Rashford’s late winner sends United second in Premier League

Photo: Marcus Rashford celebrates his 51st goal for Manchester United as his stoppage time strike took the club to second in the Premier League, two points behind Liverpool who play Newcastle United today. (Getty Images)

A late winner from the inform striker Marcus Rashford was enough to secure all three points for Manchester United over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Tuesday. The win took United up to second in the Premier League table, two points behind leaders and defending champions Liverpool, while Wolves remain in 12th place.Wolves played well and defended brilliantly, but were undone by a 93rd minute deflected strike, which caught out Rui Patricio and clinched the 1-0 victory.

The encounter was the fourth meeting of these sides in 2020 and looked set to end with them sharing a third goalless draw as the hectic festive schedule took its toll. But United dug deep and eked out a late winner at an empty Old Trafford, with Rashford capping a year to remember – on and off the field – by sealing a 1-0 triumph at the death.

Ole Gunner Solskjaer made six changes to his United starting line up, with Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw Fred, Daniel James and Anthony Martial all dropping to the bench. They were replaced by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Alex Telles, Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani. Meanwhile, Nuno Espirito Santos made four changes to his starting lineup, with Nelson Semedo, Fernando Marcal, Daniel Podence and Fabio Silver all missing out of the first IX. They were replaced by Max Kilman, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Ki-Jana However and Vitinha.

Wolves got the game on its way kicking to the Stratford End with Manchester United hoping to have one of those electrifying starts like the last time at home. However, it was the visitors who forced the first save of the day in the 8th minute, when Adama Traore broke forward and stretched the United defense, he played Pedro Neto to his left, who then found a little space and curled an effort towards goal, but it was too close David De Gea who made a comfortable save.

Three minute later it was Wolves again forcing another save from De Gea, after Vitinha hit a venomous shot from the edge of the 18-yard box. Clearly the United custodian was the busier of the two keepers in the early stage of the game. With just 13 minutes on the clock Wolves pounced on a fragile Manchester United defense and forced a brilliant save out of De Gea. Traore made one of those menacing runs into the box and cut the ball back to the edge of the area for Neto who drilled a pile driver towards goal, however De Gea shuffled across to punch it out wide. The visitors were certainly making their presence felt.

Manchester United have not lost any of their last nine home games against Wolves, keeping 6 clean sheets in that run since a 0-1 loss in February 1980. United came close to breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute, when Cavani got behind the Wolves defense and raced on to a through ball from danger man Bruno Fernandes, but he had difficulties bringing the ball under control before he was robbed of it by Romain Siass.

Five minutes later Saiss was at the center of the action again, as he rose above Cavani to head on a Joao Moutinho’s free kick to the far corner of the net. However, he got slightly too much purchase on it and it clipped the top of the crossbar and went out of play. It was an entertaining match to say the least, with one expecting the team making the least mistakes to win.

The best chance of the first half for Manchester United came in the 34th minute when Greenwood wiggled his way forward and lofted a lovely ball into the box. Fernandes sneaked in at the back post and tried to stab home from 4 yards but it was straight at the keeper and Patricio was equal to the task. The ball then bounced dangerously around the six-yard box and Cavani got a touch at it, but Wolves manage to clear the danger.

Five minutes before the halftime break Saiss went close again! Neto whipped in a low free kick into the penalty area which Saiss met it at the near post and flicked it on. However, Dr Gea managed to get his hands to it and palmed it away for a corner kick.

The half ended as it started, but it could have gone either way, with both defense looking vulnerable on the counter, especially United who got caught out a few times by the pace of Wolves.

Bothe teams made changes at the break, Ole brought on Shaw for Telles while Nuno brought on Podence to freshen things up, but was a surprisingly tame start to the second half as both teams swopped possession in rapid succession.

The first big chance of the second half fell for United in the 70th minute, when Eric Bailly got up at a corner and headed the ball down. The ball took a wicked deflection off Coady and fell into the path of Cavani, who then smashed it into the gapping goal. However, the flag went up straight away for offside. The United players accepted the offside decision but were appealing for a penalty, after the ball appeared to strike the arm of Coady. VAR took a quick look and sai no penalty.

Siess was the scorer of a late equalizer against Spurs and again he proved to be a threat at set pieces, as he rose highest and powered a header towards the United goal, which forced De Gea into making a strong save.

Pogba maybe on his way away from Old Trafford, but he is destined to leave a mark on the Man-United faithful’s. He collected a long diagonal pass from Fernandes at the edge of the box found some space and unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards. Patricio got down quickly to make an excellent save to deny the French World Cup winner.

In the 83rd minute Ait-Nouri made another marauding run down the left wing and got by Wan-Bissaka in a flash, however there was no one in the box to cross it to so he opted to go at go for himself from a tight angle. Miraculously De Gea prevented it from creeping over the goal line and Harry Maguire then cleared the danger.

Wolves have lost their last two Premier League away games, last losing three consecutively on the road in the competition back in April 2012. What seemed to be heading into another stalemate finally picked up as Manchester United tamed the chasing Wolves.

Fernandes with his 7th assist of the campaign found Rashford with a long ball over the top of the Wolves defense. Rashford managed to create some space, then hammered the ball from inside the box, which took a wicked deflection off Saiss and bamboozled Patricio and flew into the back of the net. Ole made a late change pulling out Fernandes and allowed Scott McTominay to see out the game 1-0 to the good. It was another hard-fought victory for the Red Devils who are now eight games unbeaten in the league since losing to Arsenal in November.

A topsy-turvy year that started with supporters calling for the heads of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the Glazer family ended with the Red Devils winning at an empty Old Trafford to move just two points behind leaders Liverpool. United’s mentality has been key to their improvements during 2020, with Solskjaer’s men digging deep to seal a 1-0 win against Wolves through Rashford’s deflected late strike.

Ole’s reaction

While United’s play was ponderous at times, Solskjaer was proud of his players’ desire “to create that little bit of luck” before eventually ending the year on a high. “You get that by personalities, by recruitment,” he said of the group’s improving mentality.

“Of course, we have added that spark I think, but also when you get results, and things are going your way, that helps. “We brought it up early on in pre-season that we need to add more points towards the end of games. That is something we do as a club – we have done that so many times and we have done that quite a few times this season as well.

“I have to say I feel a bit for Wolverhampton, they have had one recovery day, which I don’t think is right for any player or any team to only have one day between games.”

Nuno’s reaction

The Wolves boss said: “I am understandably gutted by the late gut punch. it was tough to take. We are experienced to know that sometimes it’s the other way around. We take this and move forwards. “(The young players) did well. I think they did well, situations happen. It is up to us to decide the right moments to play them and the answer was good.

“I think today (Tuesday) was a game that everybody should learn from, especially the young boys. It is nothing that they must worry about – I think they did really, well. But the game teaches that you have to be focused until the last moment. It’s a tough lesson to take, but it’s a good one.”

Next for Manchester United is a trip a trip to Villa Park to face a plucky Aston Villa on New Year’s Day, meanwhile Wolves travel to Brighton on Saturday.