Match report and talking points on the Red Devils’ third consecutive loss

Wolverhampton Wanderers inflicted a third successive defeat on Manchester United on Boxing Day, following a 2-0 win at Molineux Stadium.

Matheus Cunha danced through the thick clouds of fog, breaking the deadlock in the first hour of the match directly from a corner kick before passing the ball to Hwang Hee-chan to score the second goal. The game was scoreless – and heartless – for the first 47 minutes before Bruno Fernandes’ red card changed the game irrevocably.

A well-deserved three points for Vitor Pereira’s new side, moving them up to 17th in relative safety with United just three places up in 14th.

How the game unfolded

The only incident in the first half that was obscured by large fog columns was the player’s yellow card. Bruno Fernandes. The mercurial Manchester United captain demolished Matthews Cunha at the end of a labyrinthine run. This seemingly innocuous mistake would bring the two protagonists together, who will remember Thursday’s match for very different reasons.

Fernandes immediately received his second yellow card of the match – and then his third red card of the season – for undue criticism of Nelson Semedo less than two minutes into the second half.

With United’s out-of-form players reduced to ten, what had been a tight and tense contest turned into attack versus defence, with Wolves It fills the widening gaps created by Fernandez’s dismissal.

However, it took a moment of magic from the Molineux-based magician to finally fire the home side into the lead. For the second time in seven days united They conceded straight from a corner kick – taking their disastrous reputation for dead-ball play to new depths – as Cunha sent a dangerous pass through the fog past Andre Onana shortly before the hour mark.

The Wolves dominated possession, constantly finding their backup man, but were unable to translate their numerical superiority onto the scoreboard. Once that clock entered the final 10 minutes – before eight more were added by the fourth official – and the score remained just 1-0, United began to tap into Wolves’ nerves torn apart by a season of struggle.

Hwang settled the tension late with a decisive second goal in stoppage time. Being – who else? – He rushed into United’s half-empty stadium and selflessly defended his teammate.

Check out the player ratings for Wolves vs Man Utd here.

In an interview with The athlete In 2022, Fernandes warned: “I play against Wolves and there are many Portuguese players (in their team), but if I have to kick them, I will kick them. If I have to nag them, I will do it.” Fernandes can be accused of many things, but at least he is a man of his word.

Follow from A A direct red card during the modest defeat against Tottenham Hotspur In September – which was eventually overturned – and after picking up a double booking against Porto four days later, Fernandes completed a hat-trick of sending-offs by kicking Cunha and Semedo.

The United captain became the first Manchester United player to be sent off three times in the same season in all competitions since Nemanja Vidic during the 2008/09 season. While the legendary centre-back can blame the in-form Fernando Torres for his struggles, Fernandes’ rudeness is often to blame.

Before the trip to Molineux, Ruben Amorim warned that fellow Portuguese Vitor Pereira is “a very good coach and will understand us”. This has largely proven to be the case The new head of the wolves He succeeded in neutralizing the visitors by matching United’s 3-4-2-1 formation.

In the battle of the back three, the game effectively broke down into a battle of individual duels. Each attacking trio was offset by a trio of midfielders, with a pair of double pivots facing off in midfield in the central circle, with the wing-backs facing off against the wing-backs.

To his credit, Amorim attempted to alter the balance of a largely cautious competition by bringing in Noussair Mazraoui at right-back, adding extra strength to the midfield four. While that boosted United’s build-up, it did not lead to much vision for the goal.

By contrast, Fernandes’ 47th minute sending off proved more decisive. Wolves put the ball past United within two minutes of the playmaker’s red card, increasing the pressure on the right flank when Nelson Semedo passed the ball to Jurgen Strand-Larsen for offside.

The hosts had to wait until the 99th minute before finally taking advantage of their numerical superiority, but the red card gave them a sense of control that was not there in the first half.

Just 20 minutes before the start of the Boxing Day evening show, Telegraph A report has been released claiming that Arsenal were strongly interested in signing Wolves striker Matheus Cunha.

The Gunners were not enticed by another impressive display from the Brazilian on Thursday, or even his overall season, but are eyeing Cunha as an emergency replacement for the squad. Bukayo Saka injury After three years of consistently encouraging production. Arsenal’s lofty opinion of the 25-year-old is likely to be shared by many in the Premier League and beyond.

Cunha, a huge threat wherever he picks up the ball, looks out of place in a team struggling for relegation. Aside from his brilliant set-piece that eventually opened the scoring, Cunha seemed to attract gasps of awe from the Molineux fans every time he touched the ball, committed a foul or cracked a wry smile. Wolves fans may not have many opportunities to drool over the Brazilian star while he is still wearing gold.

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