Manchester United pulled off a remarkable late escape to snatch a thrilling 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League yesterday.
Aston Villa twice established two-goal leads, but United showed tremendous fighting spirit to claw their way back on both occasions.
With United trailing 4-2 in the 90th minute, the atmosphere at Old Trafford had begun to die down.
However, Patrick Dorgu transformed the evening in the space of six minutes, providing an assist before scoring a dramatic equaliser.
Manager Michael Carrick was full of praise for the Danish international, who made his long-awaited return after more than a month on the sidelines.
Speaking after the game, Carrick said: “It’s good to have Pat back. He hasn’t trained a lot so we had to be careful. We were a little bit wary about how long we could give him and what the game as going to look like.
“When he might come on because he’s so flexible but, yeah, he made a good impact as he came on, as we hoped, and he’s finished the game strong.”
Dorgu produced a sensational cameo that could prove hugely significant for Carrick, potentially even giving the United manager a lifeline amid growing pressure over his future.
The 21-year-old had been sidelined after suffering a hamstring injury while representing Denmark during the previous international break.
He returned to training earlier this week, but United’s coaching staff were understandably cautious, particularly as this was his second hamstring setback of 2026.
Dorgu came on in the 66th minute to take up the left-back position.
The young defender soon made his presence felt, surging forward on the left before delivering an inviting cross into the penalty area.
He found Joshua Zirkzee inside the box with perfection, allowing the Dutch international to score and cut the deficit to one goal.
Then came the decisive moment. In the 96th minute, Bruno Fernandes whipped a dangerous delivery into the box from a corner, and Dorgu rose above the Villa defence to power home a towering header.
It was a spectacular way to mark his return, rescuing a precious point for United and sending Old Trafford into delirium.
Stats from Fotmob.com