Wolves 3-4 Manchester United: Kobbie Mainoo winner in stoppage time settles thriller in United's favour
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Updated 01/02/2024 at 23:22 GMT
A breathless affair at Molineux saw Manchester United beat Wolves 4-3 in a Premier League classic. Kobbie Mainoo's stoppage-time winner came after Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund had put United in control. Scott McTominay restored a two-goal advantage after Pablo Sarabia's penalty for Wolves but as Max Kilman and Pedro Neto thought they'd pulled off an epic comeback, Mainoo took centre stage.
Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United celebrates with Amad Diallo, Rasmus Hoejlund, Marcus Rashford and Diogo Dalot at full time during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux on February 1, 2024 in Wolverha
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester United rescued a late 4-3 victory over Wolves thanks to a dramatic winner from Kobbie Mainoo in injury time.
The visitors twice had a two-goal lead, but Wolves pulled it back to 3-3 in the dying minutes with goals from Max Kilman and then an injury-time strike from Pedro Neto.
Neto's 95th-minute strike looked to have secured a point for the home side, only for United to go straight up the other end and sneak back the win with a brilliant individual goal from the 18-year-old Mainoo.
United dominated the first half, creating a stream of chances and having two goals disallowed. Much of the pre-match build-up radiated around Marcus Rashford, who responded to being dropped from the squad last weekend by putting United ahead inside five minutes with a fine curling effort.
Rasmus Hojlund then doubled United’s lead later in the half scrambling the ball over the line from close range.
A penalty from substitute Pablo Sarabia pulled Wolves back into the game with 19 minutes to go, only for an immediate Scott McTominay headed reply to make it 3-1.
A stunning comeback from Wolves followed, only to be usurped by Mainoo’s late heroics.
The win pushes United up to seventh in the table. They will now host West Ham on Sunday, while Wolves face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
TALKING POINT
Amid the drama, United may have found their best XI. The game tonight will forever be remembered for how it finished, not how it started, but the United team that trotted out onto Molineux tonight might just represent the best combination that Ten Hag has.
A clearly focused Rashford is a serious player, and with the dynamic Garnacho on the other side of the increasingly impressive Hojlund, United have a serious front three. Bruno Fernandes has free reign to join them with the secure base of Mainoo and Casemiro behind, and the return of Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw adds a different dimension to the left side of the back four.
Whether they can stay fit enough to play regularly, and consistent enough to keep getting results, is still to be seen. Losing a two-goal lead underscores how brittle a work in progress United are, but there was also evidence of some serious character in coming back to win. Erik ten Hag needs something to impress his new employers with in the next four months, and with this XI he might be onto something.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
It might seem obvious to pick the player that fired in a devastating winner, but Mainoo was an oasis of calm in a charged atmosphere at Molineux tonight. He’s improving at a rate of knots in his debut season – Gareth Southgate should be taking notes – and capped a composed performance with a goal that he’ll do well to top in his career.
PLAYER RATINGS
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa 6; Kilman 7, Dawson 6, Toti Gomes 6; Semedo 7, Lemina 6, Doyle 6, Doherty 6; Neto 7, Cunha 7, Bellegarde 6
SUBS: Ait-Nouri 6, Joao Gomes 6, Sarabia 7, Fraser 6
Manchester United: Onana 6; Dalot 6, Varane 6, Martinez 7, Shaw 7; Mainoo 8, Casemiro 7, Fernandes 7; Rashford 7, Hojlund 7, Garnacho 7
SUBS: Evans 6, Maguire 6, Forson 6, McTominay 7, Antony 5
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
5' GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (RASHFORD 5) That's how to put the sunshine into a cloudy week. Dalot squares a ball through the area to Fernandes, who leaves it for Hojlund. With Rashford lurking Hojlund lays it off, and Rashford curls a wicked finish high into the corner from the edge of the box. That's a great finish.
22' GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 2 (HOJLUND 22) It's two for United, and they're making hay down the left. Rashford picks out the overlapping Shaw again, whose cross into the front post is a beauty. Hojlund gets in front of his man and dabs a toe on it to double United's lead.
71' GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1 (SARABIA PEN. 71) MANCHESTER UNITED 2 Game on folks! Sarabia puts it down the middle as Onana goes big to his left, and we've got a barnstorming last twenty in store.
75' GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (MCTOMINAY 75) Oh my word, United have just silenced a raucous Molineux! Fernandes takes a corner from the right and substitute McTominay meets it, heading straight into the ground and bouncing the ball up into the top corner! What an introduction!
85' GOAL! WOVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 2 (KILMAN 85) MANCHESTER UNITED 3 Hello! United fail to clear the corner, and Dawson bicycle kicks the ball back into the six yard box. Kilman chests it and than bounces a shot through Onana and into the net; game on again!
90+5' GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 3 (NETO 90+5') MANCHESTER UNITED 3 What a game! Antony coughs the ball up on the edge of the Wolves box, and the home side break with gusto. They work it to Neto on the right of the box, who cuts inside, shoots through Varane's legs and it's in at the near post with Onana rooted!
90+7' GOAL! WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 3 MANCHESTER UNITED 4 (MAINOO 90+7') I have no words. United get the ball back upfield, and Mainoo gets the ball in the inside left channel with nothing on at all. He nutmegs Kilman, cuts inside and places a glorious low shot into the far corner past Sa! This is wild stuff!
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