MAN UTD 3, SOUTHAMPTON 1
Rising star Amad Diallo scored a 12-minute hat-trick late in the game to give Manchester United a dramatic victory against bottom-club Southampton.
The Reds looked to be heading towards a sixth home league loss of the season – and the most embarrassing and humiliating – until Amad saved the day with goals after 82,90 and 94 minutes.
Amad, at 22 years and 189 days, becomes the youngest United player to score a Premier League treble at Old Trafford – Wayne Rooney was younger when he achieved the feat in an away game.
But the joy was tinged with relief as United were second best for most of the match against opponents who have now won only one of their 21 league games and are cast adrift at the bottom of the table.
A Manuel Ugarte own goal late in the opening half gave Saints the lead but they would have been out of sight but for the excellence of keeper Andre Onana.
Head coach Ruben Amorim said pre-match he would learn more about his side against the struggling Saints than in the two heart-warming displays against Liverpool and Arsenal.
The glaring deficiencies – Unite were 15th before kick-off and 12th at the final whistle – were there for all to see.
The positives Amorim will take from the game is that United showed character to grind out a win they scarcely deserved and the towering display of the diminutive Amad who may be small in stature but he is becoming a giant in this United side.
Amad, who has just signed a new contract, took his season’s total to nine goals to head the club’s scoring chart.
Looking at the great finish, Amad said: “In football you have to believe. We believed until the end and are very happy to win this game. We drew with Arsenal and Liverpool so the confidence was there. We are very happy.
“We know we have quality players in this team. We need sometimes to be more hungry in the final third. Today we showed at the end we were the best team. I am so happy for the win today because this team deserves it.
Embed from Getty Images“I am ready to play every position where the manager likes to put me. I am ready to fight for this club. I am so happy to play where the manager wants me to play and I am so happy to score a hat-trick.”
Amad, on scoring his first senior hat-trick and signing a new contract, added: “Maybe one of the best weeks in my life.
“I am so happy to score my first hat-trick at Old Trafford. But for me, the most important thing was to win this game, and I am happy for the club that we could win it.”
Amorim praised matchwinner Amad, saying: “He did a great job. It was a great moment for a young player to score a hat-trick for a big club like this.
“Even in the first half, every time Amad gets the ball he can push the ball. He pushes the other team into the final third – that is really important. We didn’t have a good game, but at this moment, winning is the most important thing.”
Amorim had doubts United would find a way of winning, adding: “I had to believe, but when Antony misses, I thought let’s go again and it would be a difficult night for our fans with the three losses at home.
“We didn’t do a good job. But for all the opportunities we had, I think we deserved to win, but we have to improve.
“I want us to play better football, but we need time.
“In the end it is good. A very difficult game, a game of two halves. They did a very good job Southampton. Creating space in-between the lines.
“Number 20 [Kamaldeen Sulemana] with a lot of space. We had a lot of difficulty to stop that player.
“When they lose their physicality, we find the space to use. The feeling is we have so much to do – the team is really tired. It was a win, it was good – let’s continue.”
Amorim made two changes to the side which drew with Liverpool in their last league match.
Leny Yoro and Alejandro Garnacho came in for Harry Maguire and the suspended Diogo Dalot.
Amid much transfer speculation, Marcus Rashford was not in the squad.
There were also changes to the Saints which was heavily beaten by Brentford last time out.
Yukinari Sugawara and Mateus Fernandes came in for Nathan Wood and Paul Onuachu who were both on the bench.
Saints came close to snatching a 12th minute lead on the break as Kamaldeen Sulemana sprinted down the left and cut inside before an angled shot was well kept out by keeper Andre Onana.
United ought to have taken the lead with their first clear sight of goal in the 20th minute.
Rasmus Hojlund broke down the left and cut the ball back to Garnacho who fired wide from 12 yards when he looked certain to score.
United were indebted to Onana again with a brilliant double save to deny Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes.
There was another let off when Sulemana broke from halfway unchecked, cut inside before bending a shot narrowly wide.
United’s luck ran out as Saints took a 43rd minute lead with the 10th goal they have netted from a corner this season.
Mateus Fernandes’ corner was flicked on by Dibling and went in off the back of Manuel Ugarte for the first Saints’ goal of the campaign from a corner.
And Dibling had another effort beaten out by Onana at the end of a grim half for the Reds.
Amorim made a change at the break as Kobbie Mainoo made way for Antony who, within seconds of the restart, had an effort deflected narrowly over.
There were two further changes within eight minutes of the restart as Hojlund and Ugarte were replaced by Joshua Zirkzee and Toby Collyer.
Sulemana ripped through the home defence on the left before firing just wide of the far post.
United ought to have been level just before the hour when Garnacho broke on the left and crossed to the far post where Antony, sliding in, looked as though he could not miss only to redirect his shot back across the face of goal enabling Aaron Ramsdale to save.
Garnacho then forced a diving save from Ramsdale as there was a rare flick of life from United.
United finally drew level with eight minutes left as Zirkzee broke forward before spraying a pass to Amad who cut in from the right. There was a lucky ricochet off Kyle Walker-Peters back into his path before he cut in to rifle home a low shot.
The goal came just as United were about to make their final two changes, Noussair Mazraoui and Yoro making way for Cristian Eriksen and Harry Maguire.
And there was further drama as United netted a 90th minute winner they scarcely deserved.
Amad began the move on the right before cutting inside and playing a return pass with Eriksen before volleying from 10 yards.
United then added a third goal in stoppage time as Amad completed a 12-minute hat-trick.
A poor clearance from Ramsdale to Taylor Harwood-Bellis was intercepted by Amad who rolled the ball into an empty net as he left the pitch proudly clutching the match ball.