Amad Diallo’s dramatic late hat-trick turned the game around as Manchester United beat Southampton 3-1 at Old Trafford.
It is 91 years since United last lost more than three home league games in a row but when Manuel Ugarte’s own goal left Ruben Amorim’s side behind to the Premier League’s bottom club at the break, a fourth looked likely. But Amad had other ideas.
He forced home the equaliser in the 82nd minute before playing a delightful one-two with Christian Eriksen in the 90th minute to put United ahead. Amad then latched onto a characteristic Saints defensive mishap to clinch the match-ball and transform the night.
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Sky Sports’ Anton Toloui and Adam Bate discuss Amad Diallo’s late hat-trick to save Manchester United against Southampton, but also look at the concerns in their first-half performance.
It was a struggle for much of the evening but the victory lifts United above three London clubs into 12th and builds on that FA Cup win over Arsenal at the weekend. For Ivan Juric and Southampton, it is a desperate blow. They remain 10 points from safety.
Player ratings
Man Utd: Onana (8), Yoro (4), De Ligt (5), Martinez (6), Amad (9), Ugarte (5), Mainoo (5), Mazraoui (5), Garnacho (5), Fernandes (6) , Hojlund (5).
Subs used: Antony (4), Zirkzee (7), Collyer (7), Eriksen (7), Maguire (6).
Southampton: Ramsdale (6), Bree (7), Bednarek (7), Harwood-Bellis (7), Sugawara (6), Ugochukwu (8), Aribo (7), Walker-Peters (6), Fernandes (8), Dibling (8), Solomon (8).
Subs used: Smallbone (5), Armstrong (6), Downes (6), Onuachu (6), Wood-Gordon (6).
Player of the match: Amad Diallo.
Alejandro Garnacho did miss a big chance to slot United in front early on but that was a rare opening for Amorim’s tentative team with Southampton looking the better side in a first half in which only Andre Onana came out with any credit for the home side.
The United goalkeeper kept out the lively Kamaldeen Sulemana, who tormented Leny Yoro throughout, before producing a sensational double stop to deny Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes. But Onana was helpless to prevent Ugarte’s own goal.
Team news headlines
- Leny Yoro came in for Harry Maguire for Manchester United as Amad Diallo moved to wing-back to cover for the suspended Diogo Dalot. Alejandro Garnacho started.
- Yukinari Sugawara returned to the Southampton starting line-up with his selection meaning Ryan Manning dropped to the bench. Flynn Downes was on the bench.
Southampton had been the only team not to score a Premier League goal from a corner prior to this game but United’s weakness from set-pieces was evident again, a tenth goal conceded from a corner. Sulemana might have doubled Saints’ lead after that.
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Antony missed a glorious opportunity to draw Manchester United level against Southampton but was it a contender for miss of the season or just bad timing?
And when substitute Antony contrived to miss an open goal, the mood at Old Trafford turned bleak. Amad, as he has so often this season, changed that. As others shrink, he seems to grow under pressure, always wanting it, offering movement on and off the ball.
It was enough to salvage the three points against a Southampton side that crumbled like a team that has won only once all season. Amorim can hardly be satisfied with the overall performance. But for the second time inside a week, he could point to the spirit.
Amad’s impact
Amad Diallo has been involved in 12 goals in his last 13 Premier League starts for Manchester United, scoring six and assisting six. The Ivorian is the first African player to reach double figures for goal involvements in a single campaign for the Red Devils.
Player of the match: Amad Diallo
Tactically, United were undone by Southampton. Yoro was exposed by Sulemana, the pressing – against a team notoriously error-prone at the back – was uncoordinated throughout, and there was a tentativeness to the team’s play that was alarming.
Some of these players are still uncomfortable with what they are being asked to do by Amorim, the coach himself acknowledging that the demands represent a complete reversal of what they were being taught. Some may be just ill-suited to what is required.
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Ruben Amorim congratulates Amad Diallo for his hat-trick against Southampton but says there is no time for celebrations as he needs to rest for their next fixture against Brighton.
But in those circumstances, you learn even more about players and people. Amad stepped up again. As he did in scoring the winner away to Manchester City. As he did in netting the leveller at Liverpool recently. Here, it was a hat-trick to turn it all around.
He did not wait for it to happen, he made it happen. The first goal was forced home at the second time of asking. The second came through clever movement inside the box, hoping he would be found. The third came from gambling on a defender miscontrolling.
He did it as the nominal wing-back in Amorim’s system, moved there to cover the absence of the suspended Diogo Dalot. How his coach would love it if everyone in his squad could embrace the challenges – mental and tactical – as he has this season.
Juric: We have to be more evil
Southampton boss Ivan Juric speaking in the press conference:
“I think we did really well for 75 to 77 minutes and then did really bad managing the game. We cannot play 95 minutes in the same way. It is a real pity we play like this.
“I have to be honest I expected a bit more of the players who came on, they have to give us more energy and more intensity.
“Everything we did was perfect. But there is a moment you have to be more evil and manage the game differently, we could not do that.
“I am from Italy and we are the best in the world at mentality. There is a moment you have to be Italian, lose the time, some fouls, throws. We are like kids, playing well, and then they score. I will show them what other teams do in the last 15 minutes.”
Story of the match in stats
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