Wolves vs Manchester United Review
Vítor Pereira secured his second consecutive victory as manager of Wolves, leading the Old Gold to a 2-0 win over 10-man Manchester United at Molineux. This result leaves the Red Devils in 14th place, closer to the Premier League relegation zone than to the top four in terms of points. The two Portuguese coaches employed similar tactics that largely neutralized each other before halftime. As a result, long-range attempts were common, but both Diogo Dalot and Gonçalo Guedes failed to challenge the opposing goalkeeper effectively. Jørgen Strand Larsen and Lisandro Martínez posed threats with well-placed headers, but it was Matheus Cunha’s impressive footwork that shone in a half marked by poor attacking quality.
Wolves’ defensive strength was particularly unexpected, especially since only Southampton has allowed more home goals in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, the Red Devils’ struggle to score, having failed to find the net six times in this competition. Ruben Amorim’s team needed to improve, but his task became significantly harder just two minutes into the second half when Bruno Fernandes received a second yellow card for a late tackle on Nélson Semedo.
With a player advantage, Wolves quickly found the back of the net, but Larsen’s header was disallowed for offside. However, their celebrations were not delayed for long, as Wolves took the lead in unusual fashion at the hour mark. Cunha’s powerful inswinging corner went past everyone, including United goalkeeper André Onana, marking the second time in three matches that Amorim’s team conceded directly from a corner.
Casemiro, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho came on and created a few opportunities as the undermanned visitors sought an unlikely equalizer. However, their ongoing inability to pose a threat ultimately hindered their comeback attempts, and a late goal on the counter from Hwang Hee-chan sealed their fate, resulting in a third consecutive defeat in all competitions. On the other hand, Wolves achieved back-to-back league clean sheets for the first time since January, moving out of the relegation zone with their second home win in the Premier League this season. This victory also marked Pereira as the first manager since the 1970s to win his first two top-flight games in charge.
