AMAD Diallo struck a 12-minute hat-trick in a dramatic finish as Manchester United came from behind to snatch a 3-1 win over Premier League basement boys Southampton at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
United’s first-half performance seemed to undo much of the good work from their 2-2 draw at Liverpool and Sunday’s FA Cup penalty shoot-out at Arsenal as Southampton created chance after chance but only capitalised on one through a Manuel Ugarte own goal.
But as time ticked down, the Ivory Coast international, and United’s standout player this season, Diallo, would prove United’s saviour again.
The Ivorian levelled in the 82nd minute and then, in the dying seconds of the 90 minutes, exchanged passes with Christian Eriksen before putting the hosts ahead.
He was not done there, capitalising on a horrible error from Taylor Harwood-Bellis to grab a third in stoppage time.
It was another vital intervention from the 22-year-old, who grabbed the last-gasp winner in the Manchester derby last month before scoring a late equaliser in that draw at Anfield.
Yet for much of the night, United appeared dangerously close to losing a fourth successive top-flight home game for the first time in 95 years.
Twelve minutes in, Kamaldeen Sulemana left Leny Yoro trailing in his wake before Andre Onana palmed away his low shot. Moments later Mateus Fernandes charged into the box before firing straight at the United goalkeeper.
The hosts responded as Rasmus Hojlund burst down the left and pulled the ball back for Alejandro Garnacho, starting his first league game since December 7. When the Argentinian somehow placed his shot wide, Hojlund kicked the post in frustration.
But the better chances came at the other end, where Onana made an outstanding double save in the 27th minute. Tyler Dibling spun clear of Lisandro Martinez before shooting at Onana and, when the ball fell for Matheus Fernandes, the keeper made an even better save to keep out his close-range effort.
Dibling shot over before Sulemana again beat Yoro, then ran past both Matthijs de Ligt and Martinez before bending a shot narrowly wide.
United did not even manage a shot on target until a tame effort from Bruno Fernandes was scooped up by Aaron Ramsdale in the 36th minute.
Few could deny Southampton deserved the lead they took two minutes before half-time, when Matheus Fernandes’ corner was flicked on by Dibling before striking Ugarte on the back and deflecting in.
Seconds later, Dibling might have doubled the advantage with a powerful shot palmed away by Onana, yet the Saints still led at half-time for only the third time this season.
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The visitors started the second half strongly as well with Sulemana continuing to give Yoro a torrid time but United should have been level just before the hour.
Garnacho’s low ball was perfect for substitute Antony, but the much-maligned Brazilian got it it all wrong, his finish effectively a pass back to Ramsdale as Amorim put his head in his hands.
Instead they would leave it late. In the 82nd minute Kyle Walker-Peters blocked Diallo’s first effort but the ball came straight back to the Ivorian, who made no mistake the second time around.
Eight minutes later he had them level after a perfect combination with Eriksen but even Diallo was shaking his head in disbelief after Harwood-Bellis failed to control a pass from Ramsdale, allowing him to swoop in and apply the killer blow. (dpa/NAN)
