Match ends, Manchester United 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
Man UtdManchester United0WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers1
Joao Moutinho struck the only goal eight minutes from time to give Wolves a deserved victory at Old Trafford and end Ralf Rangnick's unbeaten start as interim Manchester United manager.
It also needed a Jose Sa save in the fifth minute of stoppage time to earn Wolves their first Old Trafford win since 1980.
Sa turned away a curling free-kick from substitute Bruno Fernandes, who had earlier fired against the bar when he should have done better.
The visitors controlled the opening half hour and were back on top by the time Moutinho struck, although the goal was unfortunate for central defender Phil Jones, who was one of United's better performers on his senior return after a near two-year absence because of injuries.
His clearing header fell to the 35-year-old midfielder on the edge of the area and although Moutinho had not scored since February 2021, he kept his nerve to drive a shot through a packed penalty area and into the bottom corner.
The Wolves fans celebrated noisily at the final whistle but it was a crushing blow for Rangnick, with his side remaining seventh in the Premier League, a staggering 22 points behind leaders Manchester City - although they have played two games fewer.
Wolves, meanwhile, are now three points and one place behind Manchester United in eighth.
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Wonderful Wolves
It had been more than two weeks since Wolves last played, the home draw with Chelsea on 19 December, and it was 6 November since they had last been involved in a game that contained more than one goal.
As the opening period inched towards its conclusion, and Jones stretched to intercept a Nelson Semedo pass intended for Ruben Neves, who was in a shooting position, Wolves boss Bruno Lage offered an animated shrug of the shoulders.
Evidently, Lage believed his team should have had something tangible to show for an opening period in which they had an incredible 15 shots, the most by a visiting team at Old Trafford in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game since records started being kept in the 2004-05 season.
David de Gea was forced into a string of saves, denying Semedo and Daniel Podence twice. Arguably the pick was a fingertip effort to touch over a volley from Neves, who had controlled a headed Jones clearance on the edge of the penalty area.
Wolves were forced onto the defensive more often after half-time but even though they weathered the storm, it seemed they would have to settle for a point when Romain Saiss clipped the bar with a free-kick in his final game before heading off on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Morocco.
Moutinho had other ideas. And while Wolves' run of games involving no more than a single goal now extends to eight, few in the visitors' camp were worried about that.
Underwhelming United
It is becoming evident the issues that arose during the final weeks of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign will not disappear through a change of manager.
Ronaldo was a muted force and the United fans did not think Mason Greenwood deserved to be substituted for Fernandes given the boos that accompanied his exit.
United were overrun in midfield during those opening stages and, as so often under Solskjaer, were left hoping for a moment of inspiration that did not come.
As it turned out, any fears about Jones playing instead of the injured Harry Maguire had long since been dispelled by the time Wolves scored. If anything, the defender was a galvanising presence.
It was a first United defeat since Solskjaer's final game in charge, at Watford, on 20 November. For Rangnick, there is no quick fix to the mess United find themselves in.
