Amad scoring Man Utd's winner vs Man City
Amad Diallo of Manchester United scores his side's second goal
High-flying Sunderland have been credited for the brilliant showing from Manchester United’s Amad Diallo in the 2-1 Manchester derby victory.
The Black Cats took on United loanee Diallo at the start of the 2022/23 Championship season, where he lit up Wearside on several occasions during his electric spell at the club.
After finding it difficult to acclimatise to the Championship, having struggled with Rangers in the 2021/22 Scottish campaign, he found his feet and managed to tally a healthy 13 goals in the second tier with Sunderland. After showing his worth in the Championship, it was expected that he would burst into the Manchester United side, however it took a change in management for his potential to be realised, with Ruben Amorim getting the very best out of the Ivorian early on.
His recent showing for the Red Devils against Manchester City was an example of him playing at the pinnacle of his powers, and Sunderland have rightfully been credited for helping him reach such a level. Former Sunderland ace Diallo certainly made the difference for United against their rivals after winning the penalty late on while scoring a fantastic winner moments later.
He showed plenty of promise down the left flank for the Red Devils, reminiscent of his time in Wearside, and there is no doubt he benefited from his spell on Wearside which has helped him become the player he is now.
His form has been so impressive, it prompted ex-Manchester City defender and TV pundit Micah Richards to say via Sky Sports on X: “He’s [Diallo] also versatile as well, he can play in a front three, he can play wing-back, I think he’s the best player for Man United.
“Taking it all into consideration, the new manager, how young he is, he’s just 22 years of age, he was very good at Sunderland, scored a lot of goals, clearly made the step up. I just enjoy watching him in terms of his endeavour, his workrate, the way he runs in behind, the way he’s not afraid to go at somebody.”
The raw talent that arrived on Wearside needed excellent man-management and he certainly got that from former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray. He utilised the Ivorian perfectly in his set-up, but also helped fill him with confidence in order to get him into goalscoring form, helping him to go on and flourish at United.