/>

Manchester United 1 Wolves 1: Moutinho stunner sees Red Devils falter at home again

Joao Moutinho cancelled out Fred's first-half effort to secure Wolves a deserved share of the spoils at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Published : Sep 22, 2018 21:48 IST

Wolves' Joao Moutinho
Wolves' Joao Moutinho
lightbox-info

Wolves' Joao Moutinho

Manchester United dropped points for a second successive Premier League home match on Saturday, as it was held to a 1-1 draw by promoted Wolves.

Former manager Alex Ferguson was back at Old Trafford for the first time since his May health scare, but United failed to put on much of a show for him, instead producing a performance which surely would have resulted in the Scot's infamous "hairdryer" treatment.

Although United looked particularly off the pace early on and rode its luck, it broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, with Fred getting his first goal for the club.

AS IT HAPPENED: Wolves holds Manchester United to 1-1 draw

Joao Moutinho scored Wolves' deserved equaliser with a fine finish early in the second half and, although United upped the pressure late on, it could not find a winner in 'Fergie time', as it slumped to another disappointing result.

Wolves looked vastly superior to its host in the early exchanges and forced David de Gea into two smart saves, as Raul Jimenez and Willy Boly threatened.

But, United made the most of those let-offs and took the lead against the run of play 18 minutes in – Fred finding the bottom-left corner from 20 yards after Paul Pogba's clever disguised pass.

READ: Firmino returns as Shaqiri gets first league start

The Brazilian nearly got a second on the stroke of half-time, but his fine free-kick was tipped on to the post by Rui Patricio.

Wolves deservedly restored parity just after the interval, however, as Jimenez teed up Moutinho on the edge of the box and the midfielder found the top-left corner.

United huffed and puffed towards the end, with substitute Juan Mata offering a little more creativity than Alexis Sanchez, but Wolves held on, Nuno Espirito Santo successfully frustrating his "inspiration" Jose Mourinho.

ALSO READ: Fulham 1 Watford 1: Mitrovic shines late to spoil Gray's day

What it means: Lukaku's supporting cast lacking craft

Romelu Lukaku endured a difficult outing on Saturday, with the supply to him generally poor. Pogba looked the most likely to create chances for him, but otherwise United's attacking players were disappointing, with Sanchez and Jesse Lingard particularly ineffective.

But, to be fair to Sanchez and Lingard, neither would consider themselves to be natural wingers, yet Mourinho persists with them on the flanks.


Selfless Jimenez leads from the front

He may not have got on the scoresheet, but Jimenez made a real impact in attack for the visitor. His hold-up play was excellent, as shown when setting up Moutinho, he dropped deep to good effect and even his runs in behind troubled United. His former Benfica colleague Victor Lindelof had a difficult day.

ALSO READ: Fosu-Mensah says sorry for tackle on Deeney

Sanchez produces little spark once again

United's Chile forward certainly cannot be accused of not trying, but his passing was sloppy and he made little impact in the final third. You have to wonder how long Mourinho will continue to play him out wide.


What's next?

After an EFL Cup date with Frank Lampard's Derby County on Tuesday, United's next Premier League outing sees them travel to West Ham. Wolves hosts Leicester City in the cup, before then, welcoming Southampton to Molineux in the league.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment