Amad Diallo's late hat trick gave Manchester United their first win of 2025 as they beat bottom side Southampton 3-1.
The Saints went 1-0 up courtesy of a Manuel Ugarte own goal from another poorly defended corner from the home side.
In the 82nd minute, Amad equalised to give the Old Trafford faithful some hope again and that wish came true. Eight minutes later, Christian Eriksen pinged a ball straight back to Amad who poked home for 2-1.
A Southampton error at the back made it 3-1 as the young Ivorian grabbed his first hat trick for the club and United's first since Cristiano Ronaldo's against Norwich City.
There were plenty of talking points after the game.
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Amad fantastic again
This seems to be one of the most common things being written at the moment but United's number 16 is impressing again, again and again.
The Ivorian signed a new contract earlier in the month, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2030.
Another dazzling performance from Amad ultimately gave Manchester United all three points and saved the club from the embarrassment of losing to the 20th-placed team in the Premier League.
With Amad, it's a lot of things. His attitude is fantastic (even when United have been poor, he's still looked good) and his resilience is great as his initial effort for the equaliser was blocked but he kept going. He's an all-round top player and clearly a fan favourite.
The youngster is almost certain to start the majority of the games now until the end of the season where he will continue to grow and continue his journey as a fine player.
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Still poor up top
Despite the three goals from Amad, there was still something lacking up top for the Red Devils.
Rasmus Hojlund felt like a ghost for the majority of the game with it hard to recall any shots he had. Then the obvious, Antony's miss. It was a shocking effort but let's face it, his time as a United player causes the fans to expect it anyway.
Hojlund is still a good player and would work well as a backup but something Amorim needs to do in the summer or even during this window is bring in a better striker who's going to score you 20+ goals a season.
In all fairness to Joshua Zirkzee, he did add to the game when he came on and in reality, should be given more chances in weeks to come. If he is to leave, a loan is probably expected more than a direct exit.
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Defending set pieces still a problem
The amount of goals Manchester United have conceded from set pieces this season is concerning.
There was a lot during in December and it continued in last night's game against the Saints.
The ironic thing was that match broadcaster TNT Sports said on air was that Southampton were yet to score from a corner themselves just before they took the lead.
The last touch came off United midfielder Ugarte as goalkeeper Andre Onana flapped around to try and keep it out.
It's definitely something that needs work as this is one of the reasons why United are struggling against teams they should be beating.
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The next three league games are vital
After two convincing performances against Liverpool and Arsenal plus this win over Southampton, Amorim's side need to continue this form.
The next three in the Premier League include Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace at home plus an away trip to Fulham, sandwiched in the middle.
Whilst two out of those three teams are above United in the table, these are still sides United should be getting three points against which will see them advance up the table.
Can they continue their good start to 2025?
