Ahead of their trip to Southampton, Diogo Dalot would have been one of the first names mentioned by Manchester United fans when asked to name their stand-out performer of 2024.
So the sight of the Portugal international being given the runaround at St Mary’s would have come as a surprise to those who have watched Diogo Dalot iron out his kinks and sand down those rough edges in recent times.
When discussing the full-back’s worst afternoons in a Man United shirt, the first that comes to mind is that Champions League clash with Villarreal back in 2021. In the dying embers of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era.
Dalot was ripped to pieces that night by an electrifying Arnaut Danjuma.
In the three years since, arguably no winger has given Man United’s trusty number 20 a tougher game. Well, until Dalot arrived at St Mary’s and found himself going head-to-head with Tyler Dibling.
Tyler Dibling is Southampton’s stand-out
Handed a first-ever Premier League start after a trio of eye-catching cameos, Dibling laid down his marker early on.
Drawing Dalot into a challenge and then spinning away, the 18-year-old dashed down the wing before forcing Andre Onana into a fine save.
It would not be long until Dibling had the beating of Dalot again. This time, he squared up and burst past the former FC Porto starlet, scythed down in the box for the most obvious penalty award you will see anywhere all season long.
Of course, Cameron Archer would miss from 12 yards. And that was Southampton done, really, as an attacking force as Matthijs de Ligt and Marcus Rashford both struck almost immediately afterwards.
But for Rio Ferdinand, the legendary Man United centre-back, Dibling’s dazzling display of drive and dexterity was one that will stick in the mind for a while.
Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, the former England international can appreciate the comparison between Dibling and a young, fresh out of Carrington, Marcus Rashford.
“He came in and blew everyone’s socks off. That was the sort of introduction where you come into football and make everyone go ‘listen, whoa, who is this kid?’,” Ferdinand says, recalling Rashford’s remarkable emergence under Louis van Gaal nearly a decade ago.
“And he had that, Marcus.
“Dibling has not had as big an exposure because he is not at the same type of club. But I think, when anyone comes through, the environment you are in is so important, what that can determine for your career is so telling.”
“That’s why I look at Dibling now, and I just hope that – I am presuming he has at Southampton – got an environment that actually embraces him, brings him in but will keep him level-headed.
“That environment (also must) be having channels of communications with his family to make sure that they are very aware of his progress and his pathway now.”
Russell Martin lauds ‘outstanding’ Saints starlet
Interestingly, this is the Exeter-born Dibling’s third spell at Southampton.
He had two other stints with The Saints in his academy days, returning in 2022 after a brief stay with Chelsea.
So far, Southampton boss Russell Martin – who’s transfer window optimism has been dampened by four successive defeats – has handled Dibling’s emergence pretty impressively.
After giving the England Under 19 international a shot in pre-season alongside Sam Ayo-Ameyaw, Martin has introduced the fleet-footed attacker bit by bit, increasing his game time by the week until he felt confident Dibling was ready to start.
“He’s a really, really talented player,” Martin told BBC Sport, Dibling the bright spark in a poor, point-less start to the season for The Saints. “We have to manage the expectation and his load because he came off with cramp (against Man United).
“He’s an outstanding young man and an outstanding talent. We love working with him.”
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