📰 Table Of Contents
Pre-Match Social Media Talking Points
“Ten Hag’s done a fantastic job.”
Sir Alex Ferguson on the current state of Manchester United. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/JvIDd8vkHz
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) August 14, 2023
“We have laid a foundation, now we have to raise the bar!”
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag discusses new signings Mason Mount and André Onana, as well as what he expects from Marcus Rashford and Antony this season 🔴 pic.twitter.com/JmhIIQS4QM
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 14, 2023
Enthusiastic reception for Andre Onana from the Man Utd supporters.
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) August 14, 2023
How Andre Onana compares with David de Gea 📊 pic.twitter.com/GBwFPweHKf
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 14, 2023
A large number of fans gathered outside of Old Trafford to protesthttps://t.co/etbZmPMCIP
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) August 14, 2023
Rasmus Hojlund in the directors’ box.
Jack + Tyler Fletcher too.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/hz7BE8WxsH
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) August 14, 2023
Match Report
Competitive football returned to Old Trafford tonight as Manchester United clashed with Wolves to kick-start the 2023-24 league campaign for both outfits, with Erik ten Hag coming to grips with Gary O’Neil, who made his managerial debut for the club as the youngest Wolves manager this century.
With expectations surrounding the Red Devils sitting high coming into the season after the club added André Onana, Mason Mount, and Rasmus Højlund during the current summer window, most felt that anything less than a comfortable three points to begin life anew once again would have been below par.
Ten Hag has told Mount and Garnacho to move higher up from goal kicks. Mount hasn’t hit the ground running so far and nor has Antony, who’s played the wrong pass on two occasions. Garnacho freer than Rashford for the counter-attack. #mufc
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) August 14, 2023
Wolves appeared to be more bright under O’Neil in the opening stages, committing bodies forward in transition and into the final third given the quality on offer in the forward line, but it was United who nearly broke the deadlock at the ten-minute mark when Marcus Rashford was put through into the penalty area via the right half-space by Antony only for his effort to be kick-saved away by Jose Sá.
Wolves’ ability in transition and on the break was on display once again in the 27th minute when Matheus Cunha picked the ball up in his own half before going on a rampaging run through midfield and skipping past three defenders before laying off Matheus Nunes to have a crack at Onana’s goal, only for his effort to be deflected wide of the mark.
Ten to go in the half and it remains goalless at Old Trafford.
We’ve started well, with Sarabia and Cunha having the best chances of the game so far, but no breakthrough. #COYW pic.twitter.com/EGOrRAvzlq
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 14, 2023
O’Neil’s troops so nearly found the back of the net once again seven minutes later, with Cunha critical in another break into the final third when the Brazilian was put through by Nunes, but the former Atlético Marid and RB Leipzig forward could only hash his effort wide when he should have otherwise tested Onana at the very least.
Penalty or no penalty? 🤔 #MUNWOL pic.twitter.com/91cL4ij5t7
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 14, 2023
United had appeals for handball turned away from match official Simon Hooper three minutes later when Rashford’s goal-bound header in the wake of Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross struck Semedo’s arm, but it was deemed incidental with the Portuguese unable to avoid contact.
Interesting: Martinez off for Lindelof at the break. The booking did seem to effect his game.
Also Varane giving the speech in the huddle before kick-off in second half.#MUFC
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) August 14, 2023
Ten Hag would make one change at halftime, bringing on Swedish international defender Victor Lindelöf in place of Lisandro Martínez after the Argentine became an increased risk to receive a second booking before proceedings were concluded.
But it would be Wolves, again, to so nearly find the back of the net with Nunes marauding 60-meters from his own half and into the United third before putting a shot-come-cross across the face of goal was nicked on by Sarabia to Cunha only for the Brazilian to somehow miss an open near post and instead rattle the vertical woodwork.
“He HAS to score!” 😲
Matheus Cunha misses a brilliant chance for Wolves to take the lead! ⛔ pic.twitter.com/Ak7SN97rTw
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 14, 2023
Cunha just has to run in a straight line and he’s in the Man Utd box.
— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) August 14, 2023
It was Cunha yet again who drove from midfield through the lines and into within 20 yards of goal but his bending effort was comfortably turned away by Onana as alarm bells began to sound across all corners of the Theatre of Dreams.
Ten Hag would make two more changes with a little more than 20-minutes left, taking off debutant Mason Mount and youngster Alejandro Garnacho, for Christian Eriksen and Jadon Sancho in a bid to inject some semblance of creativity on a night where the Red Devils were sorely lacking.
And yet again, however, it was Wolves to look the better side despite Sancho immediately getting into the area, but a poor pass by Antony would see Wolves once again break through Cunha, who ultimately laid off second-half substitute Hwang Hee-Chan, whose effort founds its way to Neto before the Portuguese could only hash his effort right at a grateful Onana.
But almost as if this story has been written so many times across so many years of Premier League football, United found a way to take a lead no one can say they deserved when Fernandes put Wan-Bissaka into space down the right channel for his lofted cross to find Raphaël Varane to head home past Sá with just fourteen minutes remaining.
GOAL Man Utd 1-0 Wolves (76 mins)
The hosts break the deadlock as Aaron Wan-Bissaka latches on to a clever ball on the right, then floats in a cross for Raphael Varane to head home from close range#MUNWOL
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 14, 2023
Wolves would keep pushing as they did all night in the final ten minutes, forcing Onana into two saves at his near post to deny substitute Fábio Silva twice in two minutes, with O’Neil throwing in his last remaining dice when he brought on big Austrian international striker Saša Kalajdžić in the final moments before stoppage time in a bid to earn a point that Wolves undoubtedly deserved at the very least.
In the dying embers of the match, Onana’s attempts to come out and claim a cross saw him not only miss the ball but also punch Kalajdžić in the face, only for VAR to review the incident and shockingly not give Wolves a deserved penalty.
Wolves should have a penalty there.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) August 14, 2023
United would come away with a 1-0 win which gave them the desired result to start the campaign on the surface, but the inquest is sure to begin after the Red Devils put in a performance that otherwise would have finished with Wolves comfortable winners should they have put their chances away. In truth, United was poor, and there is plenty of time to amend matters on the pitch, but this was hardly a way that Ten Hag would have wanted to start the engine.
As for Wolves, it’s unquestionably heartbreaking for a side that, at the very least, deserved a draw but probably should be coming away as winners, Ultimately, O’Neil deserves immense credit for banding together a side that many tipped to be in and around the relegation dog fight, but on this evidence, will certainly bag wins this season in sufficient quantity to remain out of the bottom three…provided they find form in front of goal.
Key Data
Manchester United 1 (1.9)-(2.0) 0 Wolves
Manchester United VERY lucky pic.twitter.com/GvsONnwUQY
— Cannon Stats (@CannonStats) August 14, 2023
🇨🇲 Andre Onana’s Premier League debut against Wolves:
🧤 Saves: 6
🎯 Passes: 36
👥 Aerial Wins: 1
🌡 WS Rating: 7.76#MUNWOL— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 14, 2023
João Gomes made completed more tackles than any other other player between Manchester United and Wolves (4). https://t.co/adUuGGFJwj
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 14, 2023
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s game by numbers vs. Wolves:
91% pass accuracy
71 touches
40 passes completed
4 ground duels won
3 key passes
2/3 dribbles completed
2 clearances
2 shots blocked
2 interceptions
2 tackles won
1 big chance created
1 assistSpider Wan. 🕸️ pic.twitter.com/3XzCyoxeDi
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 14, 2023
Raphael Varane’s game by numbers vs. Wolves:
89% pass accuracy
5 clearances
5 ball recoveries
2 tackles won
2 long balls completed
2 ground duels won
2 shots
1 goalMatch winner. 👏 pic.twitter.com/4UABPFAUcF
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 14, 2023
Manchester United Player Ratings
Wolves Player Ratings
