Manchester United 1, Wolves 1
Manchester United contrived to mess up a chance to move into the top four after they could only draw against basement club Wolves.
Joshua Zirkzee’s opening goal was cancelled out by Ladislav Krejci while Patrick Dorgu thought he had scored winning goal in the 90th minute but it was ruled out for offside on a night when the Wolves fans serenaded their battling team off the pitch after earning only their third point of the season – and first under Rob Edwards.
There was Comical defending by Wolves and a huge slice of luck for United as Joshua Zirkzee broke the deadlock with a couple of deflections off Ladislav Krejci to wrong foot Jose Sa after Ayden Heaven couldn’t keep hold of the ball on a makeshift attack by United I in the 27th minute.
But on the stroke of half time Ladislav Krejci headed Wolves back on terms after he got to Joshua Zirkzee’s attempted clearing header first following a Hugo Bueno corner by Wolves.
The effort looped back into the near post beating Senne Lammens.
In and amongst all these, Wolves had the clearer chances to score with Hugo Bueno and Mateus Mane forcing saves from Lammens while the Reds only had a handful of efforts straight at Jose Sa – the United striker also hit the post in a frustrating game for him.
Wolves almost scored a comical own goal as Yerson Mosquera’s back header was clawed out of his own goal by Sa just in the nick of time as Wolves almost shot themselves in the foot in the second half.
Ladislav Krejci outmuscled Ayden Heaven to get on the end of a ball in the box – his effort was saved by Senne Lammens but Yerson Mosquera sent the rebound wide with the goal at his mercy.
Jhon Arias also saw his shot deflected for a corner as Wolves kept pressing for a winner.
Patrick Dorgu thought he had scored the winner when he tucked away the rebound after another Benjamin Sesko shot went straight to Sa – the Wolves keeper spilled it and there was a heart-in-mouth moment until VAR intervened and finally decided he was offside when Sesko took his shot after Casemiro had set him up.
The Reds will only have themselves to blame for their shortcomings up front and boos rang out at the end of a cold night of what-ifs at Old Trafford.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester United 1, Wolves 1
Senne Lammens: 6 Saved from Hugo Bueno, Mateus Mane. And Ladislav Krejci’s second half shot.
Diogo Dalot: 6. Slow start at right back.
Ayden Heaven: 6. Tried to be a spare man going forward. Involved in the first goal.
Lisandro Martinez: 6. Got plenty of help at central defence.
Luke Shaw: 6. Early corner had Jose Sa scrambling to tip it away.
Casemiro: 6. Tried to make things happen with long range passing from midfield, one sumptuous pass with outside of boot in second half deserved better finish from Benjamin Sesko. Couldn’t run any more late in the game.
Manuel Ugarte: 6. Not a very creative presence in the midfield but did have a long range shot in the second half which was saved.
Joshua Zirkzee: 6. Pressed diligently from a wide forward role. Tried to create chances too. Opened the scoring but was responsible for poor clearing header which led to the Wolves equaliser. Taken off at half time.
Matheus Cunha: 6. Tried to buy early free kicks with some questionable diving throughout and faded out of the game.
Patrick Dorgu: 6. Decent crosses from the left with one shot going wide after being blocked but output dropped in the second half. Shot blocked. Thought he had put the Reds back into the lead after 90 minutes but he was offside.
Benjamin Sesko: 6. Every effort he had was magnetically attracted to Jose Sa. Shot wide of the far post for a chance he created himself after getting onto the end of a long ball. One header straight at Jose Sa and another header hit the post. Header saved by Jose Sa in second half.
Jack Fletcher (on for Joshua Zirkzee, 46): 6. Not much impact on the game after some early moments.
Leny Yoro (on for Ayden Heaven, 75): 6. Slot in replacement but wobbly moments as Wolves almost scored after some late defensive rustiness from him.
Bendito Mantato (on for Manuel Ugarte, 75): 6. Stationed on the right – willing runner but to little effect.
GOALS – Manchester United 1, Wolves 1
Man Utd 1, Wolves 0: 27. Comical defending by Wolves and a huge slice of luck for United as Joshua Zirkzee breaks the deadlock with a couple of deflections off Ladislav Krejci to wrong foot Jose Sa after Ayden Heaven couldn’t keep hold of the ball.
Man Utd 1, Wolves 1: 45. Ladislav Krejci headed Wolves back on terms after he got to Joshua Zirkzee’s attempted clearing header first following a Hugo Bueno corner by Wolves. The effort looped back into the near post beating Senne Lammens.
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 1, Wolves 1
Man Utd: Lammens, Dalot, Heaven (Yoro 75), Martinez (C), Shaw, Casemiro, Ugarte (Mantato 75), Zirkzee (J Fletcher 46), Cunha, Dorgu, Sesko
Man Utd Subs not used: Bayindir, T Fletcher, Fredricson, Lacey, Obi
Goal: Zirkzee 27
Wolves: Sa, Mosquera, Doherty (C), Krejci, Tchatchoua, Arias (Moller Wolfe 90+5), Gomes, Mane, Bueno, Arokodare (Strand Larsen 64), Hwang Hee-Chan (Lopez 87)
Wolves Subs not used: Johnstone, Gonzalez, Hoever, Ojinnaka, Olagunju, Sutherland
Booking: Tchatchoua 63 (Dissent); Strand Larsen 90+5 (foul on Matheus Cunha)
Goal: Krejci 45
Referee: Thomas Bramall