Manchester United vs Wolves LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction from fixture tonight

Follow all the action live as the Ralf Rangnick and Bruno Lage’s sides go head-to-head at Old Trafford

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This was the first defeat of the Ralf Rangnick era but not only that, it was deserved. In all honesty, it may even be overdue. Manchester United had been fortunate to beat bottom-of-the-league Norwich City before Christmas, then lucky to escape with a draw against an equally-embattled Newcastle after it. Now, to usher in the new year, their comeuppance came against a side that had scored once in their last six games and twice in their last eight before Joao Moutinho’s late winner.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are having an uncertain season, having made a solid start only to suffer that scoring slump of recent weeks and months, but Bruno Lage has the highlight of his first year in charge so far: a win at Old Trafford that, on the balance of play, could have come a lot earlier. Aside from a brief United revival midway through the second half, Wolves were by far the better side, creating several chances yet, true to form, failing to put them away.

That was until Moutinho’s intervention, a low, drilled shot with eight minutes remaining after the returning Phil Jones failed to adequately clear Adama Traore’s cross beyond the edge of the penalty area. Follow all the match reaction below:

Man United vs Wolves

• 5:30pm GMT kick-off
• Phil Jones makes first Premier League start for two years
• Podence and Trincao join Jimenez in Wolves attack
• 68’ - Ronaldo heads in but is flagged offside, just one minute after Fernandes hits woodwork
• 75’ - Saiss strikes crossbar from a direct free-kick
• 82’ - Moutinho fires in the opener from the edge of the box

[3 January 2022 17:52 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

21 mins: Save! Semedo dribbles around Shaw and carries the ball into the right side of the box. He blasts a shot at De Gea who punches it out to Scott McTominay and the midfielder completes the clearance for United.

This is better from the home side. The beat the Wolves press and work the ball over to Wan-Bissaka on the right. He curls a teasing ball into the six-yard box but it just evades Ronaldo and skips through to Sancho. Sancho cuts inside onto his right and shoots but Semedo is back to block the effort.

[3 January 2022 17:49 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

18 mins: Podence and Trincao combine just outside United’s box to play Podence in behind Phil Jones. He sprints after the ball as Trincao flicks it into the area but is beaten to it by a covering Wan-Bissaka who boots it out of play.

Podence has switched out to the right wing and links up with Semedo to bring the ball back into Man Utd’s final third. He gives it to the full-back who plays a pass inside to Neves. Neves strikes one from range but the effort continues to rise and goes safely over the goal.

[3 January 2022 17:46 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

15 mins: Save! De Gea is called into action again! The Wolves corner is cleared as far as Ruben Neves who takes control of the ball on his chest before smoking a volley towards the top left-hand corner. He strikes it beautifully but is denied by the outstretched hand of a leaping De Gea.

Wolves are in the ascendancy here, can they find an opener?

[3 January 2022 17:44 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

12 mins: Phil Jones gets another loud round of applause after Shaw loses the ball up the pitch. Nelson Semedo carries it down the right wing and curls a low cross into the penalty area fro Podence but a back-tracking Jones beats him to the ball and boots it clear for the home side.

Chance! United lose the ball in midfield again and Jimenez dinks it over to the left wing where Podence is in behind Wan-Bissaka. He collects the ball and drives into the box before belting a shot towards the near post and forcing a nice save out of David De Gea.

[3 January 2022 17:41 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

9 mins: Chance! Wolves play the corner short and whip it into the box but Aaron Wan-Bissaka deals with the cross at the back post. United’s clearance sends the ball up the pitch where Mason Greenwood wins it back and sends Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo flying forward on the counter-attack.

Sancho takes possession and runs at the Wolves back line as Ronaldo slips into the left side of the box. Ronaldo is free and gestures for the ball but Sancho goes it alone, he cuts onto his right foot and shoots from the front edge of the box but Coady has him covered and he blocks the shot.

[3 January 2022 17:38 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

6 mins: Wolves win the ball off Shaw in the middle of the pitch and Ruben Neves drives it forward. He slides a pass into Ralu Jimenez who carries the ball into the right side of the box. Daniel Podence is waiting in the middle of the box but Raphael Varane is across quickly to block the ball behind for a corner.

[3 January 2022 17:36 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

3 mins: Nearly. United work the ball across to Luke Shaw on the left side and he slowly dribbles up the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo makes a run into the left side of the box and Shaw flicks an aerial pass over to him. Ronaldo attempts to bring the ball down on his chest but the ball bounces away from him and quick reactions from Max Kilman allows the defender to clear the danger.

[3 January 2022 17:34 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 0 Wolves

Kick off: Raul Jimenez gets the match started for Wolves. The back comes back to Conor Coady who slots it over to Marcal on the left wing. Mason Greenwood sprints forward on the press but the ball is passed to Romain Saiss without too much trouble.

Wolves work the ball over to Nelson Semedo on the other side of the pitch. He goes on an enterprising run towards the Manchester United box before laying the ball off to Franciso Trincao on the wing. Trincao swings an early cross into the box but Phil Jones heads it clear and receives a loud round of applause from the home fans.

[3 January 2022 17:29 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd vs Wolves

Here come the teams. Conor Coady leads the Wolves team out onto the pitch at Old Trafford. Cristiano Ronaldo takes the captain’s armband for Manchester United. It is only the second time Ronaldo has captained the Red Devils having done so against Bolton Wanderers in his first spell at the club.

[3 January 2022 17:26 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd vs Wolves: Premier League standings

Manchester United are four points behind Arsenal in the race for a top four spot and could do with a win tonight. If they pick up three points they will jump ahead of Tottenham into sixth or potentially fifth if they beat Wolves by six goals or more.

If Wolves win then they will go ahead of Brighton into eighth but defeat this evening drops them down to 10th.