Raphael Varane’s close-range header secured a 1-0 win for Manchester United regardless of an unconvincing efficiency in opposition to unfancied Wolves at Previous Trafford.
Gary O’Neil’s guests had the higher of the possibilities earlier than Varane’s 76th-minute winner, with Matheus Cunha spurning a golden alternative to place Wolves forward early within the second half in what was a full of life efficiency by the Brazilian ahead.
Erik ten Hag had burdened the necessity for his crew to “increase the bar” earlier than kick-off however it was a passive show from United in entrance of their very own supporters. It took a very good go from Bruno Fernandes to unlock issues, Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross discovering Varane.
Participant rankings
Man Utd: Onana (7), Wan-Bissaka (7), Varane (7), Martinez (5), Shaw (7), Casemiro (6), Mount (6), Fernandes (7), Antony (6), Rashford (5), Garnacho (5).
Subs: Lindelof (6), Eriksen (6), Sancho (6), Pellistri (6), McTominay (n/a).
Wolves: Sa (6), Semedo (7), Dawson (7), Kilman (7), Ait-Nouri (8), Nunes (8), Lemina (7), Gomes (8), Sarabia (6), Cunha (8), Neto (7).
Subs: Hwang (7), Bueno (6), Silva (6), Kalajdzic (n/a).
Participant of the match: Matheus Cunha.
There have been nonetheless alternatives for Wolves as substitute Fabio Silva twice pressured United’s new goalkeeper Andre Onana into sensible saves late within the sport. There was even a stoppage-time penalty verify when Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic whereas failing to say the ball.
O’Neil was booked for his complaints however he might be heartened even in defeat. Wolves’ 23 photographs are probably the most by an away aspect at Previous Trafford since Chelsea in 2005.
Ten Hag will certainly be alarmed by that regardless of his aspect claiming the three factors.
How Man Utd held on to beat Wolves
Expectations for Wolves had been low coming into the competition, the departure of Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the season which means O’Neil had solely had days to organize his crew. His was a crew with no single new signing within the beginning line-up.
However Wolves competed impressively, establishing nicely defensively and posing extra issues on the counter-attack than United may trigger on the different finish. Certainly, the away aspect may simply have led on the interval if that they had taken their probabilities.
Fantastic work by Cunha, eluding Lisandro Martinez with ease, arrange Pablo Sarabia within the left channel however his effort was deflected simply broad. The Spaniard returned the favour quickly after however Cunha then screwed his shot broad of Onana’s different submit.
Workforce information
Alejandro Garnacho began on the wing for Manchester United as Mason Mount was included for his debut. Harry Maguire was named on the bench alongside Anthony Martial.
New Wolves boss Gary O’Neil selected Rayan Ait-Nouri over Hugo Bueno in an in any other case predicted line-up as Matheus Cunha was match sufficient to begin up entrance. The returning Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva had been among the many substitutes.
The United goalkeeper was certainly one of two debutants in a United line-up that additionally included Mason Mount however a header from Varane – an indication of what was later to determine the sport – was as shut as United got here within the opening 45 minutes. It was all too sluggish.
The sample continued within the second half, Cunha’s miss notably stunning. Sarabia’s cross discovered its approach to him on the far submit and it appeared simple to show the ball into internet however he one way or the other contrived to strike the surface of the submit as a substitute. An enormous let-off.
Picture:
Wolves ahead Matheus Cunha rues a missed probability in opposition to Manchester United
Cunha continued to torment the United defence together with his runs from deep and one other cost resulted in a possibility for Pedro Neto however the drained shot was saved by Onana. A involved Ten Hag turned to Christian Eriksen and Jadon Sancho to show the tide.
United did win it when Varane nodded in however, unusually, they by no means actually succeeded in doing that – Wolves persevering with to push till the tip. Solely a pitch invader stemmed the stream, United needing all the assistance they may get, and so they even survived the penalty name.
The MNF verdict on the penalty name
Karen Carney: “It’s a penalty. O’Neil is correct to really feel aggrieved by it. Onana takes his eye of it and takes out a participant – he clatters him.”
Gary Neville: “I feel it’s a penalty as Onana is nowhere close to the ball. He was at all times beneath it and was by no means getting there. I at all times needed my goalkeeper to come back out and take the lot, and he has achieved that, so in some methods I feel he has determined to disturb as a lot as he can the attacking participant. I feel it’s a penalty.”
Jamie Carragher: “I’m not positive. I didn’t assume it will be overturned – it was not a giant mistake while you speak concerning the excessive bar.”
Onana, who did a lot good work, went for one which was past him and collided closely with Kalajdzic, the beanpole striker on his return from a knee harm. It appeared as if the referee was operating to the touchline to award the penalty however it was a yellow for O’Neil as a substitute.
The warning was United’s on Monday night, regardless of extending their unbeaten dwelling run to 19 video games. This was a crew efficiency missing in verve and an opponent much less wasteful than Wolves – of which there can’t be many – would have punished them.
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The Monday Evening Soccer panel debate whether or not Wolves ought to have been given a late penalty within the sport in opposition to Manchester United as goalkeeper Andre Onana appeared to commit a foul
O’Neil: Moss apologised over ‘blatant penalty’
Wolves boss O’Neil revealed that Jonathan Moss, whose title is Choose Group 1 Supervisor at PGMOL, has already apologised for the non-award of a “blatant penalty” for the problem by Onana in stoppage time.
“We have now simply spoken to Jonathan Moss and truthful play to him for coming straight out and apologising and saying it was a blatant penalty and may have been given,” stated O’Neil.
“I spent the afternoon with him at the moment, gave up loads of my day and preparation round attempting to know the brand new tips and attempting to not get myself booked on my first sport with the brand new tips, which I failed in.
“Honest play to Jonathan for saying it was a transparent and apparent error and he can not consider that the on-field ref didn’t give it, can not consider that VAR did not intervene.
“It most likely made me really feel worse often because as soon as you realize you’re proper you are feeling worse about leaving with nothing.”
Ten Hag: We should play higher
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Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag displays on a profitable but difficult first sport of the season in opposition to Wolverhampton
“It was a tricky sport,” stated Ten Hag. “We are able to do loads of issues higher but additionally I see loads of optimistic issues. I noticed six or seven good high-ball regains after which we’ve to take extra from the turnovers. In a low block, we defended for our lives and we survived it.”
“It’s a must to discover the inspiration of the season and gather factors. If we need to preserve gathering factors we should play higher than we did at the moment. However there have been positives, the defensive organisation, the clear sheet and the mentality. We discovered a approach to win.”
Participant of the match: Matheus Cunha
It might sound unusual to pick a participant of the match who wasted the dropping aspect’s clearest probability of the sport however it was Cunha who lit up the night together with his sensible turns away from the defenders and his driving runs from deep. He has energy and charm on the ball.
What Cunha couldn’t do was rating. He discovered the web solely twice final season, which is as many as any participant in O’Neil’s beginning line-up mustered in all competitions for any membership final season. Wolves will want him so as to add that to his sport if they’re to cease historical past repeating.
O’Neil seems enthusiastic about working with Cunha to assist him turn into extra full and discover the completion. “I assumed he was excellent, he missed loads of coaching this week with a slight challenge, so we had been by no means going to get 90 minutes out of him,” he stated.
“There are many issues he can nonetheless enhance, he is aware of what they’re at. There’s one hell of a participant in there, however we do must work nonetheless to get him to the extent that I do know he might be at, to have the ability to do what he did tonight extra commonly, so as to add a purpose on the finish of it.”
FPL Stats: Man Utd 1-0 Wolves
Targets
Varane
Assists
Wan-Bissaka
Bonus factors
Wan Bissaka (3), Varane (2), Onana (1)
The sport in stats
Manchester United have received seven consecutive dwelling Premier League video games for the primary time since 2017.
Raphael Varane netted his first purpose in 26 Premier League video games, since scoring in opposition to Brentford in Could 2022.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka ended a run of 40 Premier League appearances for Manchester United with a purpose involvement, since one other help in opposition to Liverpool in Could 2021.
Wolves directed six photographs on the right track within the sport, probably the most by a visiting aspect at Previous Trafford within the Premier League with out scoring since Chelsea in 2019.
Wolves are with no win in 9 Premier League away video games whereas they’ve misplaced every of their 5, their longest top-flight dropping streak on the street since 2011.
For the reason that begin of 2020-21, Wolves have failed to attain in 45 Premier League video games, greater than another aspect.
What’s subsequent?
Saturday nineteenth August 5:00pm
Kick off 5:30pm
Tottenham host Manchester United subsequent Saturday at 5.30pm, stay on Sky Sports activities. Wolves host Brighton on the identical day at Molineux; kick off 3pm.