This Was elite football reimagined by a robot With a hangover
The Guardian|December 16, 2024
It was deeply fitting Amad Diallo should decide this Manchester derby, mainly because for long periods he seemed to be the only person on the pitch not playing under heavy sedation.
Barney Ronay
This Was elite football reimagined by a robot With a hangover

Footballers are often said to have stood out in a game. Diallo stood out here mainly because he actually seemed to like playing football. In the event this expressed itself in four extraordinary minutes during which Diallo played a lone hand in turning 1-0 down into a 2-1 win.

Even before that there were long periods during which the slight, speedy, jarringly urgent figure on the right side of Manchester United's attack appeared to be the only person on the pitch with any kind of hope that life can still go on, like the lone survivor in a George Romero movie, out there haring around a shopping centre dodging zombies.

The greatest beneficiary of Diallo's energy and craft is his manager. For Ruben Amorim this was one of those occasions in a hugely outcome-based sport where the finest details can change an entire narrative. The biggest thing Amorim did here was to drop Marcus Rashford from his squad.

The second biggest thing was to talk about it before kick-off, telling the TV cameras this was a choice based on attitude and commitment, in effect an all-or-nothing act of scythe-swinging directed at his most famous home-grown star.

"I pay attention to everything, the way you eat, the way you put your clothes on to go to a game," Amorim said, which probably didn't come across as intended.

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MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE GUARDIANVer todo
'I'm not good enough' Guardiola takes blame after Diallo stuns City
The Guardian

'I'm not good enough' Guardiola takes blame after Diallo stuns City

Pep Guardiola said he is \"not good enough\" after Manchester City fell to a dramatic late derby defeat to Manchester United which extended their dire run to eight losses in 11 games.

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December 16, 2024
This Was elite football reimagined by a robot With a hangover
The Guardian

This Was elite football reimagined by a robot With a hangover

It was deeply fitting Amad Diallo should decide this Manchester derby, mainly because for long periods he seemed to be the only person on the pitch not playing under heavy sedation.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 16, 2024
Diallo drives United on to deepen City's despair
The Guardian

Diallo drives United on to deepen City's despair

When Ruben Amorim oversaw his previous victory over Manchester City - with his old club Sporting in the Champions League - it was to push the reigning Premier League champions towards crisis.

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3 minutos  |
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The Guardian

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Russo keeps Arsenal's revival in full swing
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