Kolkata: By late 2023, it had been more than two years since Amad Diallo last played for Manchester United. His first appearance in the 23-24 season came on December 30, where he clocked in 36 minutes during a 1-2 loss to Nottingham Forest. It wasn’t a shock when reports surfaced in January about Diallo wanting to leave.

As the EFL Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur approached on Thursday, it’s clear that letting Diallo go was the last thing on anyone’s mind at Manchester United. The Manchester derby on Sunday, which many dubbed the Diallo Derby due to his winning goal and the penalty he earned, only boosted his reputation at the club.

Before the derby, Diallo’s dribbling had been instrumental in five of United’s six goals. In the last two months, he contributed to eight goals, and on Sunday, his six attacking plays were only matched by Bruno Fernandes across both teams. He touched the ball ten times in the City penalty area, a feat not seen at the Etihad since Roberto Firmino in 2017. Diallo was the only player to take four shots, with two hitting the target during the derby.

Fernandes shared his thoughts with Sky Sports after the 2-1 victory over City, saying, “When he’s in this kind of form, he’s just unstoppable. I believe there’s even more to come from him…”

On top of that, Diallo averages 7.1 counter-pressures per 90 minutes in the middle and final thirds. Only Rasmus Højlund, Joshua Zirkzee, and Bruno Fernandes have higher numbers, but none of them have played as a wing-back like Diallo has. With a successful pass rate of 81.2% when a defender is within three meters, he ranks fourth among wide midfielders and wingers in the Premier League.

Fernandes also mentioned the club's faith in Diallo, but things were looking bleak for the 22-year-old until Erik Ten Hag left in late October. Diallo has proven he can handle multiple positions on the field.

This is despite his late goal in that thrilling 4-3 victory against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals. It’s true that seven of Diallo’s nine Premier League starts last season came after that match, and Ten Hag utilized him in the Community Shield and at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. However, the stats show Ten Hag’s preference for two players who might not be in the spotlight anymore: Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Diallo racked up 946 minutes across all competitions, according to Opta, from the FA Cup quarter-finals to Ten Hag's departure. In comparison, Rashford and Garnacho logged 1422 and 1820 minutes, respectively.

Things shifted when Ruud van Nistelrooy took over, and Ruben Amorim continued that trend by using Diallo as a right wing-back in his debut match as Manchester United's coach against Ipswich Town. Diallo made an impact by assisting Rashford after a powerful run. He also played a key role in Everton's game, where his interception led to Joshua Zirkzee's first goal.

Amorim has praised Diallo, calling him big in talent but small in stature. He acknowledged that Diallo still has a lot to learn but noted his strengths in both defense and attack after the 4-0 victory over Everton.

Since Amorim took charge, Diallo has played for 524 minutes, while Rashford, who’s looking for a new challenge, has had 307 minutes, and Garnacho has seen 327 minutes. Interestingly, neither Rashford nor Garnacho featured in the match on Sunday, which was a clear message from Amorim, reminiscent of Ten Hag's decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2022.

Diogo Dalot at right-wingback meant Diallo could be a right-side No.10 against City. Typically, he made 26 sprints, more than any other player. Equally important was how alert he was to intercept Matheus Nunes’s pass to Ederson and then drawing the foul for the penalty. Diallo then timed his run perfectly, showed a smart bit of skill to lob Ederson before scoring the winner.

“He’s always alive, and this is why he gets the penalty, this is why he gets his goal,” said Fernandes on Sunday.

Diallo was the one who created the penalty and scored the winning goal by cutting inside. That’s not really Rashford and Garnacho’s style; they usually like to use their speed to stretch the play out wide. While both of them put in a lot of effort defensively, they don’t recover as quickly as Diallo does when they lose the ball. A perfect example of this was when Casemiro was seen scolding Garnacho for not tracking back after losing possession against Chelsea.

This season, Rashford has racked up 7 goals and 3 assists, while Garnacho has 8 goals and 4 assists, giving them both more goal contributions than Diallo, who has 4 goals and 6 assists across all competitions. However, that could change with the four matches United has coming up before the end of 2024.

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