In a spectacular turn of events, Amad Diallo delivered a stellar performance to lead Manchester United to a 3-1 victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday.
United, struggling for form this season, found themselves trailing thanks to an unfortunate own goal by Manuel Ugarte just before halftime. The hosts appeared outmatched from the start, but Diallo had other plans.
With the game seemingly slipping away, Diallo stepped up in the second half, scoring his first goal eight minutes from time to level the score. The young Ivorian didn't stop there, completing his hat-trick in the 90th minute to seal a dramatic turnaround.
This remarkable achievement not only secured three crucial points for United but also elevated them to 12th place in the standings with 26 points from 21 games. Southampton, on the other hand, remains stuck with six points, 10 points short of the safety zone.
\"In football you have to believe,\" Diallo shared with TNT Sports. \"Very happy to win this. We know we have quality players but we need sometimes to be more hungry in the final third. Today we showed at the end we were the best team on the pitch.\"
Despite recent improvements under new coach Ruben Amorim, United had been on the brink of a fourth consecutive home defeat, a streak not seen since 1934. The first half saw limited opportunities, with Alejandro Garnacho narrowly missing a golden chance.
United's goalkeeper, Andre Onana, made impressive saves to keep Southampton at bay early on, but Ugarte's own goal put the visitors ahead. It wasn't until the second half that United began to find their rhythm, culminating in Diallo's last-minute heroics.
Diallo's hat-trick places him among Premier League legends, as only Wayne Rooney has scored a hat-trick for United at a younger age. Additionally, Diallo becomes the third player in Premier League history to score three times in the final 10 minutes of a game, showcasing his knack for decisive performances.
Reference(s):
Diallo's hat-trick helps United come back to beat Southampton
cgtn.com
