Gary Neville says 25-year-old star has been Manchester United's 'best player this season'
Former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville believes Diogo Dalot has been the best player for the Red Devils this season. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville was discussing United's latest win against rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup quarterfinal.
The Red Devils beat Jurgen Klopp's team 4-3 after extra time on March 17, with Dalot playing the entirety of the game. Praising his performance, Neville said (via HITC):
“He has done well, Dalot. He has been the best player this season.”
Dalot has been the first-choice right-back for United for the majority of the club's spell under Erik ten Hag. He has started 74 of the 80 games he has played under the Dutch boss since last season.
Dalot has started 37 of the 39 games this season, firmly establishing his position as the club's first-choice right-back. He is averaging 5.7 ball recoveries per game alongside 2.9 clearances per game (as per Sofa Score) in the Premier League. He also has 77% pass accuracy in the opposition half, making him an attacking threat as well.
Manchester United scored a 121st minute winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup
The FA Cup quarterfinal between England's biggest rivals, Liverpool and Manchester United, lived up to the billing, resulting in a seven-goal thriller. The Red Devils opened the scoring via Scott McTominay in the 10th minute.
Alexis Mac Allister drew Liverpool level in the 44th minute before Mohamed Salah put them in the lead three minutes later. The Reds continued to dominate proceedings in the second half but missed several chances to bury the game.
United drew level in the 87th minute with Antony scoring his second goal of the season. In the first half of extra-time, Liverpool's Harvey Elliott gave them the lead again with a deflected strike.
Marcus Rashford, who had earlier missed an easy chance to win the game for United in normal time, slotted in United's equaliser in the 112th minute to make it 3-3 on the night.
As the game frantically moved from one end to another, players showed signs of fatigue, with the clock approaching 120 minutes. Youngster Amad Diallo was on hand to complete a counter-attack for the home team at Old Trafford in the 121st minute as he kept his calm to hit the winner on the night.
United will face Coventry City in the semifinals of the FA Cup at Wembley.