Diallo's remarkable treble spares United after Saints expose their weaknesses

Panicky, amateurish and dicing with defeat to Southampton, who are bottom and had failed to win away in the Premier League before this: Manchester United veered with the red-faced embarrassment of suffering a reverse they would long be reminded of.

- Jamie Jackson

But, enter Amad Diallo whose hat-trick goal came in added time - into an open goal - his second on the stroke of full-time - a supreme finish of Christian Eriksen's chipped ball - and followed the winger's equaliser minutes before: all due to a refusal to lose. Ruben Amorim stated he would learn more tonight about his players than from Sunday's FA Cup penalty shootout win at Arsenal or the previous 2-2 draw at Liverpool: he certainly did following a display so concerning it was surreal.

But, at the final whistle, United's sequence of not losing to Southampton stretched to 17 matches due to the pell-mell nature of a late show that should not have been required against Ivan Juric's side, who arrived with a point from his four games in charge.

This was a contest Amorim dare not lose. He did not, winning instead, as United enjoyed victory in regulation time for the first occasion since 15 December - the 2-1 derby win at Manchester City.

Amorim spoke of wanting United to control the ball and occupy the opponents' final third far more than they do. Here he wishes to reverse the pattern of every post-Sir Alex Ferguson incarnation and Southampton dominated the ball and the opening half.