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Amad Diallo’s latest Man Utd rescue act: a stunning 12-minute hat-trick

rob bagchi
·34-min read
Amad Diallo
Not for the first time in his United career Diallo came up with vital goals, first to equalise, then to turn the game on its head in the final 10 minutes - Will Palmer/SPP/Shutterstock

For a good 80 minutes or so, Manchester United were facing the potential ignominy of a fourth consecutive home defeat.
The first television sets had only been on sale a few years the last time that happened at Old Trafford. The year was 1930, United were managed by a former referee called Herbert Bamlett and Ramsay MacDonald was prime minister. So that was not a record United will have much fancied matching.

By the time the clock hit minute 82, Southampton could and should have been out of sight. Only a plethora of missed chances and a stupendous display from Andre Onana in the United goal had kept the Premier League’s basement club at bay for the first hour of a game in which Ruben Amorim’s side were a distant second all over the pitch.

And then Amad Diallo stepped forward to produce another of his virtuoso rescue acts and doubtless leave United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, watching from the directors’ box, breathing a huge sigh of relief. United’s match-winner against Manchester City last month, scorer of the goal that earned a deserved draw at Liverpool 10 days earlier and now the plunderer of a stunning 12-minute hat-trick that dug his team out of a big hole.

A virtual outcast under Erik ten Hag, the young Ivory Coast forward has been given a new lease of life under Amorim and he is repaying that faith in bucketloads. Some of United’s contract awards down the years have left much to be desired, but the new five-year deal the 22-year-old signed last week was most deserved.

What a revelation he has been. United’s season has been a story of timidity, toothlessness and submissiveness, traits that were all on show during a spineless first-half showing against Southampton that was just about as bad as anything they have delivered this term. Amad is the opposite of all of those things: ruthless in front of goal, brave, relentless, urgent and with a flair for making things happen.

In truth, he was not the only reason United won this game. After Onana had kept United in it, Amorim’s decision to jettison Manuel Ugarte, whose own goal late in the first period had given Southampton the lead from a corner, and Rasmus Hojlund and bring on Joshua Zirkzee and Toby Collyer brought an immediate uplift. That and Amorim’s decision to move to a nominal back four and push Amad further forward from his starting position as a right wing-back.

Zirkzee, clearly buoyed by his decisive penalty in the FA Cup shoot-out victory over Arsenal on Sunday, had his best 30 minutes in a red shirt. His arrival gave United some much-needed impetus and it was fitting that he set up Amad for the equaliser, picking up the ball from Bruno Fernandes and driving at Southampton’s defence. Amad’s initial shot was blocked before he dispatched the rebound.

Behind after conceding again from a corner, this had looked like being a horror show of a night for United when the £85million misfit Antony produced one of the misses of the season to deny his side an equaliser just before the hour mark.

Amad, though, has no such complex in front of goal and that was abundantly clear with his 90th- minute winner. It was a minor classic, Amad cutting inside from the right and finding Eriksen before continuing his run into the penalty area. Eriksen returned the ball with an exquisite dinked pass and there was Amad to meet it with a crisp diving volley that left Aaron Ramsdale no chance.

He then completed his hat-trick when he again displayed their razor-sharp pressing instincts to pounce on a mistake by Taylor Harwood-Bellis to score.

Amorim said this game would teach him a lot more about his players than the performances at Liverpool and Arsenal and he certainly knows he can rely upon Amad. But He will have also been encouraged by what he saw from Zirkzee, but there were some concerning displays elsewhere in the side. United could have been 4-1 down at the interval. Southampton had not scored from a corner all season, but United have conceded from them so often that it was little surprise to see Ivan Juric’s side take the lead on the cusp of half-time when Tyler Dibling flicked on Mateus Fernandes’ corner and the ball bounced in off Ugarte.

Any doubts about Amorim’s decision to reinstate Onana in goal after Altay Bayindir’s match-winning heroics at the Emirates Stadium were expunged over the course of 45 minutes in which the Cameroonian made five excellent saves to shut out Southampton. The pick of the bunch was a stunning double save to deny first the outstanding Dibling after a fine run and then Fernandes on the rebound from point-blank range.

Alejandro Garnacho should have scored for United from Hojlund’s pull-back midway through the first period, but Amorim registered his own disapproval with his substitutions. Kobbie Mainoo made way for Antony at half-time and within eight minutes of the restart, Ugarte, whom the head coach said was tired from the outset, and Hojlund, who has one league goal since October 19, were both withdrawn.

