Manchester United defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 to kick off their 2023–24 Premier League season.
Raphael Varane’s vital header in the 76th minute gave Erik ten Hag’s team the victory after extended stretches in which United was second best and it appeared to be a miserable night for the Red Devils.
The first notable chance came from Marcus Rashford on minute 11 at Old Trafford, but Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa made a fine save. However, as the first half went on, Wolves gained confidence while the hosts battled with their muscular style.
Pablo Sarabia had the greatest opportunity of the half when Matheus Cunha’s errant effort from the edge of the box was deflected wide by Raphael Varane.
Bruno Fernandes and Varane both had late chances for United, and Varane could have performed better after connecting with an outswinging corner just before halftime.
The second period started off more entertainingly, and on the 49th minute, Cunha had a chance to break the tie but missed the post from a very close range. After maneuvering through the United midfield, the former Atletico Madrid player tested Andre Onana from the edge of the box.
United had a chance to score as well; on minute 53, Antony floated the ball over Sa, forcing Craig Dawson to scramble back and head over the crossbar. After that, the goalkeeper made a good save on a cross that Max Kilman deflected towards goal, and a few minutes later, Antony curled over.
Pedro Neto attempted to score on minute 72, but Onana easily stopped him. It turned out to be a crucial time because United went ahead shortly after. The ball was knocked across the box by Aaron Wan-Bissaka after Fernandes’ superbly weighted pass found him in the box. Varane, of all persons, was there to meet the ball from a short distance away.
As the game approached its last ten minutes, Wolves pushed for an equalizer. Onana responded superbly with his feet to stop two close-range attempts from Fabio Silva, and Luke Shaw stopped the striker’s goal-bound attempt in the waning seconds of regulation time.
Wolves were denied a late penalty when Onana collided with Sasa Kalajdzic, but a VAR check showhow didn’t result in a spot-kick. United was clinging on at the end, and Hwang Hee-chan’s shot was stopped by Wan-Bissaka in the area, minutes before Wolves were hanging on.
These are our rankings of the United players.
1. Andre Onana, score: 7.
made two strong late saves—his finest of the game—to stop Silva. was on track to receive an 8/10 rating until his poorly timed flap at a cross, which should have led to a late Wolves penalty.
2. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 7.
Made one outstanding tackle in the first half before supplying the pivotal cross late in the second. At the back, Wan-Bissaka was reliable.
3. Raphael Varane- 6
Despite not being at his best, he didn’t really display any opponents. In the 76th minute, the Frenchman scored with a goal-scoring header for United.
4. Lisandro Martinez- 5 (off 46)
was beaten easily and unnecessarily given a yellow card just seconds before Sarabia missed the target. It’s unclear whether Martinez’s substitution at halftime was brought about by the booking or by an injury.
