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Mason Greenwood salvages win for Man Utd despite lacklustre showing against Wolves

jason burt
·18 min read
Mason Greenwood salvages win for Man Utd despite lacklustre showing against Wolves - AFP
Mason Greenwood salvages win for Man Utd despite lacklustre showing against Wolves - AFP

  • Man Utd were second best for much of game, but triumphed thanks to late winner

  • Wolves had several excellent chances, with Saiss forcing de Gea into stellar double save

  • Sancho struggled on first start for Utd, but Varane's debut was encouraging

“Viva Ronaldo” sang the jubilant Manchester United fans and if they cannot believe their fortune with the return of the superstar, one of their favourite sons, then how their team also rode their luck to claim this victory.

The only goal was scored, with a characteristic deadly finish, by Mason Greenwood and while he may naturally be concerned as to how much he will feature once Ronaldo arrives the 19-year-old made another compelling case that he cannot be ignored.

Three Premier League games and three goals for Greenwood who is living up to his billing as the best finisher at United as he struck an unerring, angled shot that was simply too powerful for Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa as it skimmed under his outstretched hand and into the net.

Maybe Sa should have done better but like most of his team-mates Greenwood struggled and yet he was alive at the key moment. A bit like how Ronaldo so often has been throughout his stellar career.

It sparked wild celebrations from United and even more frantic protests from Wolves led by Ruben Neves who was convinced he was fouled by Paul Pogba in the build-up with TV pundit Graeme Souness concurring as he damningly labelled the challenge a “leg-breaker”.

Cristiano Ronaldo made an appearance in the away end - REUTERS
Cristiano Ronaldo made an appearance in the away end - REUTERS

Instead referee Mike Dean played on and if Wolves were guilty of missing a series of chances, while also being thwarted by a world-class save by David De Gea, they were also culpable in being distracted and expecting the whistle as United scored.

Neves was apoplectic. He ran to the touchline, he showed the mark where he had been caught, he was cautioned and he insisted on doing the post-match interviews to get across his side of the story.

In fact there was another, similar incident Wolves could point to when, in the first-half, Bruno Fernandes went down apparently injured and the United players insisted they put the ball out of play – which they did. But when Neves was on the turf United played on. Is that sportsmanship or just a burning desire to win?

Last weekend Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was complaining about a perceived foul in the build-up to a goal by Southampton and after this result he was praising Dean for letting the game flow – a sentiment not shared by Fernandes who had remonstrated angrily with the official at half-time for perceived injustices.

Either way United found a way and with it they established a new record of 28 games unbeaten away from home in the Premier League, the longest ever in English Football League history, which, if nothing else, points to an ability to be adaptable to every situation.

For Wolves this felt cruel. They had 15 efforts on target, they were rampant with the brilliant Adama Traore unstoppable until he tired, they were roared on in a raucous atmosphere and yet they lost. For them it is now three 1-0 league defeats under their new head coach Bruno Lage but if this is the way they will perform then surely they will climb the table.

Adama Traore was outstanding for Wolves - SHUTTERSTOCK
Adama Traore was outstanding for Wolves - SHUTTERSTOCK

United will now anticipate Ronaldo’s debut in their home fixture against Newcastle United after the international break and all that will bring and they will also reflect on contrasting performances from their other two big summer signings – the two they expected to make – in their first starts.

It was certainly disappointing for Jadon Sancho, struggling out on the left wing, before he was taken off and his only potential goal involvement came when his header to Luke Shaw fell short and he inadvertently set up a chance for Wolves with Raul Jimenez poking the ball to Joao Moutinho who shot over.

But if Sancho struggled there was a far more assured display from Raphael Varane. “Welcome to the Premier League,” Solskjaer said of what the former Real Madrid defender faced but he stood up to it impressively, winning his duels and reading the play, and capped it with an assist for Greenwood’s goal.

Nevertheless Wolves could have been three goals up inside 15 minutes with United as mobile as the life-size cardboard cut-out of Ronaldo that was waved by their supporters.

Traore set the tone when he thrillingly burst between Pogba and Fred, running from his own half to tee up Jimenez whose low shot was blocked by De Gea at his near post with his feet.

Then Francisco Trincao was simply too quick for the woeful Fred as he surged clear and side-footed the ball past De Gea only for Aaron Wan-Bissaka to sprint back and superbly block before it could cross the goal-line.

