Through the Molineux fog and the funk of a desperate first half of the season, Manchester United sank to a new low at the hands of a resurgent Wolves.
A fourth defeat in five Premier League games – and fifth in seven in all competitions – saw United end Boxing Day in 14th position in the table, just four places above the relegation zone. It is a remarkable scenario for a team put together at huge expense under Erik ten Hag that actually appears to be going backwards under his successor Ruben Amorim.
The decisive goal came from the game’s outstanding player Matheus Cunha, a man who is showing the kind of flair and freedom that United sorely lack at the moment. His second-half corner flew straight in beyond goalkeeper Andre Onana as United’s set-piece nightmare continued to haunt them.
It was Cunha’s seventh goal in the last 10 league games and he added a fourth assist in added time when he set up substitute Hwang Hee-chan to compound United’s misery.
It was enough to lift Wolves out of the danger zone in Vitor Pereira’s first home game in charge and give the new boss back-to-back wins. That’s the kind of bounce United were hoping Amorim might give them, but any momentum built up under the former Sporting Lisbon boss has already petered out.
The goal in the 58th minute came shortly after United were reduced to 10 men when captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the third time this season shortly after half-time. Fernandes has already seen red against Tottenham and FC Porto – although the Spurs dismissal was later rescinded – and walked again when he picked up a second booking for a late tackle on Nelson Semedo.
Ruben Amorim’s side were handed a third consecutive defeat after losing 2-0 at Wolves
Matheus Cunha’s opener beat Andre Onana directly from the corner flag with the Man United goalkeeper unable to keep it out
Amorim once again left Marcus Rashford out of United’s squad for the fourth game in a row having confirmed on the eve of this game that the unsettled star wants to return to action. Alejandro Garnacho, who was dropped for the Manchester derby along with Rashford, was on the bench for a third game which suggested he hasn’t entirely redeemed himself either.
The fact that Amorim only made two changes from the team beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth on Sunday, hinted that he is getting closer to his best line-up – or perhaps his least bad team.
Rasmus Hojlund replaced Joshua Zirkzee up front and Leny Yoro came in for Tyrell Malacia with Noussair Mazraoui switching to right wing-back and Diogo Dalot to the left.
It didn’t bring about a huge improvement from United in the first half against a Wolves side who shaded the contest. Cunha was the best player on the pitch, showing some outrageous skill to bamboozle United on occasions.
It brought an early booking for Yoro and another for Fernandes who hacked down the Brazilian after a lovely turn and run. From the free kick, Cunha tried to catch out Onana with a cheeky effort inside the near post, which was worth a go given United’s poor record on set-pieces. They had conceded no fewer than 17 this calendar year coming into the game, a club record.
Onana also tipped away Jorgen Strand Larsen’s downward header from Semedo’s cross, while Goncalo Guedes fired over from distance and Semedo got the crowd off their seats with a dipping long-ranger just before half-time.
United are certainly trying hard for Amorim, and no-one more so than Amad Diallo who worked tirelessly and track backed tigerishly. But the team is lacking in quality at the moment, and rarely looked like opening up Wolves before half-time. Dalot saw one effort tipped away by Jose Sa and another deflected wide, while Sa made a comfortable save from Lisandro Martinez’s header.
United couldn’t have made a worse start to the second half when Fernandes picked up a second booking within two minutes of the restart. The United skipper should really have known better when he overran the ball and stretched to try and win it back, catching Semedo halfway up the shin. It really left referee Tony Harrington with no choice and out came the red card despite Fernandes’ protestations.
It almost got even worse for United moments later when Semedo whipped in a cross from the right and Larsen powered a header into the back of the net, but a flag went up for offside immediately and VAR confirmed that the Norway striker was a couple of yards offside.
The reprieve didn’t last long though as the home side took a deserved lead in the 58th minute. United conceded a corner and Wolves tried to make the most of their set-piece jitters by standing Matt Doherty and Santiago Bueno either side of Onana on the line. It worked as Cunha swung over a delivery from the left and Onana was all at sea as it sailed over his head and into the net. Again, United’s protests that he had been impeded were in vain.
It was Onana’s third blunder this month after he was beaten by a tame shot from Morgan Gibbs-White against Nottingham Forest and punished for a poor pass out away to Viktoria Plzen in Europe.
Amorim responded immediately by sending on Casemiro, Antony and Christian Eriksen for Kobbie Mainoo, Yoro and Manuel Ugarte, followed by Garnacho and Zirkzee for Diallo and Hojlund.
But they couldn’t provide the spark he needed and Wolves made sure of victory deep into eight minutes of added time when they broke forward with Martinez on his own against Cunha and Hee Chan Hwang. The Brazilian squared the ball for the substitute to bury it past Onana with just about the last kick of the game.
Molineux erupted and United must somehow pick themselves up at Old Trafford on Monday night against a Newcastle side that have won their last four games, scoring 14 goals in the process.
