Manchester United wide man Patrick Dorgu has won the club’s Goal of the Season for the 2025/26 campaign for his outstanding strike at the Emirates in January.
Long-Range Missile
The Red Devils travelled to face Arsenal in enemy territory in interim boss Michael Carrick’s second game in charge, fresh from the 2-0 win over Manchester City at Old Trafford.
The Gunners, as they had been for the majority of the campaign, were leading the table and in fine form. But United emerged from the pulsating clash in north London with a 3-2 win and all three points, courtesy of a thunderous half-volley from Dorgu with the game poised at 1-1.
The dynamic Dane, deployed as a left-winger by Carrick, burst through the opposition midfield, playing a brilliant double one-two with captain Bruno Fernandes to leave three Arsenal players for dead, before unleashing a howitzer into the top corner of David Raya’s goal.
The ball rattled in off the crossbar before crossing the line, an emphatic visual which makes every goal feel that little bit more visceral. The Spanish goalkeeper was left with no chance of saving it.
Challenge: Watch our Goal of the Season just once ⚽️🔥
Difficulty level: Impossible 🤤🔂🤝 @Snapdragon pic.twitter.com/n1qhP6mk8r
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 15, 2026
Arsenal equalised shortly after, but Mikel Arteta’s men faced only temporary relief, as Matheus Cunha produced his own outrageous long-distance effort to secure all three points for United.
Interestingly, fans voted the Brazilian forward’s goal in second place behind Dorgu’s, with Fernandes’ free-kick in the chaotic 4-4 draw against Bournemouth at Old Trafford placing third, the club website reveals.
The last ten winners of the Goal of the Season award are:
2025/26: Dorgu v Arsenal
2024/25: Amad v Manchester City
2023/24: Garnacho v Everton
2022/23: Antony v Barcelona
2021/22: Ronaldo v Tottenham Hotspur
2020/21: Fernandes v Everton
2019/20: Rashford v Chelsea
2018/19: Andreas v Southampton
2017/18: Matic v Crystal Palace
2016/17: Henrikh Mkhitaryan v Sunderland
Where will Dorgu play next season?
There remains an interesting question of where Dorgu’s best position in Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 system is, given that he was not initially signed to play in this formation. The 21-year-old was captured from Serie A minnows Lecce in January 2025 to provide then-head coach Ruben Amorim with a specialist left wing-back.
But he struggled at times to provide the attacking threat the Portuguese tactician needed, with Amorim even publicly criticising him for the “anxiety” he showed in possession after the 1-0 defeat to Everton in November.
There is a certain irony, therefore, that Dorgu’s best performances in a red shirt have come while playing in an even more advanced role, with back-to-back goals in both games.
Final Thoughts
United coaches are understood to view the Copenhagen native as a winger moving forward, which is why the club are targeting a new left-back this summer to provide competition to Luke Shaw. Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly have both been linked.
This would be a mistake, however, as Dorgu’s most impressive attributes – speed, size, strength and stamina – are best harnessed as a flying fullback who provides a constant overlap down the outside. The fact that he has the skill to contribute in the final third should be the cherry on top, rather than the main ingredient of the cake.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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