(Football news) Manchester United needed a dash of Ivorian inspiration in Thursday’s 3-1 comeback win over Southampton, while the Seagulls enjoyed a more routine 2-0 triumph at Ipswich Town.

Justifying the hierarchy’s decision to award him a lucrative new contract, Amad Diallo saved Manchester United’s bacon once again during the visit of rock-bottom Southampton, who were just 10 minutes away from a famous Theatre of Dreams success thanks to Manuel Ugarte’s own goal.

Victory for the Saints would have been merited based on Manchester United’s pitiful first-half performance, but Ivan Juric’s side did not bank on Diallo becoming the second-youngest Manchester United player to ever score a Premier League hat-trick; he only trails Wayne Rooney in that regard.

The 22-year-old’s tremendous treble was enough to lift Manchester United up to 12th in the Premier League standings—now closer to the top six than the relegation zone points-wise—and they could now win three straight games in all competitions for the first time since Ruben Amorim took charge.

Not since February 2024 have the Red Devils prevailed in a trio of consecutive contests, but while their displays against Liverpool and Arsenal might have been gutsy, their exploits against whipping boys Southampton were gut-wrenching for the most part.

Ugarte’s unfortunate own goal means that Amorim’s men have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 straight contests, and do not be surprised to see another fruitless first half from the Red Devils on Sunday, as each of their last 11 Premier League goals against Brighton has been struck after the interval.

As Manchester United did it the hard way on Thursday evening, Brighton were not required to survive any similar scares at Ipswich’s Portman Road base, where second-half strikes from Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter took down the Tractor Boys.

The Seagulls’ East Anglian success represented a long-awaited seventh Premier League win of the season, one that had eluded them for almost two months as they embarked on a miserable eight-game winless sequence in the top division, including a staggering six draws.

However, a 4-0 FA Cup battering of Norwich City acted as the catalyst for a return to victorious ways in the top flight for Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who remain in the top half of the standings with just a four-point deficit to make up to Manchester City in sixth spot.

Thanks to their recent affinity for stalemates, Brighton head to Old Trafford unbeaten in five straight Premier League matches, and they are yet to draw a blank on rival territory this term, scoring in each of their first 11 top-flight away games in 2024-25.

Downing the Red Devils has also become a favourite pastime for Brighton, who saw off Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United 2-1 in August to make it five wins from their last seven against Sunday’s hosts, a marvellous sequence that includes back-to-back victories at Old Trafford in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Also read: Manchester United enter the race to sign Borussia Dortmund player