Wolves v Man Utd LIVE: Result as Matheus Cunha scores from ...
Wolves saw off a tepid Manchester United at Molineux on Boxing Day with a 2-0 victory that lifted them out of the relegation zone.
Follow all of the latest reaction from Molineux in our live blog below:
Wolves vs Manchester United LIVEWolves take on Manchester United in the Premier League | Live on Amazon Prime
RED CARD! Manchester United (Bruno Fernandes)
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Man Utd (Cunha, 58)
GOAL! Wolves 2-0 Man Utd (Hwang, 90+9 min)
Full-time: Wolves 2-0 Man Utd
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 2 - 0 Manchester United FC
Full-time! Wolves 2-0 Man Utd19:27 , Lawrence Ostlere
And that’s the last action of the game. Wolves have won two from two under their new manager Vitor Pereira, and they are out of the relegation zone tonight, unless Leicester beat league leaders Liverpool.
GOAL! Wolves 2-0 Man Utd (Hwang, 90+9 min)19:26 , Lawrence Ostlere
Garnacho loses the ball and Wolves rush forwards on the counter, sending Cunha through on goal with one long pass. The striker takes one look at Onana and decides unselfishly to square it for Hwang arriving in the box, who sweeps the ball home.
19:23 , Lawrence Ostlere
90+6 min: A moment of relief for Wolves, as Cunha dribbles forwards and buys a free-kick from Dalot. Time is ticking away.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:22 , Lawrence Ostlere
90+5 min: Antony’s attempted cross from the right is terrible and easily cleared. In the centre circle, Maguire clearly handles the ball and the whole of Molineux screams for a free-kick, but the referee and his officials somehow miss it! United come again...
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:18 , Lawrence Ostlere
90+3 min: Wolves make two more changes. Strand Larsen and Semedo are off; Dawson and Bellegarde are on.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:18 , Lawrence Ostlere
90+1 min: A decent delivery by Eriksen is flicked clear for a corner on the far side, which Eriksen takes too, but Wolves deal with it and smash the ball upfield, where Cunha hustles a throw-in from Mazraoui.
There will be eight minutes added on.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:16 , Lawrence Ostlere
90 min: Garnacho dribbles at Doherty on the left wing, who panics and chops down the forward. That’s rash, Doherty is booked, and United have a chance to deliver from wide...
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:14 , Lawrence Ostlere
87 min: Wolves are defending anxiously in their own box, swiping the ball clear rather than keeping hold of it, and it’s allowing United to keep coming. After a flurry of attacks, finally the whistle stops play when Sa catches a high ball and Maguire clatters into him.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:12 , Lawrence Ostlere
85 min: Ait-Nouri is replaced by Rodrigo Gomes at left-wingback.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:10 , Lawrence Ostlere
84 min: Antony dribbles into the box and finds Eriksen, whose backheel into the Brazilian’s path is intercepted. Wolves are holding firm but United are really pushing here despite the one-man deficit.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:08 , Lawrence Ostlere
82 min: There’s an edginess to this crowd as United probe. Eriksen whips in a dangerous low cross from the right but Zirkzee is just on his heels in the box and can’t quite get a toe on the ball.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:06 , Lawrence Ostlere
80 min: Two more changes by Amorim. Zirkzee and Garnacho come on for Amad and Hojlund, who have both toiled in this second half for little reward.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:05 , Lawrence Ostlere
79 min: Hwang is fed down the right side of the box and fizzes a low cross into the area, but Maguire is well positioned to block it.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:03 , Lawrence Ostlere
77 min: Strand Larsen has the ball in the net but he was very clearly offside as the ball was slipped to him the box.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd19:01 , Lawrence Ostlere
74 min: Wolves manager Vitor Pereira makes two changes. Hwang and Doyle replace Guedes and Gomes.
