Diogo Dalot believes the stunning late turnaround against Brentford can be a watershed moment in Manchester United’s season.
Erik ten Hag’s men were staring down the barrel of a third Old Trafford defeat in eight days as Saturday’s Premier League match headed into second-half stoppage time.
Mathias Jensen capitalised on a comedy of errors to put Brentford on course for a famous victory that would have ratcheted up the already intense pressure and scrutiny on out-of-sorts United.
But, unlike their previous defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray, the Red Devils found a way to fight back as super sub Scott McTominay’s brace sealed a remarkable 2-1 triumph.
Trailing at 92 minutes 46 seconds, this was United’s latest ever Premier League comeback and Dalot echoed manager Ten Hag’s view that Saturday must be “a turning point” in their season.
“I think it means a little bit more than three points for us after these last couple of weeks,” the Portugal right-back said.
“I think the way that we won – obviously I didn’t mind scoring a few goals earlier than the 90 minutes – but I think it shows we are here to fight, we are here to suffer together.
“I think the fans were behind us every step of the way and I think this can be a turning point for us. We want to look at this as a turning point and we know it’s going to be difficult.
“That’s how it’s meant to be to be as a Manchester United player and today I think was proof we can fight until the end.”
United dug deep at Old Trafford, where after the game Ten Hag bemoaned a lack of hunger during their meek, error-strewn start to the season.
Those issues were clear in Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League defeat at home to Galatasaray, increasing the external focus on Old Trafford that Dalot has previously called a “killing machine”.
“We did a lot of things together, everyone getting together,” he said of the build-up.
“We focused on what we have to do tactically.
“We always do that, but especially coming into the game, feeling like we had to be a proper team.
“Obviously we controlled the game, we created chances, we could have scored goals, but the most important thing for me was the way we fought until the end, the way the fans showed the support for us and that shows they are with us.
“They have been with us all the way and we have to give (back) like this.”
Dalot said it was clear to see the team “gave everything” on Saturday afternoon as McTominay’s 87th-minute introduction sparked a scarcely-believable comeback.
The 24-year-old says he sees a lot of himself in the selfless, hardworking midfielder, who was linked with a summer move but stayed to fight for his place at his boyhood club.
“When Scott comes in, with all the energy that he has, the mentality, that shows that we are a proper team and I’m very happy with the result,” Dalot said.
“I think if you’re a Manchester United fan you know that Scott will always love the club and will always fight for his place.
“I don’t know what was in his head (over the summer), but I’m sure that once he decided that he has to stay I think he will give 100 per cent.
“Now we just have to help him to get along every day with us and be together as a team.”
While United went into the international break on a high, Brentford were left reeling from a last-gasp gut punch and even later knockout blow.
Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt said: “We played a very good game and at 90 minutes we were leading at Old Trafford.
“Then, in five minutes, they turn around the game and win 2-1.
“We have to finish a counter or a set-piece to make it 2-0, that’s the only thing I would say we can do better.
“It’s nice to have a good performance but obviously we want the points.
“Sometimes I don’t care if we play s***, as long as we get three points. We can turn it around together.”
Bristol City Women 0-4 Man City Women: Hosts relegated as Fowler double inspires WSL leaders
Mary Fowler scored twice to set WSL leaders Manchester City on their way to a 4-0 rout of Bristol City, who suffered relegation as a result, on Sunday.
With Arsenal having drawn with Everton earlier in the day, Man City knew a victory would be enough to take the title race down to two teams.
That victory duly arrived in emphatic fashion, with all four of Man City's goals arriving in the second half.
Fowler's fantastic strike opened the scoring in the 62nd minute, with the Australia international doubling her tally soon after, paving the way for an Amy Rodgers own goal and Alex Greenwood's late header to seal a huge victory.
Arsenal are now out of the title race, with Chelsea - who have two games in hand on Gareth Taylor's team - the only side capable of catching Man City.
The Robins, meanwhile, will be playing in the second tier again next term.
Data Debrief: Bristol heading down with a whimper
Bristol City have failed to score in their last five games in the WSL, a run of 544 minutes without a goal.
They mustered just 0.09 expected goals (xG) to Man City's 3.4, with the visitors having now kept a clean sheet in nine of their 20 league games this season.
De Rossi demands more from 'tired' Roma ahead of crunch run
Daniele De Rossi acknowledged his Roma team may be tired, but he insisted they must not allow themselves to be embarrassed.
Roma fought back to draw 2-2 with last season's Serie A champions Napoli in a pulsating fixture on Sunday.
Tammy Abraham's late header secured a point for De Rossi's team, who took the lead through Paulo Dybala's penalty before going behind to goals from Matias Olivera and Victor Osimhen.
With Serie A set to have five teams in the Champions League next season, Roma occupy fifth spot with four matches remaining, but sixth-placed Atalanta are just two points behind with a game in hand.
There is also the small matter of a Europa League semi-final against Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen on the cards over the coming weeks, and De Rossi set the stall out.
"We drew, it is not a result to throw away, but it is not the result or the performance that we wanted," Roma coach Daniele De Rossi told Sky Sports Italia.
"At times you can steal the ball off Napoli, but we then gave it back again too many times. Napoli had a lot of chances in the first half, we did better in the second, but we have to do better.
"Look, we are tired, but we cannot start thinking that we’re tired and that means we can be embarrassed in the final few weeks of the season."
Roma host Leverkusen on Thursday before taking on Juventus on May 5, with a crunch clash against Atalanta – who are also into the Europa League semi-finals – set to follow after the away leg against Xabi Alonso's team.
Key to a successful end to the campaign for Roma will be keeping Dybala fit. The Argentine has been involved in the joint-most goals (12) in Serie A since the turn of the year, scoring nine and setting up three, level with Juve's Dusan Vlahovic.
PSG's latest Ligue 1 title arrives as Monaco lose to Lyon
Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned as Ligue 1 champions after Lyon overcame Monaco 3-2 on Sunday.
A 4-1 midweek win over Lorient ensured that one more victory would be enough for Luis Enrique's team to get over the line, but PSG failed to get the job done themselves when they faced relegation-threatened Le Havre on Saturday.
That game was the 700th match of the QSI era at PSG, and the club's 1,900th in France's top flight.
However, PSG's wait to win their third straight title did not last long, as less than 24 hours later, Lyon – who will face the Parisians in the final of the Coupe de France at the end of May – came out on top in a topsy turvy encounter with second-placed Monaco.
Substitute Malick Fofana was the matchwinner for Lyon, and ultimately the player who handed the title to PSG.
Wissam Ben Yedder had put Monaco ahead in the opening minute, but quickfire goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Said Benrahma turned the match on its head before half-time.
Ben Yedder netted his second to restore parity on the hour mark, and thought he had sealed his hat-trick when he volleyed in from a free-kick, only to have strayed offside.
With only a win good enough for Monaco to stay in the fight, the visitors were then caught out in the 84th minute, with Fofana racing onto Lacazette's throughball and finishing calmly.
After a dismal start to the season, relegation looked a real possibility for Lyon, but they are now, with three games remaining, still in with a shout of qualifying for Europe.
PSG on the other hand now have 12 Ligue 1 titles to their name, with 10 of those coming under QSI's ownership. Aside from the COVID-impacted 2019-20 season, five of their last six league titles have been secured before the start of May.
It also means Luis Enrique remains in the running for a treble in his first season at the club, with PSG taking on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals next week.
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