Player Ratings: Manchester United 3-1 Southampton

Photo: Manchester United

Amad came to the rescue for Manchester United to earn the Reds their first home win of 2025 and their first in four games, as the Ivorian scored a 12-minute hat-trick to beat Southampton 3-1.

United were utterly terrible for most of the game, with them being outplayed by bottom-of-the-league Southampton at Old Trafford. United went 1-0 down right before half-time through an own goal from Manuel Ugarte, with the ball bouncing off him into the net from a corner. It was the 10th goal United have conceded from a corner in the league this season.

United continued to struggle in the second half, and while Ruben Amorim made a number of changes, they were still finding it difficult to string together passes in the final third. The introduction of Joshua Zirkzee livened things up.

Amad then came to life in the final few minutes, scoring a hat-trick, first with a neat rebound, the second by latching on to a stunning Christian Eriksen pass, and the third by stealing the ball from off the Southampton defence.

The win means United have gone up to 12th, going above West Ham United, Tottenham and Crystal Palace. United are now 12 points away from the top four.

So, here are the player ratings:

Andre Onana 8

When taking into context the whole game, he was United's best player by a mile. Saved United on so many occasions, constantly being forced to bail United out with saves from close range. Could not have done much for the Southampton goal, with it being flicked so close to him. Needs to remain consistent now.

Leny Yoro 3

A rough night for the young defender. He was being completely torn to shreds by a rapid Kamaldeen Sulemana, who was having the game of his life. Yoro could not handle him and was struggling even with the ball. A game of many lessons for Yoro.

Matthijs de Ligt 6

Arguably United's best defender. Made a number of crucial challenges that denied Southampton space, despite being isolated so many times. Seems to growing in presence as the season goes on.

Lisandro Martinez 5

A relatively indifferent performance from the Argentine. Most of the Southampton play was going down the other side and Martinez could not venture forward, constantly being wary of the threat Southampton possess on the counter, especially Tyler Dibling, who was popping up everywhere on the pitch.

Amad Diallo 9

What a player. What a performance. For large parts of the game, Amad was relatively quiet, and while he was at his efficient-best on the ball, he was finding it difficult to create any opportunities for 80 minutes. However, he came to life right at the end, making plenty of runs forward, two of them earning his two initial goals. He became a constant threat for Southampton's defence in the closing stages, and finally got the better of Kyle Walker-Peters. Snatched the ball from Taylor Harwood-Bellis to complete his first senior hat-trick.

A new contract and a hat-trick, an incredible week for Amad.

Manuel Ugarte 5

Ugarte seemed off the pace at Old Trafford, and while he was winning the ball constantly, he was underwhelming in possession. He couldn't handle Southampton's flurries forward and looked tired after the heroics at the Emirates. Hooked off for Toby Collyer.

Kobbie Mainoo 4

A weird performance from Mainoo, especially after the brilliance he showcased in recent matches. He did not win any of his ground duels and was finding it difficult to link up with the rest of the team, both in and out of possession. Substituted for Antony at half-time.

Noussair Mazraoui 5

A rather mixed game from Mazraoui, as he was good in certain areas such as winning the ball back and keeping United in possession, yet he was rather timid going forward. Not his best performance. Substituted for Eriksen late on.

Alejandro Garnacho 5

Throughout the first half, he seemed to be United's only threat going forward. While he was constantly chasing the ball, he also squandered a huge opportunity to put United in front midway through the first half. He faded in the second half, particularly as United had more of the ball, not allowing him to have quick breaks to test the defence.

Bruno Fernandes 4

Not his best performance, and his display in the first half summed up the emotions felt by the home fans: frustration. He could not get on the ball and was being completely stifled by Joe Aribo and Lesley Ugochukwu. Got more touches as he went deeper into midfield, yet was not at his creative best tonight.

Rasmus Hojlund 2

A frustrating performance for both Hojlund and the fans that had to watch him. He was being constantly out-muscled by the Southampton defenders and barely had a touch in the first half. He was visibly frustrated with Garnacho, who could have fed him the ball earlier on some occasions. Hojlund is a dilemma for Amorim, as he has the potential to succeed, yet he is not showing it right now. Substituted for Zirkzee, who looked much more lively.

Substitutions

Antony 3

Came on at half-time and injected some energy into the team, making more runs in behind the Southampton defence. However, he missed what is arguably the worst miss in recent memory, failing to tuck the ball into an open net when United were chasing the game. Nothing seems to be going right for him.

Joshua Zirkzee 8

What an impact and what a way to respond to the home fans. Just like he did against Arsenal, he was fantastic when receiving the ball, holding it up and linking up very well with Garnacho and Amad. United looked a better team with him on the pitch and when he has players capable of running in behind. Arguably forced himself into the team for the weekend.

Toby Collyer 6

He is slowly growing in stature and every time he comes on he is looking better. It was a big task for him to keep up with the flying Southampton midfielders, yet he did well to handle them, and took the responsibility of being United's only holding midfielder brilliantly.

Christian Eriksen 7

A touch of class from the veteran. He was brought on to help United carve Southampton open and he helped Amad do so, lifting the ball just over the defenders, leaving Amad with the task of guiding it in for the second goal. A great option to have on the bench when you need some more quality on the ball.

Harry Maguire 5

Came on for Yoro and was relatively untroubled. Given Yoro's performance, Maguire is quickly establishing himself as the starting centre-back alongside de Ligt and Martinez.

Manager - Ruben Amorim 7

It was a tough watch for Amorim tonight, having to endure what was a torrid match in the grand scheme of things. Like he said before the game, the players did not seem as up to it as they did against Liverpool and Arsenal, and the encounter ended up depending on a touch of quality from one of his star players. His changes had a huge impact on the game, with Zirkzee, Collyer and Antony providing some much-needed energy and dynamism, while Eriksen and Maguire gave United more experience and astuteness on the ball.

Definitely lots to sort out for Amorim, but at this point in time, the three points are the most important to get.