18:58 , Lawrence Ostlere
71 min: Amad steals the ball from Toti lingering on it too long, and he passes to Antony who’s fouled. Eriksen’s delivery from the free-kick is poor, though, hitting the first Wolves defender.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd18:56 , Lawrence Ostlere
69 min: Wolves come forwards in a sweeping move down the left wing which rips open United’s defence, but the final pass by Strand Larsen towards Cunha is intercepted by Onana when it should have ended in a goal.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd18:54 , Lawrence Ostlere
66 min: A sign of life from United, as Eriksen’s free-kick is cleared to Amad who lays it back to Antony. The Brazilian crosses for Hojlund, but his header is easily saved by Sa.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd18:51 , Lawrence Ostlere
63 min: So three changes by Amorim. Ugarte, Mainoo and Yoro are replaced by Antony, Eriksen and Casemiro.
Wolves 1-0 Man Utd18:49 , Lawrence Ostlere
61 min: Amorim is about to make a raft of substitutions. This would be a remarkable turnaround, because not only are Wolves on top but Molineux is bouncing, while the United players look positively shaken.
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Man Utd (Cunha, 58)18:46 , Lawrence Ostlere
Wow – Matheus Cunha whips the ball over Andre Onana and inside the far post straight from the corner! What a goal that is.
That’s twice in recent weeks United have conceded straight from a corner kick. Onana is furious, claiming he was impeded, but the replay suggests he simply should have done much better.
Cunha’s corner kick flies directly into the United goal (David Davies/PA Wire)
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:44 , Lawrence Ostlere
57 min: Doherty floats a really dangerous cross into the penalty area but it’s not attacked by Strand Larsen and United clear the ball behind for a corner. Wolves, and the home crowd, can scent blood here.
18:43 , Lawrence Ostlere
55 min: No subs yet made by Ruben Amorim in response to losing his captain. It looks like Amad, Ugarte and Mainoo are in a three-man midfield right now, leaving Hojlund even more isolated that he was before.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:41 , Lawrence Ostlere
53 min: That, by the way, was Bruno’s third red card of the season, even if the one at Spurs was eventually overturned.
Bruno Fernandes remonstrates with referee Tony Harrington (Action Images via Reuters)
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:39 , Lawrence Ostlere
50 min: Wolves immediately strike as Jorgen Strand Larsen nods in Nelson Semedo’s cross, but he was offside.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:39 , Lawrence Ostlere
49 min: The studs were up and raked down the leg of the Wolves defender. A very silly challenge so soon into the second half.
RED CARD! Manchester United (Bruno Fernandes)18:36 , Lawrence Ostlere
What a disastrous start to the half for United! Bruno Fernandes was booked in the first period and now he’s sent off for a poor challenge on Semedo. He can have no complaints.
Kick-off: Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:35 , Lawrence Ostlere
Back underway at Molineux.
Half-time: Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:30 , Lawrence Ostlere
Some images from the first half:
Harry Maguire in action during the first half (Getty Images)
Things get heated during the first half at Molineux (REUTERS)
Goncalo Guedes reacts after failing to score (AFP via Getty Images)
Half-time: Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:18 , Lawrence Ostlere
All square at the break. Not a classic, but a bright, even contest and both teams have had their moments. A big half-time team-talk required by both coaches with the game in the balance.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:16 , Lawrence Ostlere
44 min: Wolves burst forwards with Cunha, who tries to scoop a pass into the path of Ait-Nouri, but it’s overhit and runs through to Onana.
18:15 , Lawrence Ostlere
41 min: Guedes clatters through Ugarte to pinch to the ball in a dangerous area and then fires away a shot, but he’s whistled for a foul in the process.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:10 , Lawrence Ostlere
38 min: Another switch to Ait-Nouri gives the wing-back the chance to dribble at United’s Mazraoui, who concedes a corner blocking a cross on the byline. The set-piece is cleared away, a deflected Semedo shot earns another corner, and that’s cleared too.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:07 , Lawrence Ostlere
35 min: Ait-Nouri drills a cross through the six-yard box but it’s a little too close to the goalkeeper Onana, and too far away from his fowards who can’t quite reach it.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:04 , Lawrence Ostlere
33 min: A smart move by United on the left wing ends with Joao Gomes clattering into Bruno Fernandes, and the Wolves’ player is booked. Bruno will deliver the free-kick from wide... and Martinez’s header is collected by Sa.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd18:02 , Lawrence Ostlere
30 min: Bruno Fernandes tries to cross from the left wing but it’s easily cleared. United are lacking ideas in the final third and Hojlund has looked isolated at times in this half, particularly when they try to counter-attack.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:57 , Lawrence Ostlere
26 min: Strand Larsen leaps well over Maguire to win a header and powers it down into the ground and towards goal, but Onana gets across well to push the ball away from his post. Wolves earn a corner but it leads to nothing.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:55 , Lawrence Ostlere
24 min: A scary moment at the back for Wolves as Sa is closed down by Hojlund and only just evades the striker’s press.
