Amad Diallo’s stunning 12-minute hat-trick rescues United and sinks sorry Saints
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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. 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 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.
Southampton arrived at Old Trafford on course for the worst campaign in Premier League history and the late finish means they now remain on six points, with a goal difference of minus 34 – having found the net only 13 times in the league this season. And yet they looked by far the more dangerous side in the opening half.