Greenwood fizzed a low shot narrowly wide, in a warning of what was to come, but United looked disjointed and were clinging on although their resilience was highlighted as Trincao ‘nutmegged’ Maguire and tried to pick out Jimenez for a tap-in only for Varane to slide across.

Trincao scuffed past the post when afforded a clear sight of goal and then, from a corner, Romain Saiss’s powerful header was parried by Dea Gea. Even so the rebound dropped to Saiss only for De Gea to make an astonishing one-handed save from his point blank shot. It proved to be a turning point.

Wolves vs Manchester United - as it happened

05:25 PM

Full time, Wolves 0-1 Manchester United

Wolves will feel extremely hard done-by, but United have salvaged a win from an unimpressive performance.

Neves was sure that he'd been fouled in the build-up to Greenwood's winner, but Dean and VAR ignored his pleas. Wolves were the better side for long periods but, while their finishing was wayward, Greenwood took his opportunity.

Greenwood roars with delight after scoring the winner - GETTY IMAGES
Greenwood roars with delight after scoring the winner - GETTY IMAGES

05:22 PM

90+2 mins

Dalot is booked almost instantly after steaming into Marcal before Pogba receives a caution for a cynical foul on Podence.

Pogba is now down with a time-consuming attack of cramp. Wolves are fuming and his protestations of innocence are less than convincing.

05:19 PM

90+1 mins

Gibbs-White is booked for pulling back Shaw. United will take their time with the free kick, no doubt.

05:18 PM

Solskjaer makes a third substitution

... with Greenwood coming off for Diogo Dalot in what is, unsurprisingly, a defensive change.

05:16 PM

Double switch for Wolves

... with Fabio Silva coming on for Traore and Morgan Gibbs-White swapping in for Coady.

Bruno Lage is going all-out attack here. He doesn't have a choice, really.

05:12 PM

83 mins

Fred goes into the book for a foul, before Saiss earns himself a booking for dissent.

05:10 PM

GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Manchester United

It's against the run of play, but United are ahead through Greenwood.

Wolves fans aren't happy as Neves is booked for protesting in the aftermath, having gone down following a robust 50-50 with Pogba in the build-up. From there, the ball was moved to Greenwood on the right and, despite Sa getting a hand to it, he managed to squeeze it in from a tight angle.

Mason Greenwood is mobbed by his team-mates - GETTY IMAGES
Mason Greenwood is mobbed by his team-mates - GETTY IMAGES

05:06 PM

78 mins

Traore gets the ball once more and Molineux roars in approval, but this time United manage to crowd him out.

In the meantime, Solskjaer has made another substitution.

05:02 PM

73 mins

Greenwood burns Coady for pace on the left and gets in behind, but can't find the onrushing Cavani.

Saiss gives away a corner after getting his feet in a muddle trying to clear and Shaw steps up. Maguire tries to get a head on it but it falls for Greenwood, who tees up Pogba to lash at goal. Sa tips his shot over the crossbar.

04:58 PM

70 mins

Neves lines one up from long range and forces De Gea into a save, though it's fairly routine.

04:58 PM

Wolves make a change

04:57 PM

67 mins

Traore shows fantastic strength and close control to battle past Shaw and win a corner at the other end of the pitch.

Moutinho's delivery falls perfectly for Saiss, who forces De Gea into an astounding double save with a header and an instant follow-up from two yards.

04:55 PM

64 mins

A probing cross from Shaw forces Marcal to clear, gifting United a corner.

Wolves belt it away, but United keep up the pressure and win another one. Maguire goes down in the area after an attempted header, but Mike Dean isn't interested.

04:51 PM

62 mins

Inches wide!

A spell of possession for United ends with a lightning-quick Wolves counter-attack. Traore gets the ball to Trincao in the middle of the area, but his first-time effort bobbles just past the upright.

04:47 PM

57 mins

Pogba plays a trademark one-touch pass from deep, freeing up Fernandes.

He twists and turns in an effort to work an opening, but eventually opts to cross to Jadon Sancho. They aren't on the same wavelength and it's cut out.

04:43 PM

54 mins

Pogba slides in on Traore and brings him down, but avoids a caution.

