Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Wolves who ended an 11-game losing run in the Premier League.
It was a dismal display by Ruben Amorim’s side on a night they could have moved into the top four with a victory, but they could hardly claim to deserve the points as Rob Edwards picked up his first point as Wolves head coach at the eighth attempt.
After beating Newcastle with a back four, Amorim returned to his favoured three-man defence for the visit of Wolves and United took the lead when Joshua Zirkzee’s shot deflected in off Ladislav Krejci. Benjamin Sesko struck the post soon afterwards.
But United, seeking back-to-back clean sheets for the first time under Amorim, allowed Wolves back into it and needed Senne Lammens to save well from Hugo Bueno even before Zirkzee’s misdirected clearance was latched onto by Krejci for the leveller.
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Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee put his side ahead with a deflected goal against Wolves
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Ladislav Krejci put Wolves level at Manchester United
Wolves finished the first half with more shots on target and more touches in the opposition box. While United did dominate the second half, they created little, the best chance coming when Jose Sa had to claw a header from his own defender off the line.
Patrick Dorgu did have a goal disallowed for offside in the 90th minute but it would have been scarcely deserved given that it was Lammens who produced the better stops. Amorim’s substitutions – including that of Ayden Heaven – only baffled the home crowd.
In failing to beat a team that had lost their last 12 games in all competitions, United missed the chance to move into the top four. Wolves’ predicament remains grim, this just their third point of the season. But it was their night. And it is Amorim facing questions.
Martinez: We can’t draw this game
Man Utd captain Lisandro Martinez speaking to Sky Sports:
“I feel really disappointed. We can’t come here at home and draw in this game. We have to win when we play at home and the opponents have to suffer. It is very frustrating.”
Amorim: We lacked creativity
Man Utd head coach Ruben Amorim speaking to Sky Sports:
“We struggled for the whole game. We had a lack of creativity but we knew that it would be a different game compared to Newcastle.
“We had a different energy during the game also. If you look at the game, we had our chances, but the fluidity wasn’t there because there is a lack of connections.
“The game was completely different from the last one. We had more men behind the ball and when you have more men behind the ball you have to work harder, have more imagination to play the game in a different way. We lacked that quality.
“The players tried. We didn’t play well and when you don’t play well with the ball you struggle even without the ball. We need to recover and to go to the next one.”
Neville: Painful aftermath for Amorim
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Speaking on his podcast, Gary Neville reacts to Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with Wolves
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville at Old Trafford:
“There will be a painful aftermath for Ruben Amorim. He will point to injuries and AFCON but every team is in a similar situation. I am not sure what happened with Zirkzee. If he is not injured, it is a bizarre substitution to make.”
Edwards: Draw least we deserved
Wolves boss Rob Edwards to Sky Sports:
“We had some good chances, at least we take something from the game. It’s progress. But yeah I feel like a draw is the least we deserve tonight.
“At the beginning of the day we were coming here to win. We really believed. To go 1-0 down at Old Trafford can be really difficult but we kept fighting and found a way to get back into it before half-time.
“We could have taken more from the game but overall the desire from the players was there and that’s why the fans were happy at the end.”
