Five things we learnt as turgid United slip to embarrassing 1-1 draw with lowly Wolves

Manchester United welcomed Wolverhampton Wanderers to Old Trafford in the final match of 2025 for the Red Devils. Senne Lammens started in goal, with Lisandro Martinez captaining the side in the absence of Bruno Fernandes. Ayden Heaven and Luke Shaw started on either side of him in a return to the 3-4-3 formation. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu played as wing backs. Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte formed the midfield pivot, with Matheus Cunha and Joshua Zirkzee playing either side of lone striker Benjamin Sesko. Here are five things we learnt from the match. Joshua Zirkzee goal The Dutchman has been heavily linked with a move this winter, with AS Roma very keen on the forward. He had to fill in during November and the early part of this month due to the injury to Benjamin Sesko. With Bryan Mbeumo, Mason Mount, and Bruno Fernandes all unavailable, he earned another start tonight. Zirkzee failed to get involved much in the opening stages of the match but made his mark with a bit of fortune after 27 minutes. His deflected shot found its way into the back of the net, and Zirkzee had his second goal of the season. Perhaps, Red Devils fans will not see him much longer in a United shirt, but at least they saw one more goal at Old Trafford. The Dutch forward was substituted at half-time due to a formation change and was denied the chance to add to his total. Benjamin Sesko threat The Slovenian has had a stop-start season so far in his debut campaign. He has only managed to score two goals all season and has sometimes struggled to get involved in matches. Nonetheless, he was probably the club’s most dangerous player in the first half, hitting the post with a header from a corner. He also had a good run and shot, but the ball unluckily deflected wide. Letting teams back in United have recently made a habit of letting teams back into contests. They conceded equalisers to West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth after taking the lead at home. They also let Wolverhampton Wanderers back in at Molineux, but managed to score three second-half goals to secure the victory. After taking the lead tonight and being in control, they let Wolverhampton Wanderers back into the game at the end of the first half, and Ladislav Krejci headed in their equaliser just before half-time. United have certainly made some progress this season, but this is a habit that they desperately need to change—and fast. Bendito Mantato debut This month has been a good one for United’s youngsters. Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu have both impressed, and Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher both made their debuts earlier in the month. Tonight was the turn of Bendito Mantato to make his senior debut for the Red Devils. Matheus Cunha poor Cunha was fantastic just a few weeks ago at Molineux against his former side, providing an assist for Bruno Fernandes. Unfortunately, he was a shadow of himself tonight when United needed him most. He struggled to connect with his teammates or really have any efforts on goal in a very disappointing night at Old Trafford. Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.