04:42 PM

James off, Cavani on

... with Solskjaer looking to revitalise his attack.

04:41 PM

52 mins

James gets down the left and almost picks out Greenwood, but Wolves get it clear.

04:39 PM

50 mins

Trincao nutmegs Maguire on the edge of the area and goes through one-on-one, but opts to cross instead of shooting and fails to find a team-mate.

04:35 PM

47 mins

Pogba gets down the right flank and pings a ball into the box, but it's too close to Sa and the Wolves goalkeeper smothers it.

04:33 PM

46 mins

Fernandes is down after Neves flicks him in the face with a high boot.

After a brief interlude, he's back on his feet and ready to continue.

04:32 PM

Teams back out

... and the second half is about to get underway.

Can United raise their standards? Or will Wolves continue to dominate? Let's find out.

04:19 PM

Half time, Wolves 0-0 Manchester United

That was a poor first half from United who, despite Greenwood's near miss, are yet to register a shot on target.

Wolves, meanwhile, looked threatening throughout. If United play the same way in the second half, they will be lucky to escape with a point.

Bruno Fernandes lies crumpled on the turf - AFP
Bruno Fernandes lies crumpled on the turf - AFP

04:16 PM

44 mins

United go close!

A Fernandes flick-on puts Mason Greenwood in behind, but his shot flies narrowly wide of the far post.

04:15 PM

42 mins

Fernandes plays James in behind, but he can't pick out a team-mate.

Varane then clatters into Jimenez, giving away a free kick. Fernandes is booked for dissent in the aftermath.

04:13 PM

41 mins

A smart passing move from Wolves ends with Neves curling a shot wide from distance.

04:11 PM

39 mins

Wolves have a four-on-three and Traore and Trincao exchange passes menacingly.

Traore ends up in a decent shooting position, but the shot is blocked. Solskjaer can't be happy with what he's watching here.

04:10 PM

37 mins

Pogba sends a ball over the top from deep and Fernandes runs onto it, smashing past Jose Sa and into the back of the net.

Unfortunately for United, he was blatantly offside. The brief celebrations in the away end are met with an ironic cheer.

04:06 PM

34 mins

Traore gets down the left and wins a corner from Varane.

Trincao steps up for the set piece this time, but Harry Maguire slabheads (yes, that can be used as a verb) it clear.

Behold, the mighty cranium! - REUTERS
Behold, the mighty cranium! - REUTERS

04:04 PM

33 mins

It's getting a bit scrappy now, with both sides giving the ball away in dangerous areas but neither able to capitalise on their opponents' mistakes.

04:03 PM

31 mins

Jimenez loops a ball over the top to Traore, but De Gea is alert to the danger and gets across to gather.

04:00 PM

28 mins

Dan James gets in behind and whips a dangerous ball across the box, but Saiss clears.

Despite the best efforts of Shaw and Paul Pogba, the ensuing corner comes to nothing.

03:57 PM

25 mins

Nelson Semedo wins a free kick out on the right and Moutinho steps up once more.

Varane heads it as far as Neves, who gets it back to Jimenez. He picks out Romain Saiss who sends an overhead kick just wide, though Jimenez had strayed offside in the build-up.

03:55 PM

23 mins

Moutinho, Trincao, Jimenez and Traore combine beautifully, but the latter can't find a team-mate with his final ball.

He earns Wolves a corner, however, and they play it short. Moutinho gets a better ball into the box, but United clear.

03:54 PM

22 mins

Wolves win a corner but Moutinho sends in another dud delivery.

The hosts win it back and Neves dinks a ball over the top to Coady, who heads over the crossbar. He was offside anyway, as it turns out.

03:53 PM

20 mins

Trincao shows fantastic footwork to get past Fred and Luke Shaw in midfield, before the latter barges him over.

The Barcelona loanee has looked excellent so far. Wolves have been dancing nimbly out of tight spaces all over the pitch, while United look slow and sluggish.

Luke Shaw fouls Francisco Trincao - GETTY IMAGES
Luke Shaw fouls Francisco Trincao - GETTY IMAGES

03:49 PM

17 mins

Fred is lucky to escape a caution after catching Jimenez hard on the ankle.

From the ensuing free kick, Moutinho fails to get his delivery past the first defender.

