Man Utd vs Wolves: 3 players who could change the game on their own in the Premier League match between Nuno and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.
Manchester United have had a perfect start to their campaign. They demolished Chelsea 4-0 in their opening match last weekend and will look to continue their winning run tonight against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Also read: Watch Mason Mount steal a goal against the Foxes
This will United’s first away match of the season and a victory of any margin will take them above Liverpool and place them at the top of the Premier League table on goal difference. Wolverhampton drew against Leicester City in the opening match despite being thoroughly outplayed by the Foxes. However, they will take confidence from their 4-0 drubbing of FC Pyunik in the Europa league match, despite resting key first team players.
United do not have any fresh injury concerns and have most of their squad at their disposal. Eric Bailey and Timothy Fosu-Mensah will miss the match as they continue to recover from their knee injuries. The Wolves will also recall a host of players that were rested in their previous outing.
The Wolves will hope to showcase a much-improved performance against the Red Devils. Manchester United will start as favorites and will hope to play as such and come back home with 3 points. However, this is the Premier League. A top flight football made famous by its unpredictability. Any one of the two sides can come out on top and here are three players who will be crucial to their chances in the Man Utd vs Wolves match.
Paul Pogba
Manchester United’s mercurial midfielder may have been in the news for his future more than his performance in the pre-season. However, he is still a very competent component of Solskjaer’s plans. Marcus Rashord, Daniel James and Harry Maguire may have stolen the limelight in the last match but it was Paul Pogba who picked Chelsea apart with his vision and ability to find spaces.
The Man Utd vs Wolves match is most likely going to be won or lost in the midfield. With United sluggish in the first half of their last match and clearly lacking experience in the midfield, the game will very likely depend on Pogba’s performance tonight.
Under Solskjaer, Pogba is the player with the most goal involvements. He has scored 10 and assisted 8 since the Norwegian’s appointment. This is 9 times more than any player. United failed to win a game against Wolverhampton all 3 times last season. They also have a poor away record at Molineux having lost 3 times there in 5 matches. Paul Pogba will be crucial to United’s chances if they hope to reverse the trend.
Raul Jimenez
Wolverhampton Wanderer’s may have fared poorly in their last match against Leicester City but they are no pushovers by any means. They plucked 16 points against the established top 6 last season. The only teams with more points were Manchester City and Liverpool.
The Wolves are unbeaten in eight successive league games at home, a run which includes a victory over Manchester United too. They are currently aiming for 3 consecutive Premier League victories at their home ground and will look to Raul Jimenez to provide them with the goals.
The Mexican forward was their most influential player last season. He scored 13 goals and assisted a further 7, making him indispensable to the side. Jimenez has a brilliant first touch and is capable of creating opportunities for his teammates. He also has an amazing record against United to boot and will be their most important player tonight.
Harry Maguire
Manchester United have long been criticised for leaking goals. This was one of the reasons why United had an abysmal season last time around. However, with the acquisition of Harry Maguire, United look to have found a solution.
It was refreshing to see United’s solidity in the back against Chelsea. Maguire paired well with Victor Lindelöf and even picked the man of the match. He will have to put in a similar performance tonight in order to shut Raul Jimenez down. Keeping the Mexican quiet will amount to United winning half the battle.
The Wolves are a brilliant counter attacking side who are also threatening from set-pieces. Maguire’s physical presence will be much required in such situations. Manchester United are without a victory in their last 4 away matches.
To not concede a goal would be a brilliant way to go about for the victory. A solid defense will allow Pogba to press higher up allowing him to create more chances for the likes of Rashford and Martial. It all, therefore, comes down to Maguire his composure and ability to rally the back four.
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