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Thursday 26 December 2024 19:30
Wolverhampton Wanderers delivered a second successive Premier League defeat for Manchester United on Boxing Day, as the 10-man Reds fell by two goals to nil at Molineux.
Matheus Cunha provided the killer opening in the 58th minute, when his corner kick swirled its way straight into Andre Onana’s goal – an unwelcome echo of Tottenham Hotspur’s similar effort in the Carabao Cup last week.
But arguably the game’s most decisive moment arrived within seconds of the start of the second half, when United captain Bruno Fernandes was issued with a red card after receiving his second booking of the evening.
The 10 men battled admirably after Cunha’s goal, but were unable to exert the pressure required to find a much-needed equaliser, and Hwang Hee-chan clinched the three points for the Midlanders in the dying seconds.
Manuel Ugarte continued his promising form during the early stages at Molineux.
FIRST HALF – A MIXED BAG
When the game kicked off at a misty Molineux, you could tell the home side had won their last game. The bounce and buzz provided by the arrival of new manager Vitor Pereira – and a 3-0 win over Leicester City – was evident not only in the atmosphere among the Wolves faithful, but also on the pitch, where Wolves harried and hassled United in the early stages.
United matched the hosts’ aggression though, with Manuel Ugarte particularly tenacious in the opening half an hour. One outrageous flick to Amad – setting the Ivorian away to win a free-kick – showed the Uruguayan is not just the midfield destroyer that some peg him as.
But chances were elusive for both sides in the first period. Mainoo almost found Hojlund’s run into the six-yard box in the 17th minute and there was a great Diogo Dalot curler which seemed destined for the top corner, until Jose Sa sprung a classic, sprawling, photo-ready save. But that was as good as it got.
Wolves probably created the best opening when a slow, but accurate, downwards header from centre-forward Jorgen Strand Larsen forced Onana to tip over, but they were largely restricted to shots from distance in other passages. Guedes shot over midway through the half, and then Semedo’s deflected effort from miles out was well parried by Onana.
As the whistle blew, you sensed both sides were glad to get into the dressing rooms. Both would have been right to feel encouraged, but a few little tweaks and tune-ups were clearly in order to move the game on, and to prevent the teams’ matching three-at-the-back formations leading to a stalemate.
Fernandes sees red shortly after half-time – a moment which profoundly altered the game.
SECOND HALF – AN UNEXPECTED TWIST
Any fears of a dull climax to the game evaporated within seconds of the restart, however, when Bruno Fernandes was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Nelson Semedo.
Before the Reds had time to even catch breath, the ball was in our net, when Larsen headed home Semedo’s clever cross. Blessedly, a length VAR check confirmed the linesman’s decision that the striker had stepped into an offside position as the centre was delivered.
But the warning signs were clear: the 40-plus minutes lying ahead of our 10 men was not going to comfortable, as the home side eagerly pressed for a win that would lift them out of the relegation zone.
Ruben Amorim delivers instructions to Diogo Dalot, as we plot a way back into the contest.
Just before the hour mark, Wolves’ industry delivered something tangible, when Matheus Cunha’s inswinging corner from the left flank flew straight in, with Onana and our defenders out-manoeuvred by some stealthy blocks.
Amorim rang the changes within minutes, sending Antony, Casemiro and Eriksen on, and a header and a low strike from distance by the two aforementioned Brazilians provided a welcome jolt of confidence to the depleted Reds.
Wolves looked increasingly nervous as the game drained away – particularly during eight minutes of added time – but despite plenty of bustle from our five substitutes (Garnacho and Zirkzee followed with just over 10 minutes remaining), Harry Maguire’s late header and a VAR check for a potential penalty were as close as we came to a leveller.
The home side found a sealing second in the last seconds, as United pushed almost everyone but Onana up the field, when Cunha provided a tap-in for substitute Hwang. The scoreline felt a touch unfair on United, given the balance of play across the entire 90 minutes, but we were ultimately left with nothing from an uninspiring game that swung on a couple of yellow cards.
Harry Maguire defended stoutly for the Reds, and was a threat in the opposition box, but couldn’t find the equaliser we craved.
MATCH DETAILS
Wolves:
Sa; Toti, Bueno, Semedo (Dawson 90+3); Ait-Nouri (R. Gomes 87), Andre, J. Gomes (Doyle 73), Doherty; Cunha, Guedes (Hwang 74), Larsen (Bellegarde 90+3).
Substitutes not used:
Johnstone, Meupiyou, Forbs, Lima.
Goals:
Cunha 58, Hwang 90+9.
Booked: J. Gomes, Doherty.
United:
Onana; Yoro (Antony 63), Maguire, Martinez; Mazraoui, Mainoo (Casemiro 63), Ugarte (Eriksen 63), Dalot; Amad (Garnacho 79), Fernandes (c); Hojlund (Zirkzee 79).
Subs not used:
Bayindir; De Ligt, Evans, Collyer.
Booked: Yoro, Ugarte.
Sent off: Fernandes.
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Thursday 26 December 2024 19:30
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