Dorgu stars for Man United in 2-1 loss to Aston Villa

Manchester United suffered a demoralising 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, as the Red Devils failed to inch closer to fourth place on the Premier League table.

Man Utd had their moments but were undone by the brilliance of Morgan Rogers, whose brace earned his side crucial three points on the night.

However, there were a few positives for Manchester United, like the performance of Matheus Cunha and Patrick Dorgu.

Dorgu, in particular, has been underwhelming since his move to Old Trafford around a year ago, but this was a step in the right direction for the Dane.

Dorgu stole the ball, which led to Cunha’s equaliser just before the half-time break, and was a constant outlet down the left flank for Ruben Amorim’s side.

The 21-year-old created two big chances and played three key passes. He won 13/16 duels, 3/4 of his tackles, and made four recoveries and three clearances.

This display vs Villa was Dorgu’s best performance for Man Utd (he earned a 7/10 rating from the Daily Mail) and one he needs to build upon for the rest of the season.

That left-back starting berth is his for the next few years if he can make this performance the standard.

However, for Dorgu to truly lock down that left-back role and terrorise defences, he must sharpen his crossing.

Yesterday, he finally put one on a platter for Cunha, only for the Brazilian to fluff it, but the quality of that delivery hinted at his untapped potential.

If he gets his bearings right, consistently whipping in dangerous balls from the flank, he could become a terrific weapon for Amorim’s attack.

Turning those flashes into routine precision will separate good from great.

Also, next summer, United must provide competition for the former Lecce man.

The Red Devils need someone capable of pushing him for a starting berth.

Diogo Dalot has been uninspiring, and Luke Shaw looks incapable of handling the athletic demands of the role.