Manchester United vs Wolves LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction from fixture tonight
Follow all the action live as the Ralf Rangnick and Bruno Lage’s sides go head-to-head at Old Trafford
This was the first defeat of the Ralf Rangnick era but not only that, it was deserved. In all honesty, it may even be overdue. Manchester United had been fortunate to beat bottom-of-the-league Norwich City before Christmas, then lucky to escape with a draw against an equally-embattled Newcastle after it. Now, to usher in the new year, their comeuppance came against a side that had scored once in their last six games and twice in their last eight before Joao Moutinho’s late winner.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are having an uncertain season, having made a solid start only to suffer that scoring slump of recent weeks and months, but Bruno Lage has the highlight of his first year in charge so far: a win at Old Trafford that, on the balance of play, could have come a lot earlier. Aside from a brief United revival midway through the second half, Wolves were by far the better side, creating several chances yet, true to form, failing to put them away.
That was until Moutinho’s intervention, a low, drilled shot with eight minutes remaining after the returning Phil Jones failed to adequately clear Adama Traore’s cross beyond the edge of the penalty area. Follow all the match reaction below:
Man Utd vs Wolves: Ralf Rangnick rules out Edinson Cavani leaving Manchester United
Ralf Rangnick will not let Edinson Cavani leave Manchester United this month, with the interim manager making his desire to keep the veteran striker clear during their recent discussions.
The 34-year-old has scored 19 goals in 49 appearances for the Red Devils since Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top scorer joined on a free transfer in October 2020.
Cavani was strongly tipped to leave Old Trafford at the end of last season only to agree a one-year contract extension, but talk has once grown about the striker’s future.
Ralf Rangnick rules out Edinson Cavani leaving Manchester United
A number of players have been linked with exits in the January transfer window
Man Utd vs Wolves: Safe standing trialled at Old Trafford
Yesterday’s Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool staged a safe standing trial alllowing fans to legally stand up for the duration of the match without being forced to sit back down.
There are five clubs participating in the initiative to prove that safe standing is a plausible alternative for fans who already stand up throughout matches even though that is legally forbidden.
Manchester United are one of those five clubs so home and away supporters will be allowed to stand for this evening’s game with Wolves. Manager Bruno Lage praised the initiative saying:
"It is a good decision. Football is about emotion. When you go to the cinema, you sit and watch the movie.
"Sometimes you go to some places and don’t feel the emotion. We want to feel the environment and the emotion from the supporters."
Man Utd vs Wolves: Head-to-head
Wolves are winless in 10 league games away to Manchester United since beating them at Old Trafford in February 1980 - they’ve drawn three times and lost seven in that run scoring a total of three goals.
Manchester United could register a fourth successive top-flight win against Wolves for the first time since a sequence of five victories between 1964 and 1968.
Man Utd vs Wolves: Phil Jones starts for United
The big news from the team selections is that Phil Jones starts for Manchester United. It has been 707 days since he last put on the shirt and featured for the club.
The defender’s last appearance was in a 6-1 FA Cup win against Tranmere on 26th January 2020.
Man Utd vs Wolves: Team changes
Ralf Rangnick makes two changes to the Manchester United team that defeated Burnley last time out. Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire both drop out with Raphael Varane and Phil Jones taking the centre-back spots. Bruno Fernandes starts on the bench.
There are also two changes for Wolves. Nelson Semedo and Franciso Trincao come in for Ki-Jana Hoever and Leander Dendoncker who both start on the bench.
Man Utd vs Wolves: Line-ups
Man Utd XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Jones, Shaw, McTominay, Matic, Sancho, Greenwood, Cavani, Ronaldo
Wolves XI: Sa, Semedo, Kilman, Coady, Saiss, Marcal, Neves, Moutinho, Trincao, Jimenez, Podence
Man Utd vs Wolves: Gary Neville’s noises during Chelsea vs Liverpool spark hilarious reaction from fans
Gary Neville’s unorthodox reactions to key moments again caught the ear of Sky Sports viewers during Chelsea’s pulsating 2-2 draw against Liverpool.
The former Manchester United and England full-back has developed a reputation for providing some of football’s biggest moments with a peculiar soundtrack.
Neville famously underscored Fernando Torres’ Champions League semi-final goal against Barcelona in 2012 with a particularly memorable scream of shock and delight.
Gary Neville’s noises during Chelsea vs Liverpool spark hilarious reaction from fans
Neville produced a now-trademark selection of sounds on Sky Sports commentary
Man Utd vs Wolves: Lage on Covid disruption
Wolves’ last Premier League fixture was on December 19th and they have spent the last two weeks dealing with an outbreak of Covid in the squad.
Manager Bruno Lage was asked how the postponements have disrupted Wolves’ preparation for tonight’s game and he said:
We spent two weeks without games, so that’s one concern for me. We come with two good games against Brighton and Chelsea, and also the previous games were very good for us because the team were there, and played well against Man City and Liverpool, hard games and the team were there, we created our chances, played our game and played as a team.
“Now, we stay two weeks without games, some players had Covid, so I need these two days to understand better which players are fit to play. For sure, that’s my concern, if they have the rhythm to play at the level after two weeks without games.”
Man Utd vs Wolves: Rangnick on Wolves
More from Manchester United’s head coach who spoke about tonight’s match in his pre-game press conference. He emphasised that United need to find a way to break down Wolves’ solid defence without leaving themselves vulnerable to the counter-attack something they haven’t been able to do convincingly this season.
Rangnick said:
Yes, [Wolves are] another complicated team to play. In most cases they play with a back three or a back five. Very compact on the counterattack, very difficult to outplay.
“And again, it’s about finding the right spots, the right spaces, making the right decisions, playing the ball into the dangerous areas without being vulnerable on the counterattack. This is, against Wolves, one of the most important things.”
Man Utd vs Wolves: Rangnick not happy with United progress
Manchester United have not lost a Premier League game since Ralf Rangnick took over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as interim manager but the new boss is unhappy with the progress of the team.
The Red Devils have won three and drawn two of Rangnick’s five games in charge but those results don’t reflect the less than stellar performances they’ve put in on the pitch.
Rangnick partly blames the Covid outbreak at the club which saw them take an unexpected two week break in December as matches got postponed. He said:
Every coach, every ambitious coach - and there’s no difference between other coaches and myself in that area - wants to take faster steps and larger steps forward.
“But in order to do that, you need to be able to train.”
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