Player of the match
Rúben NevesRúben Neves
with an average of 8.70
Manchester United
Avg
Squad number4Player nameJonesAverage rating6.39
Squad number1Player namede GeaAverage rating5.35
Squad number19Player nameVaraneAverage rating4.40
- Squad number11Player nameGreenwoodAverage rating
4.08
- Squad number18Player nameBruno FernandesAverage rating
4.08
Squad number39Player nameMcTominayAverage rating4.00
Squad number23Player nameShawAverage rating3.91
- Squad number21Player nameCavaniAverage rating
3.89
- Squad number29Player nameWan-BissakaAverage rating
3.69
Squad number31Player nameMaticAverage rating3.65
- Squad number7Player nameCristiano RonaldoAverage rating
3.54
- Squad number36Player nameElangaAverage rating
3.43
- Squad number25Player nameSanchoAverage rating
3.43
Squad number10Player nameRashfordAverage rating3.07
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Avg
- Squad number8Player nameRúben NevesAverage rating
8.70
- Squad number28Player nameJoão MoutinhoAverage rating
8.35
- Squad number10Player nameDaniel PodenceAverage rating
8.26
- Squad number1Player nameJosé SáAverage rating
7.98
- Squad number16Player nameCoadyAverage rating
7.83
- Squad number27Player nameSaïssAverage rating
7.79
- Squad number22Player nameNélson SemedoAverage rating
7.79
- Squad number23Player nameKilmanAverage rating
7.73
- Squad number37Player nameTraoréAverage rating
7.69
- Squad number5Player nameMarçalAverage rating
7.57
- Squad number9Player nameJiménezAverage rating
7.43
- Squad number17Player nameFábio SilvaAverage rating
7.35
- Squad number32Player nameDendonckerAverage rating
7.22
- Squad number11Player nameTrincãoAverage rating
7.17
Line-ups
Man Utd
Formation 4-2-2-2
- 1de Gea
- 29Wan-BissakaSubstituted forElangaat 84'minutes
- 4Jones
- 19Varane
- 23ShawBooked at 57mins
- 39McTominayBooked at 49mins
- 31MaticBooked at 74mins
- 11GreenwoodSubstituted forBruno Fernandesat 60'minutes
- 25SanchoSubstituted forRashfordat 76'minutes
- 21Cavani
- 7Cristiano Ronaldo
Substitutes
- 10Rashford
- 14Lingard
- 17Fred
- 18Bruno Fernandes
- 20Dalot
- 26Henderson
- 27Telles
- 34van de Beek
- 36Elanga
Wolves
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Malheiro de SáBooked at 90mins
- 23Kilman
- 16Coady
- 27Saïss
- 22Nélson Semedo
- 8Neves
- 28João Moutinho
- 5Marçal
- 11Machado TrincãoSubstituted forTraoréat 66'minutes
- 9JiménezSubstituted forFábio Silvaat 81'minutes
- 10PodenceSubstituted forDendonckerat 88'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Hoever
- 3Aït-Nouri
- 6Cavaco Jordão
- 17Fábio Silva
- 21Ruddy
- 32Dendoncker
- 37Traoré
- 39Cundle
- 64Bueno
- Referee:
- Mike Dean
- Attendance:
- 73,045
Match Stats
Home TeamMan UtdAway TeamWolves
- Possession
- Home51%
- Away49%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away19
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away6
- Corners
- Home3
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away8
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester United 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1.
Post update
Attempt saved. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
Post update
Phil Jones (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Fábio Silva (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Post update
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Romain Saïss.
Booking
José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Edinson Cavani (Manchester United).
Post update
José Sá (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Marçal.
Post update
Foul by Raphaël Varane (Manchester United).
Post update
Fábio Silva (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leander Dendoncker replaces Daniel Podence.
Post update
Foul by Luke Shaw (Manchester United).
Post update
Fábio Silva (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Romain Saïss (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Anthony Elanga replaces Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Goal!
Goal! Manchester United 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. João Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Fábio Silva replaces Raúl Jiménez.
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Comments
Join the conversation
Hilarity of the highest order!
Di Maria and Falcao are gonna win us the prem
Pogba and Zlatan to win it for them.
Sanchez and Lukaku are going to win it for us..
2021: Ronaldo and Sancho are going to seal it for us.
.
.
.
But but but .... its not fair City n the others don't let us win it.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Just be thankful to De Gea to keep you mid-table.
#bring.Ole.back
Thumbs up if you think that BBC Salford are Manchester obsessed!
1... 2... 3...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Well played. Deserved victory.
Yours sincerely
All football fans across the globe .
Great Three points for Wolves.
Dominant from the off. Lots of good play, shots & shots on target.
Crackpot lineup & tactics from Utd. Barely hung in there for the first 30min.
Evened up close to half time but after the goal Utd struggled again.
Overall Wolves deserved to win, and Utd (2 shots on target) deserved to lose.
But if you had to nominate one bunch to put in the sloppy performance of pampered lightweights who couldn't even be bothered... take a bow, Man Utd.
Barely threatened, or even tried, at home.