Amad Diallo was Manchester United's FA Cup hero on Sunday, when his extra-time winner extinguished Jurgen Klopp's dream of ending his storied tenure at Liverpool with a Wembley final.
André Ayew hit a Ligue 1 landmark with Le Havre AC in France, while Bright Osayi-Samuel was embroiled in an on-field punch-up with Trabzonspor fans during unsavoury scenes in the Turkish Super Lig.
Last year was one to forget for Diallo, with his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury slowed by several setbacks; he featured only once for the Red Devils in the calendar year -- as a substitute against Nottingham Forest on Dec. 30.
His extended absence cost him the chance of playing for Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, and he's found game time hard to come by under Erik ten Hag since returning to full fitness.
His cameo against Liverpool on Sunday was only his fourth appearance of the campaign, but Diallo appeared determined to make up for lost time.
Introduced as an 85th-minute substitute for Raphaël Varane, he played a role in Marcus Rashford's 112th-minute equaliser, intercepting a Darwin Núñez ball to keep the move alive as United pegged back their rivals.
Eight minutes later, Diallo won the game for United.
He started the move that led to the goal, nabbing possession from a Liverpool corner and bursting forward on the counter with Alejandro Garnacho.
Diallo met the Argentine's pass by controlling with his left foot, taking one touch to set up his angle, before finishing low across Caoimhin Kelleher in the Liverpool goal.
The goal was only Diallo's second for United, and his first since a strike against AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League three years ago, and it ended Klopp's ambitions to sign off at Anfield with the FA Cup trophy lofted high.
Ten Hag insisted after the match that the performance of United's youngsters presented evidence of the bright future he's preparing at Old Trafford, and Diallo's late cameo offered hope that the injury-struck player still has a part to play at the club.
"I'm so happy for him," Ten Hag said. "He's one of the players with a huge setback this season, a bad injury, returning from it, but returning to a team where there is a lot of competition for his position.
"He doesn't always get the time to play he deserves by his training performances, but then he is coming on, then he shows his contribution, scoring a goal."
The winner may also go some way to smoothing over any potential disharmony between player and coach, with Diallo appearing to post a recent cryptic hint on social media that he was unhappy with his lack of game time at Old Trafford.
"We know he can do it," Ten Hag said, "we know he has the key moments where he can decide a game. I'm very pleased he got the winner."
Diallo was sent off when he was given a second yellow after taking off his shirt during his celebration, but he's unlikely to dwell on the setback.
"What a match," he said. "We deserved the win, we played very well, and it was one of the best games of the season.
"It's the most beautiful goal of my life, and a really very important moment."
While Diallo made the decisive intervention, Kobbie Mainoo was arguably United's star performer on the day.
Overlooked for the latest England squad -- keeping alive his prospects of representing Ghana -- the 18-year-old's mature and composed performances continue to belie his slender years, with Mainoo assertive, authoritative and bold in the heart of the action.
It's become easy to forget that, four months ago, he hadn't made a Premier League start; at times, against Liverpool, he was the only player holding Ten Hag's brittle side together.
Despite the youngster's strong showing, Ten Hag moved to downplay media parallels drawn between Mainoo and ex-Netherlands midfielder Clarence Seedorf.
"I think never ever compare players with another player," Ten Hag told United's official site. "Never, because Mainoo, but also other players, they build their own identity.
"Don't compare with anyone. His skillset, that is so typical, and it's so Kobbie Mainoo, it's nothing to do with other players.
"Of course, he can learn from other players, especially from great players as Clarence Seedorf was. But Kobbie Mainoo is Kobbie Mainoo. He has big potential, and I'm quite sure he will have a big career."
Mohamed Salah will miss the chance to clinch a second FA Cup, but he produced another fine display against United.
He set up Wataru Endo late in the first half, to cancel out Scott McTominay's opener, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside, before he fired Liverpool ahead when he tapped home after André Onana had parried a Nunez effort.
Salah has now scored 13 goals in 14 outings against the Red Devils.
Shaka Hislop reacts to Liverpool's 4-3 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
In France, Ayew hit another landmark in his storied career when he equalised for Le Havre in their 2-1 defeat by Clermont Foot.
The goal was Dede's 50th in the French top flight, after he recently ended his eight-year spell away from Ligue 1 when he signed for Le Havre having previously represented boyhood club Marseille and FC Lorient in the top tier.
Once linked to Liverpool among others, his career didn't follow the trajectory expected after a move to Swansea City, albeit he equaled the record for appearing in eight AFCON tournaments when he played for Ghana earlier this year.
Things weren't straightforward for the 34-year-old upon his arrival in Normandy, taking time to get to full fitness and being sent off on his debut, but things have stabilised. Ayew won the Ligue 1 Goal of the Month competition for January, was named Le Havre's Player of the Month for February, and has helped to keep the minnows two points out of the dropzone with eight matches to play.
Dede has also been named in the latest Black Stars squad -- the first since Otto Addo was re-appointed as head coach -- and he appears well on course to represent the West Africans in a record-breaking ninth Nations Cup next year.
Finally, in Turkey, Nigeria international Osayi-Samuel found himself at the heart of ugly scenes at the conclusion of the Super Lig derby between Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor.
A number of Trabzonspor supporters entered the pitch to accost visiting Fener players at the conclusion of the away side's 3-2 victory, with Osayi-Samuel taking down one supporter -- wearing a skeleton mask -- who appeared to be threatening a female police officer.
Despite the would-be assailant appearing to have some kind of weapon tucked into his sleeve, Osayi-Samuel showed little hesitation as he took down the man before throwing several punches as officials intervened.
Osayi-Samuel appeared in some discomfort as he left Papara Park, and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to join the Nigeria national side for the international break.