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Manchester United staged an improbable comeback, overcoming a lackluster performance to defeat bottom-placed Southampton 3-1 in the Premier League on Thursday night. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, United’s fortunes changed with Amad Diallo’s late heroics, as the Ivorian scored three goals in the final 12 minutes to seal an unlikely victory.
The hosts were second-best from the start, with Southampton creating the better chances. Alejandro Garnacho, making his first league start in over a month, squandered a golden opportunity, slicing his shot wide. United goalkeeper André Onana was kept busy, producing a double save to deny Southampton’s Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes in the 25th minute.
Southampton’s pressure paid off just before halftime, as Manuel Ugarte’s own goal gave the visitors a deserved lead. The goal came from a corner, with the ball ricocheting off Ugarte’s back and past Onana in the 43rd minute.
United improved after the break, but it seemed like they would again be frustrated on their own turf. Substitute Antony, introduced in the 65th minute, missed a close-range chance, heading wide from a Diallo cross. It appeared that the hosts would succumb to their fourth successive home league defeat for the first time since 1934.
However, Diallo’s late intervention changed the course of the game. His equalizer eight minutes from time was fortunate, as his shot from the edge of the box took a deflection off a Southampton defender. The winner in the 90th minute was sublime, though. Christian Eriksen’s clever pass set up Diallo, who finished with aplomb, slotting the ball past goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
Diallo then completed his hat-trick in stoppage time, thanks to some sloppy play from Southampton. The visitors’ attempt to play out from the back was intercepted, and Diallo was left with a simple finish to seal the win.
Diallo’s treble made him the third player in Premier League history to score three times in the final 10 minutes of a game. His performance will be remembered, but the victory did little to alleviate the concerns of the Old Trafford faithful, who have witnessed another disappointing season.
At 21 years and 45 days, Diallo became the youngest Manchester United player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Wayne Rooney in 2004. The win ended United’s three-match winless streak in the league and marked their first victory in normal time in seven matches across all competitions.
