DIALLO DAZZLES Manchester United's Ivorian midfielder Amad Diallo (C) celebrates scoring the team's third goal, his hat-trick, with Manchester United's Argentinian midfielder Alejandro Garnacho (L) during the English Premier League football match at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on January 16, 2025. Picture: Oli Scarff/AFP
Image: Oli Scarff/AFP
Amad Diallo scored a sensational 12-minute hat-trick as Manchester United roared back to beat Premier League basement club Southampton 3-1 on Thursday, narrowly avoiding a humiliating fourth straight home defeat.
The Ivory Coast international -- United's standout player this season -- levelled in the 82nd minute before putting the hosts ahead in the dying seconds of the 90 minutes.
He was still not done, capitalising on an error from Taylor Harwood-Bellis to grab a third in stoppage time, giving the scoreline a skewed look.
It was cruel luck on a Saints side battling to avoid finishing the season as the worst side in Premier League history, still with just one win to their name.
Ivan Juric's men had deservedly taken the lead through a Manuel Ugarte own goal towards the end of the first half and had numerous chances to extend their lead.
But Diallo was once again the saviour for misfiring United following his winning goal at Manchester City and his late equaliser against Liverpool in recent weeks.
"Today we showed at the end we were the best team," the winger told TNT Sports. "I am so happy for the win today because this team deserves it.
"I am ready to play every position where the manager likes to put me."
United manager Ruben Amorim praised his forward, underlining his attacking threat.
"He pushes the other team into the final third -- that is really important," he said. "We didn't have a good game, but at this moment, winning is the most important thing."
United secured a morale-boosting FA Cup win at Arsenal on Sunday, which followed a battling 2-2 draw at league leaders Liverpool.
But they had a point to prove to their long-suffering home fans after three straight Premier League defeats underlined the huge rebuilding task facing new manager Amorim.
The visitors settled quickly and the lively Kamaldeen Sulemana forced Andre Onana into a smart save after surging into the penalty area.
Despite their slow start, the home side should have been ahead in the 20th minute following a flowing move down the left but Alejandro Garnacho skewed horribly wide after being found by Rasmus Hojlund.
Southampton were playing with confidence and zip.
Onana produced a brilliant double save to deny Tyler Dibling with an outstretched hand before quickly getting up to save from Mateus Fernandes from point-blank range.
And the visitors scored the goal they thoroughly deserved in the 43rd minute after the United defence made a hash of a corner.
Matheus Fernandes's delivery was flicked on at the near post by Dibling and the ball went in off Ugarte's back.
Amorim raised eyebrows at half-time by bringing on the under-performing Antony for Kobbie Mainoo.
Ghana winger Sulemana, giving Leny Yoro a torrid time on right side of United's defence, burst through again, only to be denied by a block from the scrambling Matthijs de Ligt.
Amorim then hauled off Ugarte and Hojlund, replaced by Toby Collyer and Joshua Zirkzee, as he sent a stinging message to his under-performing stars.
Sulemana raced past Yoro again and sent a shot agonisingly wide of the post.
Antony was responsible for an astonishing miss shortly before the hour mark, failing to get any purchase on a Garnacho cross.
United were now building up a head of steam despite the lingering threat from Southampton and they finally got the breakthrough 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, blasting past Aaron Ramsdale.
But he was not finished yet.
Eight minutes later he got on the end of a cute dinked return pass from substitute Christian Eriksen before completing his hat-trick deep into stoppage time.
The win lifts United to 12th in the table and leaves Southampton 10 points from safety, looking doomed.
"We were like innocent kids in some moments and we lost the game that we controlled for 75 minutes," Juric, still seeking his first win since arriving at Southampton last month, told the BBC.
In the other Premier League fixture on Thursday, Brighton beat relegation-threatened Ipswich 2-0, with second-half goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter.
AFP