Manchester United missed eight frontline players so Wolves, who arrived as the Premier League’s bottom team with only two points, seemed ideal opponents. Yet Ruben Amorim’s side struggled – badly – and while Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire headed those unavailable, the display still provokes questions regarding United’s cohesion.
In the contest’s closing phase they were potent only sporadically – as throughout. Their opening-half strike was a fortunate Joshua Zirkzee finish – it rebounded in off Ladislav Krejci.
And after the Czech’s equaliser just before the interval, Wolves might have recorded a first – and famous – victory of the season.
Jhon Arias went close with a late shot saved by Senne Lammens and Rob Edwards’ visitors threatened after this too and while Patrick Dorgu thought he snatched a 89th-minute winner his finish was ruled correctly offside.
At the final whistle a draw was far more respectable for Wolves because despite United’s missing personnel any team with hopes of Champions League qualification has to collect all the points against an opponent already surely heading for relegation.
The latest United player to be ruled out was Mason Mount, by injury, so Zirkzee replaced him in the right-hand No 10 role. The left-sided one, Matheus Cunha, was bright initially, winning two free-kicks. The first went for a corner that Luke Shaw dropped into the box and Wolves defended.
The second came courtesy of a Cunha dive after he skipped past Yerson Mosquera. Thomas Bramall was fooled but justice was served when the Brazilian hit the dead-ball straight at Arias.
From here Wolves had the better of the opening period, rolling passes about in the hosts’ territory, pleasing Edwards and infuriating Amorim. So when United claimed possession, Shaw was found and Benjamin Sesko released down the left, a sharp turn and right-foot shot that went close cheered the head coach.
The emotion was brief as Wolves again took over. Mosquera broke easily down the right and teed up Tolu Arokodare. The forward missed his kick, the ball bounced to Hwang Hee-chan, and the Korean blazed high.
United required someone to wrest the initiative – and that was precisely what Ayden Heaven did. The centre-back robbed Hwang near Wolves’ left touchline and drove infield. The ball went to Zirkzee and his finish beat José Sá via a wrongfooting deflection off Krejci.
This was hardly fantasy stuff but United would take it. In a couple of sequences their quality upgraded. Slick Sesko footwork was followed by play moving left and the Slovenian running on to try to finish when the cross came into the area. He failed but another sweeping United move came that finished with Patrick Dorgu’s effort going for a corner. Shaw delivered and Sesko rose and headed against Sá’s right post.
But then United’s brittleness returned. First Heaven lost Arokodare in the area and the Nigerian missed a header. Moments later Lammens saved at point-blank range from Hugo Bueno.
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Finally, Wolves’ efforts yielded what they deserved. At a Bueno corner from the right the ball flicked off the hapless Zirkzee to the far post and an unmarked Krejci headed home to send the visitors into the break in fine mood and United deflated.
For the second half Amorim brought on Jack Fletcher, 18, for Zirkzee, precisely a year on from when the Portuguese removed the Dutchman after 33 minutes as United trailed 2-0 here to Newcastle – the game ending in the score.
His unit had to up the tempo, as when Dorgu thumped the ball right and in it came quickly for an opening Cunha missed the target with. Could they continue this, though?
A Casemiro chip to Sesko prised Wolves open and though he was offside this was more encouragement. As was a Diogo Dalot effort – his radar was awry – and a panicky Mosquera header meant as a back-pass for Sá but which had the goalkeeper scrambling to just about clear the ball off the line.
As the hour passed Wolves headed for only a third point of a troubled campaign – and possibly more – but United now mixed attack with clumsiness as when Shaw felled Mateus Mané.
Hwang dipped the free-kick in and though the ball went back out of United’s area, in it came again: Krejci shot, Lammens saved low to his left and Mosquera, following up, could not squeeze the ball in.
Wolves’ No 15 was more effective at the other end when heading a Shaw corner from the right out for a further one on the left – Cunha took this and eventually Sá punched clear.