Amorim feared it was not going to be United’s night when Antony missed a sitter. Fernandes played in Garnacho and his ball from the left was on a plate for Antony to tap in at the far post. Yet the Brazilian flop somehow managed to steer the ball back towards where it came and into the hands of a grateful Aaron Ramsdale. It was an extraordinary miss. Enter Zirkzee and Collyer. Both did so well. But it was Amad who grabbed this game by the horns and turned defeat into victory in double quick time.

10:27 PM GMT

Ivan Juric: We need to be more malicious

We did 75 minutes really good, playing better than Manchester United.

The last 15 minutes we were like innocent kids,. You need to be more malicious, a little bit more evil to win the game. You have to earn some fouls, free throws, losing the time, be clever. We were naive.

Until the end we have to play like this. We have to work even more on the training not to go down for the last 15 minutes.

We are playing a very good game. I’m sorry and angry for the guys because we didn’t do the right things in the last 15 minutes.

We had lots of chances to score [a second] but we didn’t and we played really good for 75.

We have to use everything for the next game. I want the same [level of] performance against Nottingham [Forest] and another type of mentality to win the game.

10:17 PM GMT

Southampton fans will be devastated

But there are green shoots in that performance. It’s clear that they are adapting well to the new manager and they played very well for 70 minutes. They continue to make mistakes but they don’t look like a contender to be the worst side in Premier League history anymore despite the paucity of points.

10:13 PM GMT

Ruben Amorim speaks to TNT Sports

In the end it is good. A very difficult game of duels and systems.

Southampton did a very good job, creating space between the lines. We had difficulties with their No20 [Sulemana].

But when they lost their physicality we found the space to win the game.

The team is really tired, mentally and physically after Liverpool and Arsenal.

Amad pushes the opposition inside their box. That type of player is very important. We didn’t do a very good game but the most important thing is winning.

It’s not just tiredness but we lost the last three games in this stadium and the pressure is different. Mateus [Fernandes] between the lines, Dibling between the lines caused us problems. We can’t press high yet. One transition and Yoro cannot catch the guy [and they scored]. One small thing,

It wasn’t lack of enthusiasm but a lack of speed and control of the game.

We don’t have the training [sessions to work on 3-4-2-1]. It’s a different system. The profiles [of this group] sometimes is not the right ones, but we have to improve players

10:01 PM GMT

Amad speaks to TNT Sports

In football you have to believe. We are happy to win this game after draws with Liverpool an Arsenal. the confidence was there. I’m very happy for the win because this team deserved to win the game. We know we have quality players in this team, we need sometimes to be more hungry in the final third and at the end we showed we were the best team on the pitch.

I’m ready to play every position, No 10, wing-back wherever the manger likes to put me. I’m ready to fight for this club. I’m so happy to score a hat-trick but the win for the club is more important.

09:56 PM GMT

Full time: Man Utd 3 Southampton 1

Amorim has his first victory in four but that was achieved by the seat of their pants after stinking the place out for long spells. Amad is a gem and has been carrying this team. Well played again.

09:54 PM GMT

90+5 min: Man Utd 3 Southampton 1

Lies, damned lies and football results. Man Utd, awful for 80 minutes, suddenly sparked into life.

09:52 PM GMT

GOAL!

Southampton 1 Man Utd 3 (Amad) What a turnaround. But what a terrible mistake from Harwood-Bellis as Southampton succumb to their mad passing it out from the back strategy despite needing an equaliser in injury time. Ramsdale passed it to the centre-half who miscontrolled it and Amad nipped in to gobble up the ball and slot it into an empty net. A 12-minute hat-trick! Moments earlier Harwood-Bellis had met a Southampton corner perfectly and seemed to be the destined to be the levelling hero but the ball hit Downes and the deflection made it squirt inches wide.

09:48 PM GMT

GOAL!

Southampton 1 Man Utd 2 (Amad Diallo) Christian Eriksen may not be able to run any more but class is permanent with his passing. He takes the ball in the inside-right position when Amad sweeps it in to his feet. The winger carries on running into the box and Eriksen scoops a pass up and over the Southampton back line to Amad who volleys it in from about eight yards.

