat and lacking energy when he said United were flat and lacking energy?” wonders Ian Sargeant.

62 min: Dibling is down having taken a whack to the ankle. On comes the physio.