It has been a disappointing few weeks for Manchester United fans. Following a string of poor results, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men endured another exhausting afternoon as the Red Devils suffered a humiliating 2-0 defeat to local rivals Manchester City on Saturday.
While the first-team delivered yet another underwhelming performance at Old Trafford, at the U-23 level, attacking prodigy Amad Diallo made a strong case for himself, furthering his prospects of being involved in the senior squad in the near future.
Facing Leeds United, Amad contributed to every goal as the Red Devils scraped a 3-2 victory, taking them sixth in the table. The young Ivorian made for some brilliant moments throughout the game as he eventually grabbed the 87th-minute winner for the home side.
Having already scored and assisted a goal, Amad – exhibiting sublime ball-control – made his way into the opposition’s box surrounded by three Leeds defenders, desperate to block him from having a shot at goal.
Owing to his low sense of gravity, however, the young Ivorian displayed composure as he flicked the ball over the first defender, skipped past him while surrounded by covering defenders, and produced a remarkable finish at the far post to seal the win for Man United.
Only his second appearance since sustaining a thigh muscle injury in August, which prevented him from joining Dutch side Feyenoord on a season-long loan, it remains to be seen if the 19-year-old continues his development at Man United beyond the January transfer window.
Amongst the brightest young prospects at the club since arriving from Serie A side Atalanta last summer, the youngster will be keen on building upon his performances and look to break into the first team at the earliest.