09:46 PM GMT

88 min: Man Utd 1 Southampton 1

Amad dribbles down the right and makes it to the byline but runs out of field. Goal-kick though he thinks he should have a corner.

09:45 PM GMT

86 min: Man Utd 1 Southampton 1

Now United find some urgency. Better late than never, says Ally McCoist, but what a dereliction of duty.

09:44 PM GMT

84 min: Man Utd 1 Southampton 1

Four subs:

Wood → Ugochukwu
Onuachu → Bednarek

Eriksen → Yoro
Maguire → Mazraoui

Amad Diallo got the goal that has undeservedly drawn Manchester United level but Joshua Zirkzee has been the game-changer. The Dutch forward replaced the ineffective Rasmus Hojlund and has led the line superbly, allowing United to play much further up the pitch and he has been a handful for the Southampton defence. What a difference that penalty in the FA Cup shoot-out win over Arsenal has made. It looks far more confident.

09:40 PM GMT

GOAL!

Man Utd 1 Southampton 1 (Amad) Zirkzee who has been good and elusive with his dribbling since he came on, tacks across field from left to right, picks out Amad who tries to open his body to shoot with his left. It hits Walker-Peters and flukily comes back to him and he goes the other way and slides a right-foot shot across Ramsdale and in. Relief sounds like a guttural roar.

09:39 PM GMT

81 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Bruno, so often the saviour, ghosts into a pocket on the right side of the area and, as the angle tightens when he receives the pass, he goes to dink it over Ramsdale who manages to block it and the ball goes straight up the chimney. Bruno is first to it with the header across goal but no red shirt attacked that space and Bree hooked it away.

09:37 PM GMT

79 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Manchester United should have had a corner when Ransdale, yard behind the line, kicked the ball back into play, retrieving Bree’s tackle on Zirkzee. Extraordinary decision. Terrible.

09:36 PM GMT

77 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Cries of ‘United! United!’ try to encourage them out of this malaise but they can’t get out of their half for a minute.

09:34 PM GMT

74 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Just before the substitution Garnacho had glided down the left to pick out Amad whose shot was blocked by Harwood-Bellis. He was put on the rack by the pundits for his awful performance against Brentford but Harwood-Bellis has been classy tonight.

09:32 PM GMT

72 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Twin Saints substitution:

Armstrong → Mateus Fernandes
Downes → Aribo.

Aribo has had a fine game. 

09:29 PM GMT

70 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Collyer slides a pass down the right of the box that allows Amad to blindside Walker-Peters, round him and cross... terribly, Far too strong and beyond everyone. He lifts the hem of his shirt and covers his face.

09:28 PM GMT

68 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

The diligent Walker-Peters nips across from the Southampton left to tackle Amad in the box after a cute Zirkzee flick seemed to give him a shooting chance.

09:27 PM GMT

66 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

The crowd is not so much impatient or seditious, simply stunned.

09:24 PM GMT

64 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Dibling can’t go on. Something wrong with his ankle.

Smallbone → Dibling.

Zirkzee takes the ball 25 yards out and tacks forward and right across the D, trying to work an angle to shoot but isn’t confident enough to pull the trigger when he is central and keeps going until he eventually shoots out of desperation and into Harwood-Bellis’ shins.

09:22 PM GMT

62 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Dibling is down receiving treatment and looks as if his race is run.

It is a huge show of faith by Ruben Amorim in 21-year-old Toby Collyer who has been brought on for big-money signing Manuel Ugarte. But Manchester United taking off Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund is also a damning indictment of how poorly they have played. They are not alone. Alas, indeed, poor Yoro. It has been a poor night for centre-half Leny Yoro while substitute Antony has just been guilty of the miss of the season.

09:20 PM GMT

60 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Absolutely astonishing miss from Antony. Garnacho had got the better of Bree and bombed down the left to square it through the six-yard box, bisecting the keeper and the six-yard line. Antony has half an open goal and slides in to convert but hooks it straight to Ramsdale. All he needed to do was stay on his feet to pass it in. He smiles ruefully which suggests he might have slipped. But even so. Ronny Rosenthal, you have a long lost twin.

09:18 PM GMT

57 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Zirkzee turns Bednarek on halfway but Bree bullocks back to make a crucial challenge and Southampton recover to send Sulemana down the left and he makes Yoro look like a cart-horse again, haring past his left shoulder and into the box to shoot with his right again. The camera pans to Ratcliffe who looks as if he has seen a ghost.