This game has been pretty even so far, without any really clear sights of goal.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:53 , Lawrence Ostlere
22 min: Dalot’s curling shot from the edge of the box is pushed away to safety by Sa.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:50 , Lawrence Ostlere
19 min: At the other end, Cunha pulls off a brilliant dribble to evade a hoard of white shirts around him until the Wolves striker is eventually tripped by Fernandes. The United captain is booked, but Cunha can’t make anything of the free-kick.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:49 , Lawrence Ostlere
16 min: Mainoo breaks forward through the middle and, after losing the ball, gets it back on the right side of the box. He takes a touch before whipping a lovely cross into the middle which just evades the forehead of Rasmus Hojlund. That was United’s best moment so far.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:46 , Lawrence Ostlere
13 min: Vitor Pereira is gesticulating enthusiastically from the sideline, trying to get his new messages across. On the pitch, his players are starting to grow into the game. They work it down the right side but Cunha’s cross is dived upon by Onana, with Strand Larsen arriving.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:43 , Lawrence Ostlere
11 min: Free-kick to United on the right wing. Bruno Fernandes curls in a deep cross but it’s too close to the goalkeeper, Sa, who punches clear.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:40 , Lawrence Ostlere
8 min: Maguire tries a big switch to the far side where Dalot has scuttled up the left wing into space, but it’s slightly overhit and lands on Dalot’s chest over the touchline, for a Wolves throw.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:37 , Lawrence Ostlere
5 min: United have settled on the ball in these early exchanges, with Wolves happy to let the visitors pass it around the halfway line in relative safety.
Wolves 0-0 Man Utd17:33 , Lawrence Ostlere
2 min: A feisty start to the game here, with some snapping tackles early on. Both teams look up for the challenge and there’s a good atmosphere to match.
17:31 , Lawrence Ostlere
We’re underway at Molineux and United immediately steal the ball and go on the attack down the right, where Mazraoui’s cross doesn’t quite find Hojlund.
Wolves v Man Utd – team news17:27 , Lawrence Ostlere
Rayan Ait-Nouri replaces Ricardo Gomes in the sole change to the line-up that thumped Leicester in Vitor Pereira’s impressive first match in charge.
Ruben Amorim makes two changes to his Manchester United team. Leny Yoro comes into the side for Tyrell Malacia, with Mazraoui presumably shifting from the back three to wing-back as a result, and Rasmus Hojlund returns to the starting line-up in place of Joshua Zirkzee up front. Matthijs de Ligt is back on the bench after a brief illness.
Vitor Pereira on the touchline at Molineux before kick-off (Wolves via Getty Images)
Wolves v Man Utd – line-ups17:24 , Lawrence Ostlere
A reminder of how the two teams line up today:
Wolves: Sa, Semedo, Doherty, Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Andre, J.Gomes, Guedes, Cunha, Larsen
Subs: Johnstone, Dawson, Meupiyou, Lima, Doyle, R.Gomes, Bellegarde, Forbs, Hwang.
Manchester United: Onana, Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot, Amad, Fernandes, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, De Ligt, Evans, Eriksen, Casemiro, Collyer, Garnacho, Antony, Zirkzee.
Match facts17:20 , Chris Wilson
In both Premier League and English Football League history, United have won more games and scored more goals on Boxing Day than any other side, with 22 wins and 74 goals in the Premier League and 54 wins and 202 goals all time.
United have only failed to score in one of their last 30 Boxing Day league games, a 2-0 loss at Stoke City in 2015.
Amorim: “We need to win"17:15 , Lawrence Ostlere
In his pre-match press conference, Ruben Amorim reiterated that United “need to win the next match. That’s the only thing”.
“It’s very good for the fans. We are privileged. So we can play on Boxing Day to give some happiness to the fans and we want to win another game.
