Amad Diallo scored a sensational 12-minute hat-trick to save Manchester United’s blushes in a 3-1 win against Premier League basement club Southampton on Thursday.
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Ruben Amorim’s side looked set for a fourth straight league defeat at home before the forward turned the match on his head at a raucous Old Trafford.
He levelled in the 82nd minute before putting United ahead eight minutes later, rounding off in style with a third goal deep into stoppage time.
It was cruel luck on a Saints side battling to avoid finishing the season as the worst side in Premier League history.
Ivan Juric’s team 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.
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.
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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, who travelled to Old Trafford with only one league win all season, 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 deny 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.
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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.
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United finally got the breakthrough in the 82nd minute when Zirkzee spread the ball to Amad and he ran at the defence.
His first shot was blocked but he made no mistake with his second, blasting past Aaron Ramsdale in the Southampton goal.
But he was not finished yet.
Eight minutes later he got on the end of a cute dinked pass from substitute Christian Eriksen before taking advantage of a mistake from the Southampton defence to complete his hat-trick.
The win lifts United to 12th in the table and leaves Southampton 10 points from safety.
Earlier, Brighton scored a 2-0 win on the road over Ipswich after goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter.
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