09:14 PM GMT

55 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Mateus Fernandes takes the free-kick and hits the top of the wall which sends the ball behind for a corner which comes to naught.

09:13 PM GMT

53 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Ugochukwu storms down the inside-left, haring away from a floundering Ugarte and Martinez sticks out a foot to leg him up and stop him shooting. Free-kick 20 yards out and a yellow card.

Collyer → Ugarte
Zirkzee → Hojlund.

Yoro and Martinez are the worst players but Amorim decides to make changes elsewhere.

09:11 PM GMT

51 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Big shout for a Southampton penalty after Sulemana twists Yoro’s blood again down the Southampton left. He beats him for fun, cuts inside to shoot with his right and it hits De Ligt on the back and possibly the biceps. No pen.

09:09 PM GMT

49 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Sulemana is running Yoro ragged and plays a pass to the byline round the young centre-back for Walker-Peters to cross and Ugarte slides in to turn it behind for a corner.

Dibling again flicks it on at the near post but this time United scramble it away, not very convincingly though.

Really interesting substitution from Ruben Amorim who has taken off a central midfielder in Kobbie Mainoo and replaced him with a winger in Antony. It means that Bruno Fernandes has had to drop deeper to play alongside Manuel Ugarte. We know it is a role he does not relish. But United could not carry on playing the way they did.

09:06 PM GMT

47 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Antony is straight into the action when Fernandes finds a pocket of space in the inside-left channel and dribbles forward and plays a reverse pass that Antonty runs across Bree to spin on and shoot. Harwood-Bellis, though, was alert to the danger and came over to block the shot.

09:04 PM GMT

46 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Antony is on but for Mainoo! Bruno Fernandes drops back and Antony plays behind Hojlund.

Antony → Mainoo.

09:01 PM GMT

Antony is on the pitch warming up

On at right wing-back his past appearances would suggest.

08:57 PM GMT

Paul Scholes on TNT Sports

A really flat performance, lacking energy, low on quality. Southampton have been the better team, really good, I’ve enjoyed watching them. United needed to go behind to give them a lift. I’m sure they’ll be being given a dressing down now.

08:52 PM GMT

Half-time verdict

It has frankly been an abysmal first-half by Manchester United and they are deservedly behind and lucky it is not even more. Yes, Alejandro Garnacho should have scored and they could have had a penalty but Southampton have dominated and played all the good football and fully deserve their lead. And it would be more but for goalkeeper Andre Onana.

This must be maddening for Ruben Amorim who had talked about the importance of this fixture and the need to start playing more on the front-foot. United have not done that. In fact they have looked like the team at the bottom of the Premier League and not Southampton. Old Trafford is in stunned state. This has been appalling from United and they are booed off.

08:50 PM GMT

Half-time: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Mateus Fernandes is booked for calling for a booking for a United player. Diallo had just chosen not to make a hurdle of Harwood-Bellis’s lazily thrust out leg in the penalty area.

08:48 PM GMT

45 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 1

Manchester United are reeling and Dibling almost doubles the punishment when he strides down the inside left to unleash a blistering shot that is too close to Onana. The kid is fearless and plays with such a swagger. A diamond in the dross of this season.

08:43 PM GMT

GOAL!

Man Utd 0 Southampton 1 (Ugarte og) Oh dear. Southampton have their first goal from a corner this season. Mateus Fernandes whipped it in to the front post. Dibling flicks it on and the ball hits Ugarte on his back, right between the digits of his numbers and ricochets in. Onana tries to claw it away but is too late and the referee gets the beep on his goal-line tech watch to confirm it had crossed the line.

08:43 PM GMT

42 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

While United are being this passive, Southampton really have to cash in. Because tweaks in tactics and personnel are coming. Malacia would be better at left wing-back and Amad pushed into Garnacho’s role.

08:41 PM GMT

40 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Manchester United are far too deep and so when Mazraoui tries to free Garnacho with a good-looking straight pass slotted up the inside-left, Garnacho is too far away to make it there before the defender.

08:40 PM GMT

37 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Hoojlund sends Bruno through for a shot which Ramsdale could have thrown his cap on. Big groan when Hojlund loses the ball.

