Amad Diallo’s performance against Manchester City was impressive even before he had won the penalty for the equaliser let alone scored Manchester United’s winner. Even the underlying numbers help to explain why this was an historic individual display.
It was only the second time that any side has had more touches in the opposition box than Manchester City in a Premier League at the Etihad Stadium for which supporters were inside the stadium. They had 10 players for much of the other one and still won.
But it was Amad’s own numbers that were remarkable. Ten times he touched the ball in City’s box. That was twice as many times as anyone else on the pitch. It is over seven years since an opponent had more touches than that in a Premier League game at City.
It was a product of the urgency in his game – a naked enthusiasm that stood in contrast to much of the lethargy around him. Amad made 26 sprints in the game. Predictably, that was more than anyone else. He has brought some energy to Ruben Amorim’s team.
United are a team in flux under their new coach, a point illustrated by the decision to omit Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the squad for the Manchester derby. Amad had already earned Amorim’s trust by making a fist of the wing-back role.
It is a little baffling that Amad, the hero of their epic FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool in March, was not given more minutes under Erik ten Hag. He was on the bench for each of the Dutchman’s final four Premier League games in charge.
But Amorim has spotted someone willing to run for him. Amad has made 159 high-speed runs under the new boss, more than anyone else. The only Premier League game for which Amorim has left him out so far, at Arsenal, he brought him on at half-time.
There is still a sense that few in this United squad are a natural fit for the system that this coach wants to use. But in demonstrating that he is an option in at least two positions already, Amad already looks to be the first big winner of the new regime.
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Watch Amad Diallo’s classy winner for Manchester United in sensational slow-motion
Gibbs-White’s passing
Morgan Gibbs-White completed 94.4 per cent of his 54 passes for Nottingham Forest in their 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Saturday evening, which is the highest passing accuracy that he has ever had in a Premier League appearance for the club.
That is unusual for a player as creative as Gibbs-White and what is really interesting about his performance is that it was not so high because he had opted to be more risk averse in his work in this particular game. It was just that everything he tried came off.
