Amad Diallo scored a remarkable late hat-trick as Manchester United came from behind to beat struggling Southampton 3-1.
United looked destined for a fourth straight home defeat in the Premier League after Manuel Ugarte turned Tyler Dibling's strike past Andre Onana on the stroke of half-time.
However, Diallo – who leveled late in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool last time in the competition – started the comeback when he headed over Aaron Ramsdale with eight minutes to go.
Diallo put United ahead with another goal in the 90th minute when he volleyed from Christian Eriksen's neat dink, before the winger took advantage of Taylor Harwood-Bellis' error to curl into an empty net four minutes later.
Thanks to these heroics from the 22-year-old United player, Ruben Amorim avoided a humiliating defeat against the bottom team of the league, while Diallo spared Antony's blushes after his teammate's inexplicable miss on the hour after Alejandro's left-sided cross Garnacho.
The win lifted United to 12th in the table, while Southampton – who have just one win in the entire 2024/25 season – remain ten points adrift of safety at the bottom of the league.
It. pic.twitter.com/k7Hy5ZPVWd
– Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 16, 2025
Data Debrief: United's new hero Diallo
It looked like Amorim faced an uphill battle after Ugarte became the first United player to score an own goal at Old Trafford in the Premier League since Raphael Varane against Leeds United in February 2023.
In fact, only Leicester City (seven) have been behind at half-time in more Premier League home games this season than United's six, although the home side were saved by their new hero.
Diallo became the third player in Premier League history to score three times in the last ten minutes of a match, joining two United greats as the only players to achieve the feat.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer achieved this against Nottingham Forest in February 1999, before Wayne Rooney made it late against Hull City in January 2010.
Diallo will be the toast of Manchester's red side on Thursday after becoming United's youngest-ever hat-trick scorer at Old Trafford in the competition.
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