Manager Ruben Amorim praised the fighting spirit of his Manchester United players after they came from behind to beat Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League in midweek, and the same qualities were shown by the Red Devils against Manchester City in the Premier League.
In all fairness, United's 2-1 win over their cross-town rivals was not a perfect performance. But just like in the Czech Republic, United found a way to win.
For much of the game, the Red Devils were facing a third consecutive Premier League defeat for the first time since 2015. Amorim was also on the brink of a third consecutive defeat in a top European competition for the first time in his coaching career. It was only when Bruno Fernandes and Amad scored that the away fans breathed a sigh of relief.
Amorim is not the type to get carried away with a result. He was very measured in his assessment after the 4-0 win over Everton. The Portuguese tactician was sober enough to understand that United's problems cannot be solved by a win at the Etihad. However, this victory will give them a very important foundation.
Man United have a tough run of games coming up over Christmas and New Year, with Tottenham, Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal all proving to be formidable tests for Amorim's side. There is still a long way to go to rebuild Old Trafford, but victory over Man City would be a big statement.
Amorim made two important decisions when he left out strikers Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from the starting lineup against Man City. And his gamble paid off as Diallo shone brightly.
Whenever a manager drops a big player – in Amorim's case, two – he really needs the team to win. It's a statement to the stars he leaves out that they are not indispensable.
And although Man United needed two late goals to win the Manchester derby, it was Amad who made the difference, with the Ivorian winning a penalty and adding a stunning goal just two minutes later.
Amorim admitted before the game that both Rashford and Garnacho had trained well, and that his decision was not based solely on what happened on the pitch. This clearly demonstrated that Rashford and Garnacho were not just dropped because of recent form.
Having only arrived from Sporting last month, Amorim is in his early days at United and needs to establish himself quickly with the club. But with Amad’s huge contribution, Amorim is the clear winner of his gamble.
"It's unbelievable. I think we deserved this victory. It was a difficult match but we kept the faith until the last moment. This victory is very important for the team and the fans" - Amorim said.
