Amad Diallo netted an incredible hat-trick in just 12 minutes as Manchester United came back to defeat Southampton 3-1 on Thursday, narrowly avoiding a disheartening fourth consecutive home loss.
The Ivorian forward, who has been United’s standout performer this season, equalised in the 82nd minute and then put the home team ahead just seconds before the end of regular time.
He wasn’t finished there, taking advantage of a mistake by Taylor Harwood-Bellis to score a third in stoppage time, making the final score more lopsided than the match suggested.
This was tough luck for a Southampton side struggling to escape the bottom of the Premier League, still having only one victory to show for their efforts. Ivan Juric’s squad had rightfully taken the lead with Manuel Ugarte’s own goal late in the first half, creating several opportunities to add to their advantage.
Yet again, Diallo came to the rescue for a United side that has struggled, having scored the winning goal against Manchester City and the late equalizer versus Liverpool in previous matches.
“Today, we demonstrated that we were the stronger team in the end,” the forward said. “I am thrilled with the victory today because this team deserves it.”
United had secured a confidence-boosting FA Cup victory at Arsenal on Sunday, following a gritty 2-2 tie with league leaders Liverpool.
However, after three consecutive Premier League defeats, they needed to make a statement to their frustrated home crowd, which highlighted the extensive rebuilding work required for new manager Amorim.
The visitors quickly found their footing, and the energetic Kamaldeen Sulemana forced Andre Onana into a smart save after charging into the penalty box.
Despite a sluggish start, the home team should have taken the lead in the 20th minute after a well-executed move down the left, but Alejandro Garnacho missed the target woefully after receiving a pass from Rasmus Hojlund.
Southampton played with great confidence and enthusiasm. Onana produced an outstanding double save to deny Tyler Dibling with a stretched arm before swiftly recovering to block a shot from Mateus Fernandes at close range.
The visitors finally scored the goal they had earned in the 43rd minute after United’s defence mishandled a corner. Matheus Fernandes’s delivery was deflected at the near post by Dibling, resulting in an own goal off Ugarte’s back.
Amorim surprised many at halftime by substituting the under-performing Antony for Kobbie Mainoo before removing Ugarte and Hojlund, bringing on Toby Collyer and Joshua Zirkzee, as he sent a pointed message to his struggling players.
United began to gain momentum despite the continued threat from Southampton, finally breaking through in the 82nd minute.
Kyle Walker-Peters blocked Diallo’s initial shot, but the ball rebounded right back to the Ivorian, who didn’t hesitate this time, hammering it past Aaron Ramsdale.
Eight minutes later, he connected with a clever back-heeled return from substitute Christian Eriksen before completing his hat-trick deep into stoppage time.
This victory moved United to 12th place in the league, while Southampton remained 10 points behind in safety and appeared to be in serious trouble.
