Manchester United narrowly avoided an embarrassing fourth consecutive home league defeat as Amad Diallo delivered a sensational 12-minute hat-trick to secure a 3-1 victory over bottom-placed Southampton at Old Trafford.
United, who began the night languishing in 15th place, appeared headed for another dismal outing after a first-half own goal by Manuel Ugarte put Southampton ahead. With new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe watching from the stands, pressure was mounting on under-fire manager Ruben Amorim to produce results in what has been a challenging season.
Despite facing a Southampton side with the worst record in Premier League history after 20 games—just six points and 12 goals scored—United struggled to assert dominance in the first half. The visitors looked more composed early on, with Kamaldeen Sulemana and Mateus Fernandes forcing United goalkeeper Andre Onana into action.
United’s best chance before the break came when Rasmus Hojlund set up Alejandro Garnacho, but the young forward inexplicably missed the target. Meanwhile, Onana’s double save from Tyler Dibling and Fernandes kept United from falling further behind.
Amorim’s team continued to flounder until the 82nd minute, when substitute Christian Eriksen provided a pinpoint pass for Amad Diallo. The Ivorian winger coolly slotted home to equalize, sparking a late turnaround.
Just eight minutes later, Diallo volleyed in Eriksen’s second assist to put United ahead. The 22-year-old sealed his hat-trick in injury time, capitalizing on a defensive error to secure all three points and a Player of the Match award.
Amad’s heroics come shortly after signing a new £90,000-per-week contract, and his electrifying performance may have justified the investment in a matter of minutes.
Amorim, who has only two wins from his first ten league games, will take some relief from the result, but questions remain about United’s erratic form. The victory lifts United to 13th in the table, but the road ahead remains steep as fans and the new ownership demand significant improvement.
As United seeks consistency, Amad Diallo’s emergence as a game-changer offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise turbulent campaign.
