Erik ten Hag could not believe what he was watching in the 20th minute during Manchester United's match against Southampton on Saturday afternoon. Anthony Elanga, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes had each been prevented from scoring in quick succession.
Southampton somehow prevented a goal from that sequence of shots and Ralph Hasenhuttl's defenders felt as if they had scored at the other end. United should have scored and Ten Hag was left standing in disbelief on the touchline. Diogo Dalot was the catalyst for those openings after roaming down the right channel from right-back and that was clearly an area in which he was finding joy.
Dalot provided more quality in the final third than Anthony Elanga did and he was also outperforming his teammates on the other side. Malacia didn't stand out going forward and Jadon Sancho was easily dealt with by 20-year-old Armel Bella-Kotchap.
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It was Dalot's cross that Fernandes should have scored from in the 20th minute and that would have given him his first assist of the season. That obviously didn't happen but he would only have had to wait until the second half to get off the mark with an assist.
Dalot had continued to provide United with another dimension down the right wing and his persistence was eventually rewarded after half-time. Dalot had the vision to spot Fernandes' run on the edge of the box and the midfielder volleyed his side into the lead with an expertly taken, world-class finish. Dalot punched the air in celebration and Fernandes pointed at him to express thanks.
It was the only moment of real quality in an otherwise difficult watch for the neutral, albeit Fernandes' strike was a goal worthy of winning any game.
Elanga was ineffective against Southampton, but Dalot's performance ensured that United remained a threat down the right side. Moussa Djenepo started at left-back for Southampton and Hasenhuttl eventually brought him off in the latter stages.
Dalot's performance against Southampton was one of his finest since joining the club. His attacking display was accomplished and he was excellent in defence, playing a key role in United recording an away Premier League clean sheet for the first time since December.
The 23-year-old looked assured and confident at the back and that's not always been the case. Dalot did not need to be special to win Aaron Wan-Bissaka's starting position last season, but he seems to be improving and maturing under the tutelage of Ten Hag.
Although Dalot's desire on the pitch could never be questioned, his quality has often been in doubt. He has never really looked like a defender good enough to start at an elite Premier League side, however, he's now making encouraging steps forward.
Dalot gradually settled into the first-team under Ralf Rangnick last season and he's now making further headway with Ten Hag in charge. That is not a surprise, since Ten Hag is the first tactically competent manager at Old Trafford since Jose Mourinho.
Ten Hag said his squad are 'f****** good' when they perform after beating Liverpool and he has always insisted that it is his job to improve the players he inherited. Dalot is clearly responding to Ten Hag's tactical input and he showed that at Southampton.
It was a stellar performance and the type that he now needs to strive to deliver consistently. Dalot is enjoying the opportunity to play as the club's first-choice right-back and that will be a role he deserves if he can regularly perform like he did on Saturday.
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