In the latter part of December, Diogo Dalot played under the floodlights at St. James' Park. He punched the chilly air. Edinson Cavani had just scored an equalizing goal for Manchester United against Newcastle with twenty minutes left on the clock, and Dalot celebrated the goal all by himself in the corner.
After a series of blocks, the right-back played the cross into the box that resulted in Cavani's goal. He looked toward the heavens, which is where the away fans are seated at St. James Park, and he raised his hands, gesturing in relief. Cavani scored the goal.
The roar of the away fans was loud enough to drown out the frustrated groans of disappointment coming from the home section, and from the heavens came chants of "UNITED, UNITED, UNITED." Cavani capitalized on Newcastle's inability to capitalize on their superior play by scoring the game-winning goal after the Magpies failed to take advantage of the numerous scoring opportunities that were presented to them.
That didn't make a difference on the night, however, because it meant that United went back to Manchester with a point even though they probably didn't deserve one. However, it did explain why Dalot's celebration was a mixture of relief, ecstasy, and appreciation for Cavani.
During the previous season, Dalot's performance against Newcastle at St. James' Park was emblematic of the kind of player he is. Although Dalot had a difficult time dealing with the threat posed by Allan Saint-Maximin, the player who scored the game's first goal, Dalot was the one who delivered the cross that led to the equalizer.
Although Harry Maguire still had a chance to prevent Saint-Maximin from scoring, Dalot was the one who was responsible for giving the winger the space to fashion his goalscoring opportunity, and the Frenchman continued to cause him problems from that point on.
It was clear that Newcastle had identified Dalot as a weakness that they could exploit, as they made every effort to pass the ball to Saint-Maximin whenever they had possession of the ball. Dalot had a difficult time keeping up with Saint-Maximin because of the player's quick feet and fast pace. The game plan that Eddie Howe presented to the struggling Dalot was not at all well received.
It was a questionable defensive performance yet a competent attacking display from Dalot, which seemed to be the recurring theme of his career at Old Trafford until this season, in which he's gradually improved with Erik ten Hag in charge of the team. Dalot's performance was dubious defensively yet competent offensively.
Dalot deservedly won his status as first-choice right-back during the previous campaign because he offers more going forward, but the jury was still out on his defensive nous. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been unable to develop into a right-back who can provide value in the final third.
Dalot had something to prove in this season as it was his first season with the club and he was the club's first-choice right back. His performances have been encouraging, suggesting that he has indeed improved his weaknesses since he joined the club.
Dalot turned in one of his best performances since joining the club during the month of August's game against Southampton, and he also had a strong showing against Leicester. It was not lost on anyone that he was instrumental in United's run of four consecutive Premier League titles, which they won.
He was justly praised for those performances, and some even suggested that he was the best right-back in the Premier League on form. However, such bold statements are premature, and Dalot has proven that he is more than capable of proving them wrong over the past few weeks.
When Dalot faced Omonia on Thursday night, he almost gave the Cypriot team a goal right before halftime, which was evidence of the fact that he has shown glimpses of his defensive vulnerability again after having an excellent start to the season. Dalot's defensive vulnerability was evident.
Even though it is important to point out that he has started every game this season, he has not been as convincing over the past few weeks. Consistency at an elite level is not easy to achieve, but that is what Dalot wants to strive for, to take his game to another level.
Dalot needs to continue to add value to transitions and continue to make improvements to his defensive qualities. He will be put to the test on Sunday afternoon when he takes on the challenge of coping with Saint-Maximin from Newcastle once more. Dalot must continue to add value to transitions and continue to make improvements to his defensive qualities.
Because Saint-Maximin is technically exceptional, and because of his unpredictability, he is a genuine test for the best full-backs in the world, this means that the true amount of progress that Dalot has made this season can be gauged by how well he copes with Saint-threat. Maximin's This is the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate that he is deserving of the extension of his current contract, which is scheduled to take place in January.
In December, Dalot was unable to get within striking distance of Saint-Maximin; this situation must improve on Sunday.
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