08:38 PM GMT

35 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

The difference between Anfield/The Emirates and here for United in their performance? They seem confused in understanding how to put together waves of attacks under the weight of expectation. They are OK at countering but are flat with the ball.

08:36 PM GMT

33 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Aribo and Ugochukwu combine to free Sulemana down the left and he has Yoro on toast for a second time, burning past his inside shoulder and although his team-mate makes the wring run and draws a defender closer to make it congested, Sulemana shifts it on to his right by the middle of the D but can’t get his bending shot to curl back in sufficiently.

08:34 PM GMT

30 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

As Ally McCoist says, Southampton are playing with confidence that had been absent for months. There’s so much space for them in front of United’s wing-backs who need to be pushed higher. Bree is getting out at will on the Saints’ right.

Once again we are talking VAR. It certainly looked handball and a penalty against Kyle Walker-Peters as the ball bounced off his raised arm when he went to control it. Whether it was given or not what was so extraordinary was how short the expected VAR check by Paul Tierney was with referee John Brooks signalling to his ear but then, after only a couple of seconds, pointing for play to continue. How could the check be so brief?

08:30 PM GMT

28 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Superb double save from Onana when Martinez panics and sells himself trying to nip in with Dibling opening his stride and running at him. Mazraoui backtracks and gives the teenager the angle to shoot. Onana gets down smartly again to block a rasping shot with a big right hand and the rebound sits up nicely for Mateus Fernandes who chestes it down to whack an effort from eight yards on goal. Onana, though, springs up and makes like a Schmeichel starfish to block again.

08:28 PM GMT

26 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Better from Garnacho who is involved in everything at the moment as he receives the ball to the left of the D and snaps into a shot that strikes a defender’s knee and balloons out to the right. Man Utd want a penalty when Walker-Peters goes up for a header with Diallo and the ball hits his hand as he levered himself up to head it. No pen.

It has been a hugely underwhelming start by Manchester United. Southampton – bottom of the Premier League with just one win all season – have had chances and played by far the better football although United’s Alejandro Garnacho has just missed the best of them all so far. “You’re just a s--- Tyler Dibling,” chant the Southampton fans.

08:26 PM GMT

24 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Garnacho again is at fault when Bruno sends Mainoo gliding down the inside-left and into the box. He picks up his head and pulls a pass back to where he thinks Garnacho would be but he had stayed still and left Harwood-Bellis between him and Mainoo and the Southampton defender intercepted.

08:23 PM GMT

22 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Big chance for Garnacho after an excellent driving run from Hojlund into the box. He looks as though he is going to shoot with his left but instead, rightly, squares it to his right to Garnacho who has kept pace with him. Ramsdale had closed the angle for Hojlund leaving a net unguarded in the middle and right side but Harwood-Bellis threw his body in the line desperately and feet first and it did enough to spook Garnacho who smeared his shot wide. That was a sitter.

08:21 PM GMT

20 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Bruno is fouled when he receives from the throw-in but the free-kick, slipped down the inside-left comes to little when the shot is blocked and put out for a throw-in.

08:19 PM GMT

18 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Manchester United corner on the right, taken by Amad and won by a Saints head. Dibling avoids risk and whacks the ball out for a throw-in. The corner came from a deflected Bruno shot set up by Garnacho’s run.

08:17 PM GMT

16 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Another Southampton shot on target. Ugarte is beaten by Ugochukwu who passes up to Mateus Fernandes running through the inside-left. He faces up Yoro and squuezes a shot through his legs but without the power to beat Onana who flops on to it and smothers the ball.

08:15 PM GMT

14 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Southampton are hogging the ball and passing it confidently around. Both wing-backs are pushed high and bossing Mazaroui and Amad.

08:14 PM GMT

12 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

United have been very meek, wholly passive for the last five minutes and they nearly pay for it when Sulemana darts down the left, skins Yoro, opens his body and shoots hard for the bottom right corner with his right and Onana makes a smart save with a strong left wrist swooping to his left.

08:12 PM GMT

10 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Hardly any space as United keep the space between their three lines compact. They concede a free-kick on their left where Bree has been having a ding-dong battle with Garnacho. The cross is swung into the box and Martínez heads it away, which will be a relief as he needlessly conceded the free-kick by staning on Mateus Fernandes’ metatarsals.