He added that he “doesn’t want anything from the fans”, commenting that “it’s just from us”.
“I cannot say better things for the fans. I understand as a coach, I understand the moment, I understand the frustration, the disappointment. I understand and we will improve, it will take time.
“So it’s just from us, they need our help, not the other way around. They are doing everything right.”
On Rashford being left out recently, he added: “When I feel that it is the right moment to change something [I will], until then I will continue to think what is the best for the team.
“I speak to him every day but not about the interview, about the performance.”
Ruben Amorim arrives at Molineux for the game (Manchester United via Getty Images)
Match facts17:10 , Chris Wilson
Wolves are unbeaten in their last seven Boxing Day league games (W5 D2), having lost 11 of their 14 such games before this (W1 D2).
They have conceded a league-high 16 goals from set-piece situations in the Premier League this season (excluding penalties), while Manchester United have shipped a league-high share 41% of their goals from such situations.
The last manager to win both of his first two top-flight games in charge of Wolves was Sammy Chung in August 1977.
Match facts17:00 , Chris Wilson
Having won three of their first five Premier League home games against Man Utd (L2), Wolves are now winless in their last five, losing the last four in a row (D1).
United have won seven of their last eight Premier League games against Wolves, with the exception being a 1-0 home defeat in January 2022.
It’s Ruben Amorim’s ‘responsibility’ - but what are Manchester United’s problems?16:55 , Chris Wilson
Ruben Amorim vowed to address Manchester United’s issues dealing with set-pieces and setbacks after nerves got the better of his side in Sunday’s 3-0 home humbling by high-flying Bournemouth.
A week after the memorable comeback derby win at rivals Manchester City, boos greeted the final whistle following a loss that left the Red Devils marooned in 13th place in the Premier League.
The head coach’s press conference was then briefly interrupted by a leak from the media-room ceiling.
It’s Ruben Amorim’s ‘responsibility’ - but what are Manchester United’s problems?
Head-to-head16:45 , Chris Wilson
These two sides have met 96 times in the past, with the first meeting dating back to 1892. Overall, United have won 47, Wolves have won 32, and 17 have ended as draws.
Last season, Kobbie Mainoo scored a late goal to secure a 4-3 win in this fixture, after United had beaten Wolves 1-0 in their opening match of the season in August.
How Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United start compares to his recent predecessors16:35 , Chris Wilson
Ruben Amorim has lost three of his first six Premier League games in charge of Manchester United after Sunday’s humbling against Bournemouth.
Here, the PA news agency compares his record to his recent predecessors at Old Trafford, from Sir Alex Ferguson to Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag.
How Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United start compares to his recent predecessors
Manchester United team news16:27 , Lawrence Ostlere
So Ruben Amorim makes two changes to his Manchester United team. Leny Yoro comes into the side for Tyrell Malacia, with Mazraoui presumably shifting from the back three to wing-back as a result, and Rasmus Hojlund returns to the starting line-up in place of Joshua Zirkzee up front. Matthijs de Ligt is back on the bench after a brief illness.
16:22 , Lawrence Ostlere
Wolves: Sa, Semedo, Doherty, Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Andre, J.Gomes, Guedes, Cunha, Larsen
Subs: Johnstone, Dawson, Meupiyou, Lima, Doyle, R.Gomes, Bellegarde, Forbs, Hwang.
Manchester United: Onana, Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot, Amad, Fernandes, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, De Ligt, Evans, Eriksen, Casemiro, Collyer, Garnacho, Antony, Zirkzee.
Team news16:10 , Chris Wilson
The line-ups should be released in the next five minutes, so here’s a reminder of the early team news.
Wolves will welcome back Rayan ait-Nouri after he served his suspension in the win over Leicester, while Mario Lemina could also come back after suffering a calf strain. Boubacar Traore and Pablo Sarabia are unlikely to be back before the New Year, while long-term absentees Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez Medina and Sasa Kalajdzic remain unavailable.
For United, there are no new injury concerns after the loss to Bournemouth, with Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Victor Lindelof out. Matthijs de Ligt has missed the last two matches with an unspecified illness, so he could make a return at centre-back.
It was a surprise for me, says Vitor Pereira after Wolves’ big win at Leicester16:05 , Chris Wilson
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira admitted even he was surprised by his team’s display after his first game at the helm ended in a 3-0 triumph at fellow strugglers Leicester.
