Manchester United are aiming to better their first season under Erik ten Hag and on their first assignment of the new campaign somehow managed to emerge on the side of victory.
United last experienced a Premier League defeat at Old Trafford on the opening day of last season, when they lost to Brighton & Hove Albion, and their season took time to get going from there. This time, they have three early points on the board as they aim to make inroads in the league.
It could, and arguably should, have been different, though. Ten Hag’s team failed to click for much of the game and looked far from fresh as they opened their campaign in front of home support. Is a gruelling pre-season schedule, which involved a tour across the United States, still in the players’ legs? Possibly, but the manager will want more energy from his side going forward.
They were fortunate not to have lost this match, let alone drawn it. If United enter the new season with hope and optimism, then it is safe to say that Wolverhampton Wanderers are at the other end of the scale.
These are turbulent times for Wolves. Julen Lopetegui walked on the eve of the season and the club have shed around £90m worth of talent, including their outstanding midfield player Ruben Neves, without making any significant upgrades as they watch Financial Fair Play rules.
But with their backs against the wall, they managed to put in a performance of merit and should have left Old Trafford with at least a point. New manager Gary O’Neil, hoping to reprise the good work he managed at Bournemouth last season, will take positives from this display.
However, as has often been the case with Wolves in recent seasons, an inability to convert chances cost them. Matheus Cunha had at least three good opportunities to breach Andre Onana on his United debut but fluffed his lines. After Raphael Varane had headed the home team into the lead in the 76th minute, Wolves still pressed on and squandered another trio of chances.
Despite Wolves having 23 shots and aiming six of them on target, United made the most of one of the few chances that came their way to ensure that this was a winning, albeit rather underwhelming, start to their campaign.
Story of the game
Ten Hag wheeled out two debutants in Onana and Mason Mount but was unable to offer his third summer signing, Rasmus Hojlund, a start as the striker is currently sidelined with a back injury. There may have been new faces but some old chants remained; namely the anti-Glazer choruses that still ring loud as the protracted future of the club’s ownership continues.
In truth, though, it was a fairly muted start from both teams. In the build-up O’Neil, who was only appointed on Wednesday, admitted “most teams have six weeks to prepare for their first game but we’ve got four days”, however it did not look that way as Wolves grew into the contest and bravely played.
They sensed United were off it and when Cunha ran 70 yards from his own area, expertly rode two tackles and laid off Pablo Sarabia, it appeared a breakthrough was coming but the forward’s shot was deflected wide.
United did cause one or two problems as the first half came to a close. Marcus Rashford led the claims for a handball but the appeals were waved away by referee Simon Hooper.
There was little improvement from the home side after the interval and Wolves continued to look the more creative of the two teams. Cunha was at the centre of it. Having dragged a shot wide before the break, the 24-year-old struck the post after a fantastic run by Matheus Nunes’s teed-up Sarabia to cross to the back post.
Another easy advance forward from O’Neil’s side ended with Cunha seeing a shot pushed aside by Onana and, soon after, the Brazilian misdirected a header from close range. Pedro Neto also fired a shot straight at the United ‘keeper but Wolves were simply not clinical enough to finish the chances they created.
That proved costly when United took the lead 14 minutes from time. Bruno Fernandes had been a low-key presence until he chipped a ball towards Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the Wolves area and the right back lifted a cross first-time across goal. Varane beat Nelson Semedo to the ball and headed past Jose Sa.
Seeing out the game was United’s primary objective now and Wolves made them work for their three points. O’Neil sent on Fabio Silva as part of a double substitution and the Portuguese attacker was quickly into the action when he was denied by Onana and then thwarted again as Wolves’s pressure built.
Wan-Bissaka slid across to deflect Hwang Hee-chan’s attempt wide in stoppage time and the visitors were also denied a late penalty by VAR when Onana failed to get a glove to an in-swinging cross but clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic and floored the 6ft 7in striker. You feel O’Neil and his players will have to roll with the punches, this was a blow and a lesson in being wasteful.
Player of the match: Andre Onana
On his Premier League debut at Old Trafford, United’s new ‘keeper was regularly called into action and was required to be a more involved presence than perhaps many had been expecting.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper, signed from Inter Milan in the summer, made a handful of saves to deny Wolves as they racked up chances and was an assured figure in between the posts.
A heavy collision with Kalajdzic may have led to a late penalty being awarded to Wolves but VAR saw no foul and, in turn, Onana’s debut was spared a calamity.
