Manchester United beat Newcastle United in the Premier League’s only Boxing Day fixture, with a stunning volley from Patrick Dorgu winning the game for Ruben Amorim’s side
Ruben Amorim says Mason Mount wanted to play on after picking up an injury against Newcastle. However, the Manchester United head coach said the club couldn’t afford to risk losing another midfielder for an extended period.
United were down to the bare bones against Eddie Howe’s side, with captain Bruno Fernandes, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire among those missing. They also saw Mount forced off at half-time, with teenager Jack Fletcher taking his place for the second 45 minutes.
“He felt something at half-time. He wanted to go, and that is also a good thing,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “He wanted to go in the second half, but cannot lose more players, and if you are not 100 per cent, Jack [Fletcher] did a very good job.
“It’s a very important moment for any kid. He’s going to hear from his father. He’s going to talk a lot about a lot of things, but he needs to calm down and just praise the kid because he’s really humble, works really hard, and he deserves this.”
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Despite the absences, Amorim’s team ground out a hard-fought victory thanks to a rare clean sheet. Patrick Dorgu was the unlikely hero, volleying home his first goal for the club in style, and the Danish international impressed in a more advanced role than the one he is used to.
Recently, United’s manager told Dorgu to work on his confidence after some nervy displays left the manager himself worried. The former Lecce star clearly took the comments on board, referencing that advice when speaking to Sky Sports after the game.
“It was a good hit. I didn’t know I could do that, but I was very happy to score my first goal in this stadium as well. It was amazing,” Dorgu said after the victory.
“I just took what [Amorim] told me to work on my confidence and stuff. I think I did well today. I just looked at the ball, saw it drop, and I just hit it. I’ve been practicing in training, so I think that’s what helped me.”
Amorim also said last December’s 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle played on his mind when making the unexpected decision to switch to a back four. “In the first half, I think we showed that I felt that was the only way to create more danger, to have more opportunities was with the back four with a lot of guys inside,” he said.
“Even to keep the ball, because I remember the game last year we lost one against one outside. We just tried to imagine the game and to help the players to feel comfortable.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