Goncalo Guedes, Rodrigo Gomes and Matheus Cunha were all on target in the first half to get Pereira, who arrived from Al Shabab on Thursday to replace the sacked Gary O’Neil, off to the perfect start.
“For a short time of work, what the team did in the game was a surprise for me,” said the Portuguese, whose 18th-placed team moved within two points of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Foxes. “We showed true spirit, the confidence and tactically I think we were intelligent.”
It was a surprise for me, says Vitor Pereira after Wolves’ big win at Leicester
Gary Neville calls for ‘cultural overhaul’ at Manchester United after latest embarrassment15:55 , Chris Wilson
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has reiterated the need for a “cultural overhaul” at the club after Ruben Amorim’s side fell to another humbling defeat at the weekend.
Speaking on his podcast on Sky Sports, Neville said that United “are a mile away in every single way”, with several players who are “all very mediocre”.
United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, with a disjointed performance that was defensively poor and often lacking in attacking threat.
Gary Neville calls for ‘cultural overhaul’ at Man Utd after latest embarrassment
Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim questions ‘choices’ of ‘people around’ Marcus Rashford15:45 , Chris Wilson
Ruben Amorim has questioned the “choices” of people surrounding Marcus Rashford while offering his support to the Manchester Unitedstriker.
Rashford sat out a third successive game on Sunday as United crashed to a 3-0 Premier League home defeat to Bournemouth, the 27-year-old having also been omitted for a 2-1 derby win at Manchester City and Thursday’s 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final loss at Tottenham.
Two days before that Spurs defeat, Rashford had said in an eye-catching interview that he was “ready for a new challenge and the next steps” of a career which began in the United academy.
Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim questions ‘choices’ of ‘people around’ Marcus Rashford
Is Wolves vs Man Utd on TV?15:35 , Chris Wilson
When is Wolves v Manchester United?
The match kicks off at 5.30pm GMT on Boxing Day, Thursday, 26 December at the Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton.
How can I watch the match?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Amazon Prime Video, with the streaming service showing every Boxing Day fixture in the Premier League.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Predicted line-ups15:25 , Lawrence Ostlere
Wolves XI: Sa; Doherty, Bueno, Gomes; Semedo, Andre, Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Guedes, Cunha; Larsen.
Man Utd XI: Onana; De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Diallo, Fernandes, Hojlund.
Team news15:20 , Chris Wilson
For United, there are no new injury concerns after the loss to Bournemouth, with Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Victor Lindelof out. Matthijs de Ligt has missed the last two matches with an unspecified illness, so he could make a return at centre-back.
Team news15:15 , Chris Wilson
Wolves will welcome back Rayan ait-Nouri after he served his suspension in the win over Leicester, while Mario Lemina could also come back after suffering a calf strain. Boubacar Traore and Pablo Sarabia are unlikely to be back before the New Year, while long-term absentees Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez Medina and Sasa Kalajdzic remain unavailable.
Wolves vs Manchester United LIVE15:10 , Chris Wilson
Wolves host Manchester United in the Premier League on Boxing Day, with new boss Vitor Pereira looking to build on what was a perfect start last weekend.
Wolves beat fellow strugglers Leicester 3-0 away last time out, and they are now just two points behind the Foxes, though they are still just about in the relegation zone.
However, three points against United could take Wolves above Leicester – who face Liverpool today – and they will be more confident of getting a result after watching United lose 3-0 to Bournemouth last weekend.
Ruben Amorim’s side were humbled by the Cherries in a performance that’ll worry both fans and the manager, and they sit in 13th – the first time that they have spent Christmas in the bottom half since 1989.
United are nine points off Nottingham Forest in fourth, and they need a win here to relieve some of the pressure on the squad and their new manager.
Wolves vs Manchester United LIVE15:01 , Chris Wilson
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of this evening’s match between Wolves and Manchester United at the Molineux.
New manager Vitor Pereira is looking for two wins from his opening two matches after an impressive 3-0 victory in his first game in charge, while Ruben Amorim has just two wins in the league since taking charge in early November.
We’ll have all the latest news, build-up and updates here.
