Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Win. Marcus Rashford, who came off the bench to earn a 1-0 victory at Molineux, helped Manchester United avoid a disappointing draw against Wolves even though they are now among the top four teams in the Premier League.
Before the game began, Erik ten Hag explained that the in-form Rashford had been benched for “internal disciplinary issues,” but as United struggled to break down their relegation-threatened opponents at halftime, the Dutch manager resorted to the England international.
On a day when United’s other attackers put on forgettable performances, Rashford came up trumps, scoring one goal while having another ruled out for handball by VAR.
The Performing Side:
Marcus Rashford: As a result of Erik ten Hag’s decision to bench Rashford for disciplinary reasons before kickoff at Molineux, all of the pregame and pregame postgame discussion focused on the England international. Rashford came in at halftime to give United the energy they were lacking without him. As the game drew to a close, he made a statement, exchanging passes with Bruno Fernandes before driving into the area and beating Jose Sa for his third goal in as many games since the World Cup. Rashford is currently unstoppable as long as he practices self-control.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Wan-departure Bissaka’s from Manchester United this winter seemed all but likely going into the January transfer window, but the situation has since become murkier. Diogo Dalot’s injury forced him to return from the World Cup, and Wan-Bissaka was thrown back into the starting lineup despite barely making a mistake. When he had the chance, he tried to get forward and combine with Antony against the Wolves. He was also excellent in defense, and one outstanding block in the first half helped the clubs remain tied at halftime. United may still let the former Crystal Palace player leave in January, but they might have to give it a little more thought than they would have a week or two ago.
David de Gea: Before the Premier League’s comeback, rumors circulated that Ten Hag was prepared to part ways with De Gea soon. While there are still questions about what he can do with the ball at his feet, he demonstrated here that, when needed, he is still among the Premier League’s best shot-stoppers. De Gea made two saves in the second half—first, on a rocketing Ruben Neves free-kick, then, in stoppage time, on a close-range header from Raul Jimenez—to move up to second on the list of United goalkeepers with the most shutouts. Now, only Peter Schmeichel is superior to him.
The Losing Side:
Man Utd’s center-back: Illness was given as the reason that Harry Maguire was merely a substitute and Victor Lindelof was not included in the squad when Luke Shaw was selected as Raphael Varane’s center-back partner against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday. However, Shaw was once more at the center of the United backline at Molineux four days later, while Maguire and Lindelof were both listed as substitutes. The usual starting center-back pair from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign is now far down the pecking order, and this was the most obvious indication of this since Erik ten Hag took over. The Dutch coach is more at ease trying to play a left-back in the middle than he is two naturally better in the position.
United’s forward line: The three players who started in attack for United had forgettable afternoons, but Rashford, who came off the bench, was the team’s hero. Although it was perhaps a touch unfortunate that Alejandro Garnacho was substituted for Marcus Rashford at halftime, the young player did miss a significant opportunity to open the scoring after being put in on goal by a bad Nelson Semedo backpass. But both Anthony Martial and Antony were underprivileged, and they can both thank Rashford for helping them out of a jam. Both players should have scored with their heads in the first half, and Martial, who dropped deep to attempt to get involved in the game, struck a particularly disgruntled figure.
Diego Costa: Costa has yet to score while wearing a Wolves jersey, and if his performance on Saturday is any indication, it will be some time before he does it again in the Premier League. Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw harassed the former Chelsea player before he was pulled by Julen Lopetegui at halftime. Costa then remained in the stands for the remaining 45 minutes with new acquisition Matheus Cunha. In Wolves’ upcoming match against Aston Villa on Wednesday, it would be shocking if Cunha wasn’t substituted in for Costa right away.
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