‘Manchester is RED’, wrote Amad Diallo on Instagram. And it is, all thanks to him.
How dramatic it was on Sunday when, on 87 minutes, Manchester City somehow managed to eradicate their derby-day lead by conceding twice in the dying moments. A first Manchester derby victory for Ruben Amorim left City with just one win in 11 games.
It encapsulated the moment that both sides find themselves in when 5ft8ins Diallo ghosted in between defence and goalkeeeper, took one touch to take Ederson out of the game and then slotted the winner betewen the weary legs of a backtracking Josko Gvardiol.
While City’s midseason meltdown continued, Diallo affirmed himself as the unexpected hero of Amorim’s first month in charge of the Red Devils.
New star: Amad Diallo
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“An absolute shining light” is how Gary Neville described the 22-year-old on Sky Sports — “the only Manchester United player to look like a Manchester United player”.
Diallo had less than 10 senior appearances to his name when United committed £33million including add-ons to sign the then-teenager from Atalanta.
The Ivory Coast international gave the Red Devils an immediate indication they had made the right call when he scored twice on his debut for the Under-21s in a 6-3 win over Liverpool in January 2021.
But such were the great hopes of what the youngster might become that his integration into the first team was never rushed. A successful six-month loan with Rangers in Scotland was followed by a blistering year with Sunderland, in which he scored 14 goals in 42 games.
With Rashford and Garnacho left out altogether, Amorim gave the diminutive Diallo licence to impress
Any Mackems still harbouring hopes of Diallo’s return to the Stadium of Light are politely reminded of the levels he has taken his game to since returning to United. The early star under Amorim, he is quickly becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet.
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Watching Diallo against City felt freeing, and that is no coincidence. With Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho left out altogether, Amorim gave the diminutive Diallo licence to venture infield from the right wing. He took advantage, bravely dribbling past City players and ultimately getting his reward with a fine winner.
Diallo now has six assists and two goals in his last nine games. He makes Amorim’s United better.