Wolverhampton Wanderers welcome Manchester United to Molineux on Monday night in a match that carries very different kinds of pressure for the two clubs. Wolves are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League and still searching for a first league win of the season, while United arrive in eighth place, trying to turn improved away performances into the kind of consistency that can pull them into the top-four race.
Wolves’ situation is stark. After a 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest in midweek, Rob Edwards’ side remain on just two points from their first 14 league matches, having drawn two and lost twelve. The Forest loss followed a 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in Edwards’ first game in charge, underlining how hard it has been to shift momentum since he replaced Vítor Pereira in early November.
United, under Ruben Amorim, come into the game on the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford, where they again let a lead slip late on. That result left them eighth in the table with 22 points from 14 games, two points off fourth-placed Chelsea, but with only one win in their last five league fixtures. The away record, however, has improved: United are unbeaten in their last four Premier League trips, with draws at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham and notable wins at Liverpool and Crystal Palace.
Team news shapes the picture for both managers. Wolves are without influential midfielder João Gomes, suspended after collecting a fifth yellow card in the defeat to Forest, while Marshall Munetsi is sidelined by a calf problem. Several others – including Rodrigo Gomes, Leon Chiwome and goalkeeper Daniel Bentley – are also out, with Ladislav Krejci, Fer Lopez and Hugo Bueno classed as doubts. United, meanwhile, are hopeful that Matthijs de Ligt and Diogo Dalot will both be available after minor issues kept them from completing the West Ham game, but Benjamin Šeško and Harry Maguire remain absent.
There is also a personal twist: United forward Matheus Cunha is set for his first return to Molineux since leaving Wolves in the summer, having rejoined Amorim’s squad after a recent injury lay-off.
On the pitch, Wolves under Edwards are still trying to find a balance between greater defensive resilience and some kind of attacking spark. Recent matches have seen them show effort and structure in patches but create very little in terms of clear chances, with confidence understandably fragile given the sequence of results. The suspension of Gomes removes one of their most reliable midfield performers and forces a reshuffle in the centre of the pitch.
United are likely to see more of the ball and to lean on their recent away template: a back three, wing-backs providing width, and Bruno Fernandes central to the build-up behind a fluid front line featuring the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Joshua Zirkzee and Cunha. Their main concern is game management. Even in improved performances, late goals conceded against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and West Ham have cost them points from winning positions.
The midfield contest should be central. If United can control that area and keep Wolves pinned back, their extra quality in the final third should tell over 90 minutes. But if Wolves can disrupt the rhythm, use the home crowd to lift energy and find more threat in transitions and set pieces, the match could become far more uncomfortable for the visitors than the league table suggests.
For Wolves, this game is another chance – and running out of them – to claim a first league win and inject life into a season that has started in historically poor fashion. For Manchester United, it is an opportunity to back up improved away form, close the gap to the top four and show that they can handle the expectation that comes with facing the division’s bottom club.
Given Wolves’ desperate need for points and United’s own frustration at dropped leads, Monday night at Molineux has all the ingredients for a tense, high-stakes encounter rather than a straightforward assignment for the visitors.
