Manchester United 3-1 Southampton: Amad Diallo's Hat-Trick Sparks Sensational Comeback

Key Moments:

Southampton opened the scoring in the first half through a Manuel Ugarte own goal.
United struggled for large portions of the match, appearing second best to a spirited Southampton side.
Amad Diallo turned the game on its head with three goals in the final eight minutes.

Manchester United clinched a dramatic 3-1 victory over Southampton at Old Trafford, thanks to a stunning late hat-trick from Amad Diallo.

The Saints, who had managed just one goal in their previous six Premier League games, started brightly and looked the more dangerous side in the first half. Kamaldeen Sulemana, Mateus Fernandes, and Tyler Dibling all tested Andre Onana, who pulled off several key saves to keep the hosts in the match. However, Southampton finally broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute when a corner deflected off Manuel Ugarte and into his own net.

Southampton’s traveling supporters sarcastically chanted, “We’ve scored a goal,” celebrating their rare lead, but they were left to rue missed opportunities to extend their advantage.

In the dying moments, United’s talismanic winger Amad Diallo sparked an extraordinary comeback. The 22-year-old equalized in the 82nd minute, slotting the ball under Aaron Ramsdale after a fortunate deflection. With just a minute of normal time remaining, Amad combined with Christian Eriksen for a brilliant one-two before volleying home to give United the lead. In stoppage time, he capitalized on a defensive error from Taylor Harwood-Bellis to seal his hat-trick and secure the three points for the hosts.

Player Ratings

Manchester United (3-4-3):

GK: Andre Onana – 7.8
Produced a series of crucial saves to keep United in the game.
CB: Leny Yoro – 7.0
Solid defensively but struggled against Southampton’s pace at times.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt – 7.7
Commanding presence at the back, key in organizing United’s defense.
CB: Lisandro Martinez – 6.8
Decent performance but caught out on a few occasions.
RWB: Amad Diallo – 9.7
Player of the match. His hat-trick single-handedly turned the game around.
CM: Manuel Ugarte – 6.1
Unfortunate own goal overshadowed his defensive contributions.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo – 6.0
Quiet performance before being substituted at halftime.
LWB: Noussair Mazraoui – 8.0
Energetic display, provided width and defensive cover.
RF: Alejandro Garnacho – 7.8
Lively in attack, caused problems for Southampton’s defense.
ST: Rasmus Hojlund – 6.2
Struggled to make an impact against a well-organized backline.
LF: Bruno Fernandes – 7.5
Worked tirelessly, linking midfield and attack effectively.

Substitutes:

Antony (46′ for Mainoo) – 6.7
Added some attacking impetus but lacked end product.
Joshua Zirkzee (53′ for Hojlund) – 6.5
Offered a physical presence but struggled for clear chances.
Toby Collyer (54′ for Ugarte) – 6.5
Helped stabilize midfield in a challenging second half.
Harry Maguire (83′ for Yoro) – N/A
Minimal time to influence the game.
Christian Eriksen (83′ for Mazraoui) – N/A
Key assist for Amad’s second goal.

Southampton (3-4-1-2):

Mateus Fernandes

GK: Aaron Ramsdale – 5.7
Could have done better for United’s second and third goals.
CB: James Bree – 6.4
Disciplined but struggled against United’s late onslaught.
CB: Jan Bednarek – 6.9
Strong in the air and led Southampton’s defensive effort.
CB: Taylor Harwood-Bellis – 6.1
Costly error in stoppage time marred an otherwise solid display.
RWB: Yukinari Sugawara – 6.4
Energetic but lacked quality in the final third.
CM: Lesley Ugochukwu – 7.0
Composed and effective in breaking up play.
CM: Joe Aribo – 7.4
Pulled the strings in midfield, showing creativity and composure.
LWB: Kyle Walker-Peters – 6.7
Worked hard but was overrun late in the game.
AM: Mateus Fernandes – 7.5
Bright and inventive, one of Southampton’s best performers.
ST: Tyler Dibling – 6.5
Lively but lacked cutting edge in front of goal.
ST: Kamaldeen Sulemana – 6.3
Missed a golden opportunity to extend Southampton’s lead.