United snatch win over Wolves in seven-goal thriller
SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER: Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo (right) celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Pic: Paige YoungÂ
Marcus Rashford looked like a man on a mission as he shrugged off the controversy surrounding his night out in Belfast last week.
But all his efforts went looked to have gone to waste as United threw away a two-goal lead to allow Wolves to hit back with three second half goals in a Molineux epic.
The drama was not over when Pedro Neto levelled in stoppage time - Kiobbie Mainoo had the final word with United’s fourth of the night.
Rashford needed just four minutes and 30 seconds to prove Erik ten Hag was right to put him straight back into the starting line up.
Rashford was involved again as he played a part in the build up that led to United’s second goal for Rasmus Hojlund as he got the final touch following a melee in Wolverhampton’s six yard box.
It was a stunning return for Rashford who missed the FA Cup win over Newport County on Sunday.
He is alleged to have been involved in an all-day drinking session in Northern Ireland and was said to have downed shots of Tequila.
That resulted in him calling in sick for training, something that is not supposed to have gone down well with his team-mates.
Ten Hag said he had ‘dealt with it’ and Rashford was probably hit hard in the pocket as a result But whatever the Dutchman said to his wayward player, it certainly worked. Rashford played like a man possessed from the word go.
The script would have required him to find the net, and he was right on cue.
Rashford side-footed the ball into the net after being set up by Hojlund, which made it three goal in his last four games. Certainly, there was no football reason to leave Rashford out, and ten Hag was rewarded for his team selection.
Wolves tried to get back into the game with some expansive football. But United were on fire.
They went two when Aejando Garnacho fed Rashford who slipped the ball out left for Luke Shaw. His cross ricocheted off Wolves captain Max Kilman and Craig Dawson before Hojlund made sure from the closest of close ranges.
United were in rampant mood and should have had a third when Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick found Casemiro in space, but he put his header wide.
Wolves were being torn apart they were almost the architects of their own downfall when Matt Doherty’s back pass forced goalkeeper Jose Sa into a hasty clearance which cannoned off the advancing Hojliund but wide of the target.
United then had two goals disallowed before half time as Hojlund and Casemiro had efforts ruled out.
Wolves bit back in the second half and Lisandro Martinez made a superb clearance off the line as Kikman’s head met Pedro Neto’s free-kick.
United goalkeeper Andre Onana then kept out a Dawson shot with his head as Wolves searched for a goal.
That came when Casemiro was harshly adjudged to have tripped Neto just inside the 18 yard box. After a lengthy VAR check, it was Wolves substitute Pablo Sarabia who scored from the spot to get up as possible grandstand finish.
But Wolves’ joy was short-lived as Scott McTominay’s header added a third for United. He had only been on the field as a substitute for two minutes when he met Fernandes’ corner.
There was a sense of relief as United had been pegged back in the second half by a Wolves side who had clearly had a stern half-time talking to by their manager Gary O’Neil.
For a while, there was a time midway through the half when it looked a totally different game to what had transpired befoire.
Perhaps there have been times this season when United might have crumbled under the pressure.
But despite United adding a third, Wolves were not finished. With five minutes to go, Dawson’s ball was chested down by Kilman who turned and scored from the edge of the six yard box.
Once again, we were into a scanario where Wolves were in with a chance of taking something from the game.
From being in total command of the match, United were hanging on by the end.
Quite how they came to be in this position is anyone’s guess. But United seriously faded in the final stages.
It made for a tense finish for the travelling United faithful - and ten Hag’s nerve could not have been in a good state either.
When nine minutes of stoppage time were shown, it gave Wolves a boost and the Molineux crowd backed them all the way.
The situation brought back memories of United’s Champions League tie in Turkey against Galatasaray two months ago.
And when Neto netted deep into stoppage time, that’s exactly how it turned out until Mainoo's winner.
Sa 6, Kilman 7, Dawson 7, Gomes 6 ( Fraser, 72mins, 6), Semedo 6, Lemina 6, Doyle 6 (João Gomes, 82mins, 6), Doherty 5 (Ait Nouri, 54mins, 7), Neto 8, Cunha 7, Bellegarde 5 (Sarabia, 64mins, 7). Subs not used: Ait-Nouri, Bueno, Joao Gomes, Bueno, Bentley, Hodge, Chirewa.
Onana 6; Dalot 6, Varane 6, Martinez 8 (Maguire, 86mins), Shaw 6; Mainoo 8, Casemiro 6 (McTominay,73mins, 7); Garnacho 8 (Evans, 90mins), Fernandes 7, Rashford 8 (Antony, 73mins, 5); Hojlund 8 *(Forson, 86mins). Subs not used: Bayindir, Maguire, Eriksen, Diallo, Evans, McTominay, Kambwala,.
: J Gillett 6
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