Wolves claim just third point of the season as Krejci secures share of spoils against Man United

FRUSTRATED FANS: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim (left) speaks to Manchester United's Casemiro on the touchline 

Premier League: Manchester United 1 (Zirkee 27) Wolves 1 (Krejci 45)

The most damning indictment of this latest Manchester United horror show is that it was difficult to work out the identity of the team that has earned just three points at the halfway stage of the season.

Wolves remain bottom and destined to post a record-breaking campaign for all the wrong reasons en route to the Championship.

But at a time when they will take any small mercy that comes their way, Rob Edwards' battling side deservedly came away with a share of their spoils - or 33% of their points haul for the campaign.

After sanity appeared to have broken out with Ruben Amorim recently relenting to operate with a back four which clearly brought the best out of his players, the Portuguese initially reverted to the comfort blanket of his favoured back-three despite the inevitable consequences for the quality of his side's performance.

In the end Amorim belatedly reverted to a back four in search of a winner after Ladislav Krejci cancelled out Joshua Zirkzee's early opener. Call the United boss stubborn, call him a pragmatist but at present, like his side's performances, they appear to be all over the place and they could well have paid for it by becoming the first team to lose to Wolves this season.

Edwards' side at least had the consolation of avoiding a record-equalling 26th Premier League defeat of the calendar year as they said a not-so-fond farewell to 2025 still well on the way to dipping under Derby County's record points low of 11 set 17 years ago.

As stoppage-time approached, Patrick Dorgu had the ball in the net for United as he followed up when Jose Sa saved Benjamin Sesko's shot but the effort was rightly ruled out for offside. A winner for the hosts at that stage would have been a gross injustice.

In mitigation for Wolves, perhaps this outcome had been coming. They had lost their previous three away games at Villa Park, the Emirates and Anfield by a single goal to suggest that there were slight signs of life from the Premier League's bottom club, a mini revival of sorts they underlined against a United side who were all too hospitable hosts.

Wolves started unconvincingly and it took an untidy save from the swiftly back pedalling Sa to prevent the hosts taking an early lead direct from Luke Shaw's corner.

It wasn't without irony that United's 27th minute opener arrived amidst Wolves' best spell just as the Old Trafford natives were starting to get a little restless.

United's opener owed much to their increasingly impressive teenage defender Ayden Heaven, who dispossessed Hwang Hee Chan before surging forward before his attempted one-two with Zirkzee proved unsuccessful but the ball fell kindly on the edge of the area for the Dutchman to beat Sa thanks to a hefty deflection off Krejci.

Sesko should have doubled the advantage before half-time but headed Shaw's corner against Sa's right-hand post. It was a costly miss as Wolves were rewarded for finishing the half strongly with a deserved equaliser.

United couldn't say they hadn't been warned as Tolu Arokodare put a free header over from a dozen yards and Senne Lammens had to be alert to stick out a left boot to divert a goal-bound Hugo Bueno effort at the culmination of a length-of-the-pitch six-man move.

The hosts have been the most prolific side in the Premier League from set pieces this season, but conversely, they showed their defensive vulnerability at them as Zirkzee's attempted clearance from a corner fell invitingly for Krejci to head his side level.

The second-half produced few clearcut chances. An unmarked Sesko headed a Casemiro cross straight at Sa, who was then forced to sprint back and claw the ball to safety from virtually under his own crossbar after an errant backward header from Yerson Mosquera - who then appeared at the other end to almost restore his side's lead when Lammens blocked his follow up after saving Krejci's initial effort.

Jhon Arias fired narrowly wide as the previously unthinkable outcome of a Wolves win looked remotely possible but Edwards' battlers couldn't make their mounting pressure tell. They were ultimately relieved to be saved by an assistants flag before the final whistle sounded to a predictable crescendo of boos from home fans.

Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Lammens 6; Heaven 7 (Yoro 75, 5), Martinez 6, Shaw 6; Diogo Dalot 6, Casemiro 6, Ugarte 5 (Mantato 75, 5), Dorgu 5; Zirkzee 7 (J Fletcher 46, 6), Matheus Cunha 6; Sesko 6. 

Wolves (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa 7; Doherty 6, Krejci 7, Mosquera 6; Tchatchoua 6, Arias 7 (Wolfe 90,6), Joao Gomes 6, Hugo Bueno 6; Mane 6, Hwang Hee-Chan 7 (Fer Lopez 88, 6); Arokodare 5 (Strand-Larsen 65, 5). 

Referee: Thomas Bramall