Virtuoso Amad Diallo cameo rescues Man Utd from unwanted first
Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates scoring his side's second goal. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
A virtuoso cameo from Amad Diallo rescued Erik ten Hag and Manchester United from another unwanted first in this season of so many; but the lap of “honour” that followed the final home game of the campaign was, surely, the most hollow in the club’s recent history.
The 21-year-old winger set up the opener for Kobbie Mainoo and added an excellent second goal himself as his side avoided the unwanted mark of losing a tenth home game for the first time in history.
That sort of form, and the record-tying nine home losses that preceded last night, have hardly made this season one to savour for the Reds, even if they can still end the campaign with silverware if - and yes, it’s a big if - they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Final.
Certainly, the mood has not been exactly one of bonhomie at Old Trafford in recent weeks and video circulated on social media, pre-kick-off, of substitute Marcus Rashford exchanging angry words with a fan as he warmed up.
At least the final six minutes of the game should have been comfortable for those home supporters after substitute Rasmus Hojlund received Bruno Fernandes’s pass and skilfully made room for himself before finishing well from a tricky position, into the bottom left-hand corner.
Still, in keeping with so much of the campaign, United made those fans sweat when they allowed Lewis Hall to score a superb 25-yard second for the Geordies two minutes into stoppage time - leaving four more anxious minutes to negotiate.
But after the washout - literally - of Sunday’s home loss to Arsenal, United were desperate to leave their supporters with something to remember on the final home outing of the season. And, after pre-match concerns about torrential rain causing the sort of problems that wreaked havoc at Old Trafford on Sunday had evaporated, United were gifted a first half lead.
It came from appalling Newcastle defending, which saw Kieran Trippier play on an unmarked Mainoo, as he received Diallo’s pass about eight yards from goal.
The young midfielder looked stunned to be in such vast acreage of space so close to goal but regained composure quickly before ramming the ball past Martin Dubravka.
United had threatened a couple of times to that point, just about meriting their 32nd minute lead, but quite how they were still in front by the time the interval arrived was baffling.
Just a couple of minutes after the goal, Sofyan Amrabat made a desperate tackle as Anthony Gordon bore down on goal with replays suggesting he had clearly caught the young winger’s Achilles, although VAR determined there was no need for referee Robert Jones to review.
A couple of moments later, Dan Burn’s towering header, from a Jacob Murphy cross, appeared to be flying into the goal only for Casemiro to make a superb goalline clearance which preserved his team’s lead.
And just before the break, Bruno Guimaraes was unmarked but hurried a diving header well wide, from Trippier’s corner, with the goal at his mercy.
Newcastle’s Bruno opened the second half with as deflected shot which Andre Onana held well but with ten Hag's club on course for their worst league finish in 34 years on Sunday, that worst case scenario edged closer when Newcastle deservedly equalised.
Yet again, Casemiro, starting at centre-half for a sixth consecutive game, was exposed as he failed to pick up the run of Gordon and he was able to slot in Murphy’s cross from seven yards.
And Newcastle should have been in front after 52 minutes, as they streaked upfield on the counter-attack and, somehow, found themselves with a three on-one advantage, as Gordon slipped the ball into the area for Alexander Isak.
But with the home goal apparently at Isak’s mercy, Amrabat made a committed challenge which allowed him to block the shot, with the ball clipping the top of the bar on its way over.
It was entertaining stuff, with both sides pushing for much-needed points in their efforts to qualify for Europe next season. Who would have thought a place in the Europa Conference League held such an attraction for clubs who started this season in the Champions League?
It took until the 57th minute for the home side to regain the advantage and Diallo, starting for just the second time in the Premier League this season, was the scorer.
Fernandes’s near-post corner was headed away but only as far as the young winger who, inexplicably unmarked 16 yards out, produced a terrific left-foot hit that flew past Dubravka.
There was still plenty of drama to come, particularly at the home end of the field, with Onana required to make two good saves in quick succession from Sean Longstaff and a Joelinton header. And Newcastle were left wondering how they were not level on 77 minutes when Gordon drilled the ball across goal and substitute Miguel Almiron somehow missed connecting at the far post.
Onana 7; Wan-Bissaka 6, Casemiro 5, Evans 6, Dalot 6; Mainoo 7 (Martinez 83), Amrabat 7; Diallo 8 (Hojlund 82), McTominay 7, Garnacho 6 (Rashford 83); Fernandes 7 (Eriksen 89).Â
Dubravka 7; Trippier 5 (Schar 63, 5), Krafth 6, Burn 6, Hall 6; Longstaff 5 (Barnes 76, 6), Guimaraes 6, Anderson 6 (Joelinton 63, 6); J Murphy 6 (Almiron 63, 5), Isak 6, Gordon 6.Â
R Jones 6
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