Amad HAT-TRICK earns Man Utd late win against Southampton

Amad proved Manchester United’s hero as his late hat-trick secured an unlikely 3-1 comeback win over struggling Southampton.

United looked destined for a humiliating home defeat to the Premier League’s bottom side after Manuel Ugarte turned Tyler Dibling’s flick-on past Andre Onana just two minutes before half-time.

However, Amad – who equalized late on in United’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool last time out in the league – equalized with just eight minutes remaining after managing under Aaron Ramsdale.

The Ivorian winger then got another in the 90th minute when he sent Christian Eriksen’s neat header past Ramsdale before capitalizing on Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ mistake to curl into an empty net four minutes later.

The win lifts United into 12th place in the table, while Southampton – who still have just one win in the 2024/2025 campaign – remain 10 points from safety at the bottom of the league.

How the match went

Alejandro Garnacho steered a brilliant chance wide in the 20th minute before Onana produced a remarkable double save to deny Dibling and Mateus Fernandes’ follow-up efforts from close range at the other end.

Onana had no answer, however, as Dibling’s near-post header from Fernandes’ corner deflected off Ugarte and curled past the United keeper’s right hand minutes before the break.

Antony should have equalized in the second half, but Garnacho’s left-wing cross somehow steered just wide of Ramsdale, although Amad made amends when he drilled under the Southampton keeper after linking up with Joshua Zirkzee.

Amad doubled his heroics shortly after when he left-footed Eriksen’s header past Ramsdale, who was once again helpless in stoppage time.

The Southampton keeper played out to Harwood-Bellis, who took too much time on the ball before feeding Amad a tap-in to seal his hat-trick and a memorable comeback win.

Amad gets United out of trouble

United looked set to falter again at Old Trafford, having lost their last three league games before this eye-catching comeback.

Garnacho should have opened the scoring midway through the first half, taking advantage of Rasmus Hojlund’s fine change of pace before heading wide when unmarked.

Kobbie Mainoo then inexplicably tried to pounce for Garnacho when one-on-one with Ramsdale and the missed chances came back to haunt Ruben Amorim’s side before the break.

Antony’s near miss on the hour had everyone inside Old Trafford scratching their heads before Bruno Fernandes’ delicate chip was denied by Ramsdale as United increased the pressure late on.

That dominance eventually paid off when Amad hammered home the second attempt after creative work by Zirkzee on the right.

Amad’s never-say-die attitude again proved crucial to get on the end of Eriksen’s well-timed lob, before the 22-year-old finished calmly and belied his young age with a brilliant stretch volley.

His work rate came to the fore once more with just seconds remaining, forcing Harwood-Bellis into an uncharacteristic error that sealed an emphatic performance from United’s new hero.

Amorim will hope his fellow United players can take inspiration from Amad’s brilliance when they visit Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

Slick Southampton punished again

Southampton did not look like a team that had managed just one league win – a 1-0 triumph over Everton in early November – after dominating for large periods against United.

Kamaldeen Sulemana’s quick feet made light work of Leny Yoro early on before his right-footed effort was pushed away by Onana, who was then on hand to stop a tame Mateus Fernandes effort soon after.

Southampton’s Fernandes should then simply score before the half-hour mark, controlled inside the six-yard box after Dibling’s effort deflected into the area before blasting straight at Onana.

Sulemana again sprang away from Yoro before darting narrowly into the top-right corner, although Dibling’s well-timed jump brought a fortuitous opening as Ugarte could only turn past his own keeper.

Another Dibling effort tested Onana’s reflexes on the stroke of half-time, while Sulemana troubled Yoro once again after the interval with another drive that ended with the winger hitting just wide.

Yet for all Southampton’s chances, another defensive breakdown proved their undoing as Ivan Juric was once again left to rue a missed chance. He will be hoping his side can bounce back when they visit in-form Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The club reports

Man Utd report | Southampton report

What the leaders said

Reuben Amorim: “We didn’t have a good game, but at this moment winning is the most important thing. They did a very good job Southampton. The feeling is that we have so much to do – the team is really tired. Today was not a lack of enthusiasm, it was a lack of control in the game.”

Ivan Juric: “We did really well for 75-80 minutes. But we missed the mentality to win the game. There is a moment when you have to be clever and be more malicious to do certain things. We were like innocent children in some moments, and we lost the game which we controlled for 75 minutes.

Next PL match

Key facts

Only Wayne Rooney (21y 4d v Bolton in October 2006) has scored a Premier League hat-trick for Man Utd at a younger age than Amad tonight (22y 189d), who is now the Red Devils’ youngest ever hat-trick scorer at Old Trafford in the competition.

Man Utd are now unbeaten in each of their last 16 Premier League meetings with Southampton (W8 D8), their joint-longest ongoing run against an opponent in the competition (also 16 against Charlton).

Southampton are without a win in each of their last 18 Premier League away games (D4 L14), the longest run without a win away from home in the division since Aston Villa in September 2019 (21 games).

Amad is the third player in Premier League history to score three times in the last 10 minutes of a game after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer against Nottingham Forest in February 1999 and Rooney against Hull City in January 2010, with all three instances coming from Man Utd- players.