Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction as VAR denies Marcus Rashford a second
Man Utd will move into top four with victory over Wolves who hope to escape relegation zone
Manchester United can move into the top four with a victory over Wolves this afternoon as Erik ten Hag’s men are only one point behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who face Aston Villa on Sunday. Meanwhile, three points for Wolves today would be a huge boost to their hopes of avoiding relegation and would take them out of the drop zone.
The Red Devils restarted their Premier League campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest as Marcus Rashford continued his hot streak of form and Anthony Martial also got on the scoresheet. Ten Hag’s team look pacey and determined but in the past, they have followed up great wins with shaky performances and will hope to avoid doing so again today.
Wolves come into the match sitting 18th in the table but only one point behind Everton and West Ham and just three behind 14th placed Bournemouth. They can easily shoot up the table with a string of good results and will be confident of challenging Man Utd following Rayan Ait-Nouri’s 95th minute winner against Everton last time out.
Follow all the action from Molineux as Wolves take on Manchester United:
Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on two-year deal
Former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has officially signed for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
The 37-year-old was a free agent after he was released from his Old Trafford contract in November and has signed a two-and-a-half year deal reportedly worth $75m per season. Ronaldo left Manchester United after giving a series of interviews criticising the club, where he had lost his place in the team under Erik ten Hag.
Al Nassr, who are nine-time winners of the Saudi Pro League, announced the deal as “history in the making”.
Ronaldo said: “I’m thrilled for a new experience in a different league and a different country, the vision that Al Nassr has is very inspiring.”
Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on two-year deal
The Portugal captain may earn up to $200m per year when at the Saudi Arabian club, according to reports
Wolves vs Man Utd
Wolves won their most recent Premier League meeting with Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in January. They last won consecutive league games against them between September 1979 and August 1980.
But, ManUtd could win on three consecutive league visits to Molineux for the first time. The Red Devils scored nine goals across two Premier League encounters in 2011/12 but they have netted just nine in total in the 11 matches between the sides since.
Man Utd’s future may finally have arrived as old faces get new chance in attack
Manchester United’s future may lie in their forward line’s past. They have long thought as much. It is just that they had picked the wrong part of their past. There was the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nostalgia project and the attempt to turn back time with Cristiano Ronaldo. Suffice to say that neither ended well. But, in the post-Ronaldo era, their attack is now based around two men who debuted five managers ago under Louis van Gaal.
At 25 and 27, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are young to be described as part of United’s history. If some had their way after last season was the poorest of each’s career, they could have been consigned to the ranks of the Old Trafford old boys. Instead, Erik ten Hag has instead made each central; literally in the case of Martial who, while injuries had restricted his appearances, had seemed his first-choice striker since the summer, and figuratively for Rashford, who now feels the dominant figure in the attack.
Each scored in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. It will take more than a home victory over relegation candidates to anoint them a double act who will remain automatic choices for years; not when Martial’s frame can be fragile, when Ten Hag wants another forward, when United are bound to enter into a footballing arms race for an attacker at some stage.
Man Utd’s future may finally have arrived as old faces get new chance in attack
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have long been tipped for stardom but Erik ten Hag may have finally found the way to make them work together consistently
Wolves vs Man Utd prediction
Wolves will be confident after snatching victory at Goodison Park in midweek but the Red Devils are also riding high after a big win over Nottingham Forest and that added cutting edge in attack, thanks to a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford, should be enough to edge this one.
Wolves 1-2 Manchester United.
How to watch Wolves vs Man Utd
The match kicks off tonight, Saturday 31st December, at 12:30pm GMT.
Wolves vs Man Utd will be shown live on UK TV through BT Sport 1 and Ultimate. Coverage begins from 11:30am GMT. Customers can stream the game live online via the BT Sport app and website.
Wolves vs Man Utd predicted line-ups
Wolves XI: Sa; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Nunes, Neves, Moutinho; Hwang, Costa, Guedes
Man Utd XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Fernandes, Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Martial, Rashford
What is the early team news?
Chiquinho, Pedro Neto and Sasa Kalajdzic remain sidelined through injury, but Wolves could receive a boost with the return of Boubacar Toure and Jonny Castro.
Daniel Podence is a doubt with a leg problem picked up against Everton, with Goncalo Guedes poised to deputise if he cannot start.
Erik ten Hag has doubts over Victor Lindelof and Scott McTominay due to illness, while Diogo Dalot is dealing with a hamstring issue and both Axel Tuanzebe and Jadon Sancho continue to work back from injury.
Harry Maguire overcame illness to come on as a substitute for Raphael Varane against Forest and could now contend for a starting berth, with the England defender or the returning Lisandro Martinez linking up with the French centre-back, despite Luke Shaw impressing in relief midweek.
Wolves vs Man Utd
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of New Year’s Eve Premier League football. In the early kick Wolves play host to Manchester United with both sides hunting down victories for vastly different reasons.
The hosts hope to use the confidence built up from their 2-1 victory over Everton to shock Man Utd this afternoon and move themselves out of the relegation zone whilst Erik ten Hag’s men will jump ahead of Tottenham if they are victorious at Molineux.
Later on the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, are in action as they travel to Brighton in what should be a tough test for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
We’ll have all the action, build-up and team news right here so stick around. Kick off for the early match is at 12.30pm and the line-ups will be out soon.
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