Manchester United kicked off their 2023-24 Premier League campaign with a clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Monday night (August 14). Fans filled the iconic stadium hoping to see resolve and determination from Erik ten Hag’s side, the telltale signs of a successful campaign. Unfortunately, the Red Devils looked nowhere near as fluid or urgent as their fans expected them to be, only narrowly securing a 1-0 victory.
The 1-0 defeat was harsh on Wolves
The hosts created the first real chance of the night at Old Trafford, courtesy of a sneaky run from Marcus Rashford in the 13th minute. Goalkeeper Jose Sa, however, read the Englishman’s movement and narrowed the angle to smother his attempt.
Following the early scare, Wolves fixed their act and took the fight to their lofty rivals. In the 50th minute, Matheus Cunha connected with Pablo Sarabia’s delivery at the far post, hitting the bar with a side-footed attempt. Six minutes later, Cunha tested United debutant Andre Onana with a 25-yard drive, with the keeper somehow managing to turn it behind.
In the 73rd minute, Pedro Neto found himself in a really favorable position, just 12 yards away from the United goal. The Portuguese, however, failed to pick his spot and hit it straight at the keeper. Three minutes after surviving Wolves’ attack, United found themselves a goal up, with Raphael Varane heading the ball in from an impressive Aaron Wan-Bissaka delivery.
Gary O’Neil’s side, however, refused to throw in the towel and created a plethora of goalscoring opportunities until the last blast of the whistle. They even saw a penalty appeal waved off in injury time, despite Onana making clear contact with Sasa Kalajdzic inside the area.
So, despite attempting 23 shots — more than any other team against United at Old Trafford since Chelsea in 2005 — and accumulating an xG of 2.23, Wolves lost 1-0 to the 20-time English champions. Given the shift they put in, the visitors must feel hard done by Monday’s outcome.
Manchester United’s Premier League home record vs. Wolves:
🏟️ 10 games
✅ 7 wins
🤝 2 draws
❌ 1 defeatGot the points. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tUAj8fGQP0
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 14, 2023
Manchester United have a lot of work to do
It looked destined to be a disappointing night for Ten Hag and Co. until Varane popped up with a sublime header in the 76th minute. Although they secured the outcome they wanted, it is safe to say that their performance was not anything to write home about.
United’s attackers, Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Jadon Sancho (sub) were markedly below their best. They did not look urgent enough and often lacked creativity. Debutant Mason Mount was also a bystander for most of the match and failed to create even a single chance before being taken off in the 68th minute.
United, who finished the game with an xG of 1.46, caught a lucky break in their Premier League opener. But luck alone cannot help them secure a top-four finish, let alone challenge for the Premier League title.
The Mancunians return to Premier League action with a clash against Tottenham Hotspur in north London on August 19. It will be interesting to see if Ten Hag can fix up his men and compel them to show more aggression and urgency against a big-six club next weekend.
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