08:10 PM GMT

8 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Old Trafford is so quiet that you can hear a muted ‘Amorim’s red and white army’ rote chant. Few are joining in as it rolls on.

Amorim
Amorim drops to his haunches - REUTERS/Phil Noble

08:07 PM GMT

6 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Southampton have Mateus Fernandes as a false nine with Sulemana on the left and Dibling on the right. Walker-Peters links up with Ugochukwu but concedes a throw-in when his heavy touch on the return pass screws out of play.

There will be a lot of eyes on Tyler Dibling’s performance this evening. The 18-year-old forward is admired by a lot of clubs and if – as obviously appears likely – Southampton are relegated he is expected to leave. Despite their struggles he has enhanced his reputation and it would be no surprise if Manchester United are actually among his suitors. Southampton turned down offers last summer from Premier League clubs but may not be in a position to do so this time round.

08:05 PM GMT

4 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Bruno whips the corner from the left to the near post and Ramsdale scrambles over to punch it away before colliding with the woodwork.

08:04 PM GMT

3 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

It is as we thought – Diallo on the right and Mazraoui on the left. Good tackle and strength from Ugarte to hold of Mateus Fernandes and shift it forward and Garnacho goes dribbling into the box and earns a corner off a defender’s legs.

08:02 PM GMT

1 min: Man Utd 0 Southampton 0

Manchester United kick off, sweep it straight back to Onana who advances to the rim of the centre-circle and chips a diagonal to the left where Bree wins the header. Back come United up the right, Amad Diallo makes 20 yards and thinks Garnacho is outside him, doesn’t check that he hasn’t moved and passes into touch.

07:59 PM GMT

Ivan Juric’s final thoughts

We have to be perfect against Manchester United, press well, play forward, have personality to play from the back. They are a great team with great players and it will be very tough.

07:58 PM GMT

Out come the teams

Manchester United in red, white and black as This is the One blares out. Southampton are in yellow and black, rather than the yellow and blue of Wembley 76.

07:55 PM GMT

A staccato chat with Ruben Amorim from TNT Sports

It is going to be a tough match at home. Our fans expect more from us and that is extra pressure. But we are ready to face the game in the right way, be better with the ball and control the game. We are trying to improve.  Harry [Maguire] is tired after a tough week and was ill but still played. Southampton will play without a striker but more speed and Leny [Yoro] is quick and ready to play. The pressure is on our team, there is no pressure on [Southampton] and they have very good players.

07:45 PM GMT

Here’s Garnacho

Jason mentioned that he has won back Amorim’s trust and he will take his place as the right-sided No 10:

Garnacho
Garnacho gets his first league start in six - Martin Rickett/PA Wire

07:30 PM GMT

An unwanted post-war record

United have lost each of their last three Premier League home games. They last lost more consecutively in February 1934 as a second tier side (5), while they last did so in the top-flight in October 1930 (6).

07:25 PM GMT

The South American contingent

Enjoy a pre-match maté:

Manuel Ugarte pours a maté
Manuel Ugarte and Lisandro Martínez get their own brew on - Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

07:21 PM GMT

Rehab

Alejandro Garnacho gets his first Premier League start for Manchester United since being left out for the derby six games ago. It is a show of how he has worked to rehabilitate himself under Ruben Amorim who has been impressed by the Argentinian’s impact from the bench and in the FA Cup on Sunday. Garnacho has earned his place and Amorim has been delighted with his attitude.

07:17 PM GMT

Ivan Juric’s pre-match thoughts

We did some things well [against Swansea], but we know it will be a different game against Manchester United.

We are preparing well. The guys are a little bit more confident after the Swansea game.

Manchester United have changed the manager, they’ve changed their style of play. They play 3-4-3 like Amorim did at Sporting Lisbon. They are trying to find the right way. They’ve played some good games, some bad games, it’s normal when you change the style of football.

07:08 PM GMT

How the bottom of the table looks

07:00 PM GMT

Your teams in black and white

Manchester United  Onana;  De Ligt, Yoro, Martinez, Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Mazraoui; Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes; Hojlund.
Substitutes  Bayindir, Kukonki, Maguire, Malacia, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, Antony, Zirkzee.

Southampton  Ramsdale; Bree, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis;  Sugawara, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Aribo, Walker-Peters; Dibling, Sulemana.
Substitutes  McCarthy, Manning, Wood, Smallbone, Downes, Lallana, Armstrong, Archer, Onuachu.

