Over the years, Manchester United supporters have become accustomed to incredible late-game drama, with countless moments creating great memories for the fan base.
In recent history, Amad Diallo has produced some late-game magic of his own, doing so in one of the club’s biggest games, the Manchester City derby against Manchester City.
The Ivorian scored the winning goal in the 90th minute against Josep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad last season, securing a 2-1 victory after falling behind in the final minutes.
But one of the most iconic late goals was the one Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final.
Such goals helped the Red Devils win another big trophy, but most importantly, the club achieved the treble, following wins in the Premier League and FA Cup.
Now, Ruben Amorim has a clutch player of his own who continues to deliver in the late stages of many important matches.
Harry Maguire ranks Manchester United’s most defining moments
After shelling out £80m to sign Harry Maguire in the summer of 2019, few United fans would have predicted the impact the centre-back would have in attacking areas.
In six years at Old Trafford, the 32-year-old has scored 17 goals for the Red Devils, finding the back of the net in all 14 games he played.
Many of his shots were late goals with important first-team results, with his third most important shot coming in the 2020 FA Cup quarter-final against Norwich City.
The 118th-minute winning shot sealed the club’s place in the semi-finals, and it was Maguire’s first performance, as he showed off his clutch ability in front of goal, that sealed the club’s place in the semi-finals.
The centre-back had a final gasp in action in last season’s Europa League, before producing one of the most memorable matches for fans in recent history.
Maguire leapt highest at the back post in the 121st minute to secure a stunning late comeback against Lyon and a 7-6 aggregate win in the quarter-finals.
But despite his antics at Old Trafford in April, the defender’s latest strike at the Red Devils is one that could help start Amorim’s tenure at the Theater of Dreams.
The former Leicester City player scored the winning goal in the 84th minute against rivals Liverpool, after which the club secured their first win at Anfield in 12 years.
A victory like this will undoubtedly live long in the memories of all supporters and Maguire will once again be etched into the club’s history forever.
United star fast becoming one of Amorim’s most important players
Maguire was able to consistently score goals inside United’s attacking areas, but Amorim had to desperately deal with his options in the final third.
It’s good to have a defensive player who can make an important contribution, but the team lacked a commanding presence to make an impression in front of goal.
His team only scored 44 goals in 38 league games last season, averaging just 1.1 points per 90, the fifth-lowest in the division.
As a result, the bosses handed the 40-year-old manager more than £200m to make the desired changes to Manchester’s first-team squad.
One of the additions made by the board was forward Brian Mbeumo, who joined the Red Devils on a deal worth £71 million, including future add-ons.
The Cameroonian arrived at Old Trafford with high expectations, which were understandable after he finished last season with Brentford scoring 20 league goals, becoming one of just five players to achieve such a milestone.
Since making such a move, the 26-year-old has quickly won the hearts of the fanbase with his impressive performances in recent weeks under the guidance of Amorim.
He has already found the back of the net three times, his most recent effort coming in the first minutes of Sunday afternoon’s iconic victory over Liverpool.
With this goal, Mbeumo extended his league tally, and he also scored against Burnley at Old Trafford in August, helping us secure our first win of the season.
Brian Mbeumo – Manchester United statistics (2025/26) | |
|---|---|
Statistics (every 90) | tally |
games played | 9 |
Number of points scored | 3 |
Pass accuracy | 78% |
successful cross | 2.1 |
An opportunity has arisen | 1.8 |
dribbling success | 52% |
foul drawn | 1.5 |
shot on target | 1.2 |
Statistics by FotMob | |
As a result of his recent antics in the Red Devils’ first team, one analyst has dubbed him “one of the most clutch players,” often appearing in key moments when the team needs him most.
He currently sits at the top of the league’s club scoring charts and his recent form shows that the board made the right decision by spending a significant amount of money on his signature.
Mbeumo also ranks second for chances created in the top flight in 2025/26 and has already recorded an assist in the win over Sunderland, underscoring his absolute natural ability in the final three.
Maguire’s recent antics have certainly seen the Englishman receive a ton of praise, but some of that desperately needs to be directed at the Cameroonian.
The board took a big risk with his arrival this summer, but it has so far proven to be the right decision and his ability could allow the manager to make history at Old Trafford.