In a thrilling comeback, Manchester United secured a 3-1 victory over bottom-placed Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday, thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Amad Diallo. The match, held at Old Trafford, saw United struggling in the first half, culminating in an unfortunate own goal from Manuel Ugarte just before the break, leaving them trailing 1-0 at halftime.
The hosts faced criticism for their lackluster performance, but a revival followed after the interval, with Diallo netting the equalizer in the 82nd minute. He then displayed his skill and poise by scoring the winner in the 90th minute, capping off his performance with a third goal in stoppage time. This remarkable late surge not only gave United the much-needed three points but also pulled them up to 12th place in the league standings, now sitting on 26 points from 21 matches.
Diallo expressed his joy post-match, stating, “In football, you have to believe. Very happy to win this. We know we have quality players, but we need to be more hungry in the final third. Today we showed at the end we were the best team on the pitch.”
Despite the positive result, the performance sparked ongoing concerns among the fans regarding the team’s overall consistency. This marks the first time United has won a match in normal time in seven attempts across all competitions, a statistic that underlines the necessity for improvement as they aim to move further up the table.
Southampton’s manager, Ivan Juric, reflected on his team’s shortcomings, highlighting their need for a tougher mentality in front of goal and more decisiveness in their play.
With Diallo’s achievement, he joins a select group of players to score a hat-trick in the Premier League at such a young age, further establishing himself as one of United’s promising talents.
The victory offers a glimmer of hope for United fans as they seek more stability and success in the second half of the season. As they head into upcoming fixtures, the team will aim to build on this momentum and regain their place among the league’s contenders.