Referee  John Brooks (Melton Mowbray).

06:54 PM GMT

Amorim on Maguire yesterday

I feel he is a leader again. He feels more like an important player in the team.

He believes in himself a lot and he’s doing a great job.

We have to praise Harry more than me. He was sick before the last game and was dead in the end. That is what I want from every player.

So he must have left everything on the pitch at the Emirates and is not ready to start again.

06:50 PM GMT

Saints make one change

Sugawara comes in for Manning from the Cup starting XI.

06:48 PM GMT

Amorim makes three changes

Onana, Yoro and Amad replace Bayindir, Maguire and Dalot.

Odd that Amorim has been raving about Maguire for weeks and now drops him. Still no Rashford. Looks like Mazraoui at left wing-back and Amad on the right.

05:54 PM GMT

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05:47 PM GMT

Preview: Time to show Old Trafford United’s new spirit?

Good evening and welcome to live coverage of Manchester United vs Southampton, the last match of TNT Sport’s midweek monopoly, featuring a basement battle between hapless and seemingly helpless Saints, who are bottom on six points, against 15th-placed United, 17 points ahead of them whose draws with Liverpool in the league and victory on penalties over Arsenal in the FA Cup have lifted the gloom after five league defeats for Ruben Amorim from the preceding six games. Given that they have saved their best and most defiant performances for away from home, they owe an Old Trafford crowd who have seen them beat only Everton in the league under the new manager a reward tonight. That was so long ago that Marcus Rashford scored twice before his banishment to a Mancunian Saint Helena and Joshua Zirkzee had not even been repudiated never mind his North London redemption.

In those circumstances there is usually a hint of risk, the prospect of an upset, but Southampton were so terrible during their 5-0 defeat by Brentford, players visibly chucking it in and giving up, that even the tonic of a 3-0 Cup victory over Swansea may not be sufficiently restorative. You could send out Jim McCalliog, Micky Channon, Peter Rodrigues in their pomp to bolster Ivan Juric’s side and even they would struggle to inspire an improbable coup.

Having said all that, it has not been an entirely unhappy hunting ground for Saints. Ronald Koeman, when leading them to sixth and seventh-place finishes in 2015 and 2016, beat Louis van Gaal’s team 1-0 on both visits by virtue of goals from Dusan Tadic and Charlie Austin, and you would have to have a heart of stone to fail to delight in 1999’s Massimo Taibi-inspired 3-3 draw. And although the spectre of 2021’s 9-0 looms large, they held United to draws in 2022 and 2023.

Massimo Taibi
Massimo Taibi made his penultimate of four appearances for Manchester United during the 3-3 draw with Southampton at Old Trafford in 1999 - Phil Noble/PA

Diogo Dalot’s red card at the Emirates means he is suspended tonight and he joins the injured Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof in the stands. Long-term casualties Ross Stewart and Jack Stephens, who was sent off during Man Utd’s 3-0 victory at St Mary’s in September, are still out but Flynn Downes should return to central midfield.

05:37 PM GMT

Form guide

By Ella Smetana

Good evening, Manchester United are hosting bottom of the league Southampton at Old Trafford to round off an eventful few days of midweek football in the Premier League.

The hosts come into this fixture after advancing in the FA Cup despite playing with 10 men for 60 minutes and beating Arsenal on penalties. Altay Bayindir’s save sent them through to the next round where they will face Leicester City. Prior to their Cup win, Ruben Amorim’s side were without a win in their last four Premier League games with their last three points coming from the 2-1 win over the Premier League Champions and local rivals, Manchester City at the Etihad back in the middle of December.

Since then they have struggled to pick up points in the league, losing to Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle over an an eight-day period. Since Amorim’s appointment, Manchester United have fallen four places in the league table, but will be licking their lips at the chance to leap from 15th to 12th with a win tonight.

Southampton also won their respective FA Cup fixture, knocking out Swansea 3-0 at St Mary’s last weekend. This was just the boost they needed before such a big game but their Premier League form paints a much bleaker picture, with only one win in the league this season against Everton back in November. With the all-time fewest points in a Premier League season currently held by Derby with 11, Southampton will be doing everything possible to ensure that this is one record they don’t break. After recently appointing Ivan Juric as boss, his side will be hoping to achieve his first league win against a struggling United side.