Amad Diallo stared out from the cover of Thursday night’s match programme next to a quote from Manchester United’s new darling. ‘Every time I’m on the pitch, I want to fight for this club,’ he declared.
And thank goodness for United, Diallo did fight. Because for more than 80 minutes here at Old Trafford they were facing more humiliation.
They were second best to bottom-of-the-table Southampton, a team that is still on course to become statistically the worst in Premier League history but in reality played so much better than that.
They trailed to a Manuel Ugarte own-goal. They were facing a fourth top-flight defeat in a row – equalling an unwanted record that has stood since 1930 – and a sixth in eight games.
On the touchline, head coach Ruben Amorim looked on in agony. Up in the stands, Sir Jim Ratcliffe wore the desperate look of a man who knows he can’t buy United out of trouble in this transfer window even if he wanted to.
Then Diallo decided to take matters into his own hands with a sensational 12-minute hat-trick that turned the game completely on its head.
Amad Diallo scored a late hat-tick to ensure Manchester United got the better of Southampton
United were below-par throughout and had to rely on one of their star men getting them out of danger at Old Trafford
Diallo’s goals came in the 82nd, 90th and 94th minute as he spared his side’s blushes
The little Ivorian, who signed a new contract last week after emerging as a huge presence under Amorim, came up with the big goals again, just as he did with the late equaliser at Liverpool 12 days ago and an even later winner at Manchester City last month.
This was something else altogether, though, almost single-handedly dragging United back from the brink of a devastating defeat even though he was playing as a right wing-back. No wonder Amorim loves him.
‘In football you have to believe,’ said Diallo. ‘This team deserved to win this game so I am very happy. We were the best team on the pitch.’
That’s the one thing he got wrong. United didn’t deserve to win. Saints were the better side, attacking with purpose and defending doggedly until they folded in that dramatic finale.
It would be wrong to say United responded to Amorim’s call to reproduce the performance that earned a point at Anfield and a FA Cup win at the Emirates.
Those results had lifted the mood here but also raised questions about the mentality of players who could go toe-to-toe with Arsenal and Liverpool yet lose three home games in a row to Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Newcastle.
United didn’t answer those questions here. Diallo was the difference.
It’s fair to say the warning signs were there when United won 3-0 at St Mary’s in mid-September and Andre Onana’s penalty save from Cameron Archer at 0-0 turned the game in their favour with Saints well on top.
But no-expected this kind of performance from a team with the worst record after 21 games in Premier League history. Kamaldeen Sulemana monstered Leny Yoro and Tyler Dibling, so good in the reverse fixture, excelled again.
Onana came to United’s rescue in the first half, keeping out Sulemana’s effort and making a fantastic double save in the 27th minute.
The Cameroonian denied Dibling after he turned Lisandro Martinez and went on a surging run into the box, then produced an even better save to keep out Matheus Fernandes’ follow-up from point-blank range with his chest.
Ruben Amorim could only watch on as his side were second best for much of the game
Leny Yoro struggled in defence against Kamaldeen Sulemana as Southampton threatened
Manuel Ugarte’s own goal had deservedly put the away side ahead – and it looked like they would hold on
But Diallo had the final say just days after signing his new contract at Old Trafford
But he was beaten three minutes before half-time after Matthijs De Ligt scrambled the ball out for a corner and United conceded from a set-piece once again.
Fernandes delivered from the left and Dibling rose in front of Martinez to flick on. The ball hit Ugarte on the back as he turned and went past Onana who couldn’t quite flap it away.
‘We’ve scored a goal, we’ve scored a goal,’ sang the jubilant Saints fans as they celebrated only their 13th in the league this season.
Amorim sent on Antony at the interval, taking off the anonymous Kobbie Mainoo and pulling Bruno Fernandes back into the middle.
Fernandes had been involved in United’s best moments up to that point – not least when he released Rasmus Hojlund to cross for Alejandro Garnacho to sidefoot wide – but they were few and far between.
Garnacho then drove a cross to the far post where Antony was guilty of an astonishing miss from two yards out, sliding in unmarked to somehow guide the ball into the hands of Aaron Ramsdale rather than over the line.
It looked like United were doomed, but step forward Diallo.
In the 82nd minute, Joshua Zirkzee found Diallo with a pass and he drove at Kyle Walker-Peters on the right. Diallo got a kind ricochet off the Saints defender and didn’t need a second invitation, seizing on the loose ball to bury it past Ramsdale.
The killer goal arrived in the 89th minute, latching onto a one-two with Christian Eriksen to poke home from close range and send Old Trafford into rapture.
Then in the fourth minute of added time, Diallo crowned an unbelievable performance as he stole the ball off Taylor Harwood-Bellis to smash home the third.
He walked off with the match ball and the gratitude of his team-mates, leaving Saints manager Ivan Juric bereft.
‘We were much better than Manchester United but in the last 15 minutes we were like innocent kids,’ lamented Juric.
‘It’s not a good mentality. To win this game you can’t play 75 minutes. For the last 15 minutes you have to be more malicious, more evil.’
Amorim admitted the performance was not good enough but was happy with the victory
