Since defeating Man City, Manchester United has undergone a significant transformation. Wolves were in the relegation zone before this match; now they are 10 points behind the top ten. United are at their lowest right now, sitting at 14th in the league table on Boxing Day.
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Match Review
Even being in the top 10 looks difficult for the Reds with this kind of performance on the pitch.
They have lost 4 games in their last 5, and conceding from set pieces is a vicious cycle now.
United took more shots, while shots on target were the same for both; Wolves were more clinical as they converted their chances. Bruno’s red card is not the reason for this result for United. Individual mistakes cost the game to United.
The match started with intense pressure by United, although Wolves kept calm and absorbed the intensity slowly. The home team tried counterattacks whenever the midfield of their opponent struggled to keep possession.
The second half became a nightmare for the Reds as their captain, Bruno Fernandes, took his second yellow at the 47th minute and left his team with one man down. Already the team was struggling to make proper passes, and in the second half it took a worse turn.
Matheus Cunha scored in the 58th minute, and the Wolves were in the lead. They probably would have had the pressure of losing the lead in some other match, but in this match, due to United’s poor performance, they were comfortable.
In the ending moments, United showed some urgency, but it was not meant for them. Hwang Hee Chan scored his first goal of the year at the 90+9th minute, ending the hopes of a draw.
Hard time for United
Amidst the problems in their stadium, managerial transitions, FFP, and PFA issues, player performance is a bigger issue currently. They do not have a proper left-sided player; Dalot has to play on the left as a right-footed player; there have been no supplies for their forwards from anywhere.
According to journalist Steven Railston, Rúben Amorim has said nothing to the Man United players in the dressing room after the game.
Ruben Amorim: “We have 2 ways—forget the new idea and try to cope, and next year we’ll be here with the same problems.” Adding on to it, he said, “Or we start now—risk and suffer a little bit, and we’ll be better next year.“
Wolves’ Comeback
Vítor Pereira joined Wolves on 19 December 2024 and has won 2 in 2 games, scoring five goals in just two games. Wolverhampton had a difficult run of games since the beginning, and they lost to all of the top six traditional clubs but now have defeated United.
Wolves have scored 29 goals this season in the PL, which is more than a lot of top 10 teams; this shows their scoring ability. Players like Matheus Cunha, Strand Laarsen, and Ait Nouri are their key figures in the team, and now they’ll try to keep this winning form up and get into the top 10 of the table.
