Man Utd 1 Wolves 1: Bottom Club Bites Back and Deserves More

After a narrow 2-1 loss at Anfield and some promising signs in the second half where Liverpool looked a little nervy can the bottom club pull off an almighty shock and try and avoid yet another defeat?

 

Lammens, Dalot, Heaven, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dorgu, Zirkzee, Cunha, Sesko

 

 

Sa, Tchatchoua, Mosquera, Doherty, Krejci, H. Bueno, Arias, Gomes, Mane, Hwang, Tolu Arokodare.

The opening 10 minutes were largely uneventful with Wolves sitting deep with their 5 man defence holding firm and looking to launch counter attacks when opportunities arise. 

 

The first chance fell to United when Sesko kept a ball in on the bar line with Doherty behind him he somehow turned Doherty and got a shot in which flashed just wide. 

 

Wolves were growing in confidence and seeing more of the ball with some nice link up play found Hwang get a shot away curling high and wide. 

 

Then against the run of play Sa claimed a high ball and ran to the edge of his area and threw a ball to Hwang to launch a counter attack. Hwang was easily disposed by the young United defender Heaven who then charged straight to the edge of the Wolves penalty area. Some soft tackles from Gomes and Doherty allowed the ball to fall to Zirkzee whose pretty tame effort took a huge deflection off Krejci which wrong footed Sa already diving to his left to give United the lead. 

 

It seemed the story of our season right there as the goal woke up the crowd and the United players started playing with purpose and intent pinning us back for a 10 minute spell of pressure.

 

Wolves were defending well but United’s set pieces tactics of crowding and blocking Sa on the line were causing problems which culminated in a Sesko header off the post.

 

Unlike other games Wolves rallied and finished the half the better team again. Another nicely worked intricate play fed Hwang on the edge of the box who got it out of his feet but again his effort curled wide but a lot closer than his first effort. 

 

Wolves were getting more confident and were creating chances Gary Neville on comms was getting restless as he could see his team was getting outplayed by the leagues bottom club on their own pitch. 

 

Tchatchoua then crossed from the right Tolu Arokodare was all alone in the middle of the box but the big man got his header all wrong and it went high and over.

 

Back came Wolves Mane picking up pockets of space constantly turned and released a great ball for Tolu to run behind the United defence. Hugo had come flying forward on the overlap and Tolu fed him in, he shot across the keeper who got a foot on it to deny us the equaliser.

 

Just before halftime the boys from the Black Country got what they deserved a corner was flicked on by Zirkzee of all people to the back post where Krejci with loads to do managed to crank his neck muscles to guide the ball back where it came into the opposite corner. Queue the limbs in the away end. Nothing less than Wolves deserved for a brave and attacking first half.

 

United came out as expected looking to retake the lead and for a while it seemed Wolves were happy to help them in their endeavours.  First Sa held the ball too long in his hands which gave United a corner that Dorgu headed just wide. 

 

Then Mosquera tried heading the ball back to Sa from the edge of the box which went past Sa who did well to chase the ball back and claw it off the line. 

 

Again Wolves held firm and weathered the storm and United were running out of ideas. Wolves then arguably had the best chance of the half when Krejci again popped in the box bringing the ball down then getting a pop off shot off which Lammens did well to save. Mosquera came flying in for the rebound and at first look seem to have missed but replays showing it was an amazing save that had denied him.

 

Wolves were holding firm, the United crowd were starting to get on their own players backs for going backwards and the Wolves travelling fans were singing loud and proud. Was something in the air for that first win? 

 

Wolves released Tchatchoua who outstripped Shaw for pace, he pulled the ball back for Arias on the edge of the box who’s first time shot took a slight deflection and went just wide. 

 

In the 90th minute it looked like all the hard work had been undone when Dorgu had latched onto a rebound to put United in front. Wolves were saved by the linesman’s flag. Not quite sure why it took VAR an age to concur as it was a clear offside no doubt desperately trying to find a way to bend the rules to award United the win but thankfully the goal was finally chalked off and Wolves got the point at least they deserved.