Premier League: Wolves and Man United play out a classic
Wolves 3 - 4 Manchester United
Kobbie Mainoo secured a dramatic victory for Manchester United, sealing a 4-3 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in a match that will be remembered as a Premier League classic.
Mainoo elegantly curled in his maiden Premier League goal, slipping it past Jose Sa just moments after Pedro Neto seemed to have salvaged a draw for Wolves.
Despite being 2-0 down at halftime and 3-1 behind on 85 minutes, Wolves managed to pull level. However, Manchester United clinched the three points thanks to 18-year-old Mainoo. He collected the ball on the left, skillfully nutmegged Max Kilman, cut inside, and beautifully bent the ball into the bottom corner.
The scoring began with Marcus Rashford, who, five minutes into his return for United after missing the FA Cup win over Newport County, opened the scoring. Rasmus Hojlund then doubled the lead.
Pablo Sarabia pulled one back from the penalty spot, and Scott McTominay seemingly made it secure for the visitors by heading in a corner 15 minutes from the end, shortly after coming on as a second-half substitute.
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However, that marked the beginning of the late chaos. Wolves' captain, Kilman, ensured a grandstand finish by scoring from close range following a corner.
In the sixth of nine added minutes, Neto struck home, catching United on the break as Andre Onana was wrong-footed. Wolves celebrated wildly, but it turned out to be premature, as Mainoo had the final say in this extraordinary game.
Rashford's return
Rashford's goal 💪🏻#mufc #wolmun pic.twitter.com/zYhT0A4zWU
— StrettyEnd (@_StrettyEnd) February 1, 2024
Rashford and Luke Shaw seemed to have a renewed connection, working together in the Wolves' area. The English duo collaborated, and it was Shaw, the left-back, who created the opportunity for Hojlund's second goal. The striker smoothly slid in to score from close range, taking advantage of Shaw's low cross, while the Wolves defence struggled to clear the ball.
After the match, Erik ten Hag told the media that he was impressed with Rashford’s performance. The forward is now expected to be a key player for Manchester United going forward for the rest of the season.
Mainoo magic
Mainoo, in his 11th senior outing for United, had previously been quietly impressive for United while playing in central midfield.This performance was on a whole new level though. It was a young man rallying his struggling teammates from the ground, injecting a spark of individual brilliance to secure a victory that United appeared to have let slip away.
"Proud of the second half performance..."
Jamies, a Wolves fan, told us on Facebook: "That was a poor first half, but I am proud of the second half performance. We played really well at times but we didn't have the quality and composure to see the game out in the end"
This was the reaction of Max Kilman after the match.
©🗣️
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 2, 2024
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"Just happy we won the match in the end..."
Liam, a Manchester United Season Ticket holder, said: "I am just happy that we won the match in the end, but that game should’ve been over by halftime. Once again not taking our chances and giving away cheap goals when we go ahead. Also, how was that a penalty when Chelsea had two clearer penalties at Anfield last night? The inconsistency from the referees is a concern across the Premier League."
Jamie, another United fan, added: "That was a fantastic finish from young Kobbie Mainoo. That's four times this season United have been two up early and thrown it away though. Thankfully, the players showed some fight this time and took a deserved win. I did feel sorry for Wolves, it was a great effort from them. That was a superb night of Premier League football.
