Patrick Dorgu had been on the pitch for just over 30 minutes when he headed home the 96th-minute equaliser that rescued a point for Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. It was his first appearance since a hamstring injury, and good enough for one opponent to break the Premier League’s tribal lines and leave a comment under his Instagram post.

That opponent was Jeremie Frimpong. The Liverpool right-back wrote “comeback” with a heart emoji under Dorgu’s message, as reported by Man United News. Frimpong and Dorgu fill the same specialist slot on opposite flanks: both are attacking full-backs who treat the role as an invitation to join the attack, and both are among the more athletic practitioners of it in Europe.

Cameo of the weekend

Dorgu replaced Diogo Dalot in the 66th minute with United 4-2 down. He set up Joshua Zirkzee’s late goal that pulled the score back to 4-3, then pounced on a Zion Suzuki goalkeeping lapse to head home a corner and force the draw deep into stoppage time. He won all five of his defensive duels, added three recoveries and a tackle.

Dorgu’s own Instagram caption was short.

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“We stay United. Happy to be back on the pitch, all glory to God.”

Two wing-backs, one position

Both players arrived in the Premier League as high-ceiling, high-tempo full-backs. Frimpong joined Liverpool after making his name at Bayer Leverkusen; Dorgu arrived at Old Trafford from Lecce. They are the kind of profile English football rewards and exposes in equal measure, and Frimpong’s comment reads as a nod from one specialist to another more than cross-club mischief.

Anfield awaits

The next time Frimpong and Dorgu occupy the same pitch, they will not be doing it through a phone screen. Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday, 22 November at 4.30pm.

Dorgu’s own post-match mood, though, was not celebratory. Speaking to Yahoo Sports, the 22-year-old described United’s situation bluntly.

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“I don’t feel happy – we are in a bad situation. We need to fight together to get out of it.”

United sit 18th in the Premier League. Dorgu’s late header rescued a point against a Villa side that had led 2-0 inside five minutes and 4-2 going into the final 15 minutes.

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