03:45 PM

13 mins

Fernando Marcal gets a cross in from the left and Jimenez gets it back across goal, finding Joao Moutinho.

Standing almost on the centre circle, he blazes a shot over the crossbar. United are living dangerously here.

03:43 PM

11 mins

Traore looks unplayable at the moment, bursting past Fred and teeing up Jimenez again.

He cuts inside in the box, but his shot is blocked. Wolves have looked the better side so far.

03:42 PM

9 mins

Conor Coady fouls Fernandes and gives away a free kick in a dangerous position.

He steps up to take it, but smashes his effort into the wall.

03:39 PM

7 mins

Bruno Fernandes and Traore exchange efforts from distance, with the former dragging wide and the latter drawing a straightforward save from De Gea.

03:38 PM

5 mins

So, so close.

Ruben Neves initiates another Wolves counter-attack which Fred fails to kill off, allowing the ball to run to Francisco Trincao. He gets in behind and looks certain to score, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka makes a goal-saving intervention on the line.

03:34 PM

2 mins

Adama Traore does what he does best, intercepting a pass just outside his own box before sprinting the length of the field and setting up Raul Jimenez.

He smashes one on target from a tight angle, but David de Gea gets down quickly to make the save.

Adama Traore roars forwards on the counter-attack - REUTERS
Adama Traore roars forwards on the counter-attack - REUTERS

03:31 PM

Peeeep!

Manchester United have kicked off at Molineux.

03:28 PM

Teams in the tunnel

... and the game is about to begin.

03:27 PM

Hwang unveiled before kick off

... to a standing ovation from Molineux. It's becoming a thing, this.

03:25 PM

Wolves briefly put matchday on hold

... to announce a new signing in the form of Hwang Hee-chan!

The South Korean forward arrives on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig.

03:20 PM

Interesting Solskjaer stat

03:16 PM

Warm-ups almost done

... with kick off just under 15 minutes away.

03:11 PM

Ferguson at Molineux

02:45 PM

Wolves team news

02:45 PM

Manchester United team news

02:44 PM

Varane makes his bow

Raphael Varane has been handed his Manchester United debut for their trip to Wolves.

The £34million defender is in the starting line-up at Molineux with Jadon Sancho also given his first start under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Dan James has been recalled.

Wolves are unchanged from their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham as Willy Boly returns to the bench after a hamstring injury.

02:41 PM

One man dominating the headlines...

Graeme Souness says Manchester United need Cristiano Ronaldo to improve players who "think they have arrived and are the real deal".

United announced on Friday that they had agreed a deal with Juventus for the Portugal forward to return to Old Trafford 12 years after he left for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's return is subject to the agreement of personal terms, a medical and a visa, and Souness – while saying the 36-year-old's athleticism has dipped – believes the signing of the five-time world player of the year is a masterstroke.

"I see him making the difference for them," Souness, Liverpool's former European Cup-winning captain, told Sky Sports.

"I think there's two, three or four players in Man United's dressing room that need him.

"Only him or [Lionel] Messi coming into the dressing room would make them up their game.

"Some players in that dressing room feel they've arrived, they're the real deal and no-one can tell them anything. But they will improve with Ronaldo there.

"You've got no chance unless you sign senior pros and Man United have just signed the ultimate. Training will be different and players' attitude will be different.

"I see United challenging for the championship with him in the team because they had 11 draws last season. They won't have them now because he's on another planet."

Roy Keane, who was United captain when the club first signed Ronaldo in 2003, hailed Ronaldo's return as "great news" but does not believe the shock transfer will help United beat Chelsea or Manchester City to the Premier League title.

"I think it's great news for United, the fans and the Premier League," Keane said.

"There's no doubt in my mind he's still a world-class player – the hunger and the desire is still there.

"He's a clever guy and he's only coming back to Man United to win stuff. He'll bring a winning mentality to the dressing room.

"But Man United still have the same problems with or without Ronaldo, and that's midfield and goalkeeping problems.

"Man United having Ronaldo makes them a better team. But him coming back doesn't mean they are suddenly going to close the gap on Man City and Chelsea and win the league title."

PA

A vendor sells Cristiano Ronaldo scarves outside Old Trafford - PA
A vendor sells Cristiano Ronaldo scarves outside Old Trafford - PA