Life under Ruben Amorim has yet to get going for Manchester United, and the decision to appoint the manager who openly stated he would have preferred to not join at this stage of the season, has well and truly been thrown into the deep end of things over the festive period.

The boxing day trip to the midlands didn’t help matters, as United fell to yet another defeat under their new manager, with their captain being sent off shortly before letting the game slip away and suffering another humiliating defeat against an opponent that United should have been more than capable of beating despite the new man in the dugout and the tactical shifts he is expecting from his side.

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Teams

Manchester United put out a strong line-up as Amorim still learns about his squad, opting for Fernandes and Amad as the no.10s with Mainoo offering another option as he and Fernandes rotated the responsibilities until the red card. The experienced players in Casemiro and Eriksen were called upon midway through the second half after going 1 down as they looked to regain a footing in the game despite being 1 goal and 1 player behind. The big story still of Rashford’s exclusion from the squad remains as memories flood back of being dropped against Wolves under Ten Hag in recent years.

For Wolves, they had their full attacking potential at their disposal, with Cunha heavily involved in both goals. Meanwhile, there was a late concern for Ait Nouri over a possible injury which Pereira will hope isn’t too serious as he looks to steer the ship.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa, Gomes, Bueno, Doherty, Gomes (Doyle 73′), Andre, Ait Nouri (Gomes 87′), Semedo (Bellegarde 90′), Cunha, Guedes (Hwang 74′), Strand Larsen (Dawson 90′)

Subs: Johnstone, Meupiyou, Lima, Forbs

Manchester United: Onana, Martinez, Maguire, Yoro (Antony 63′), Dalot, Mainoo (Casemiro 63′), Ugarte (Eriksen 63′), Mazraoui, Fernandes, Amad (Garnacho 79′), Hojlund (Zirkzee 79′)

Subs: Bayindir, Evans, De Ligt, Collyer

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Manchester United

Wolves marked Boxing Day with a commanding 2-0 victory over Manchester United, delivering their new manager Vítor Pereira a dream home debut and plunging United deeper into their early-season woes. The game’s decisive turning point came in the opening moments of the second half when United captain Bruno Fernandes was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Nélson Semedo. Reduced to ten men, United struggled to maintain momentum as Wolves seized control under the glow of the Boxing Day lights.

Just before the hour mark, Matheus Cunha stunned the fog-bound Molineux by delivering a curling corner kick straight into the net, capitalising on an error from André Onana and sending the home fans wild. Cunha’s improvised strike, his tenth Premier League goal of the campaign, was a testament to his ingenuity and justified Pereira’s faith. Despite United’s valiant efforts to reorganise under the extra pressure, they could not carve open the resilient Wolves defence.

In injury time, Wolves wrapped up the win with a swift counter-attack as Cunha turned provider, feeding Hwang Hee-chan, who calmly slotted home to seal a memorable result. The victory lifted Wolves out of the relegation zone to 17th, while United languished in 14th amid growing frustration under manager Ruben Amorim, as this marked their fourth loss in five league outings. With set-piece frailties again exposed and discipline under scrutiny, Manchester United face mounting questions over their identity and approach in what has become a season of unfulfilled expectations.

Talking Points

Rúben Amorim’s turbulent start to life at Manchester United continued with another damaging defeat, as his side slumped to a 2-0 loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. The result leaves United with just one win from their last six Premier League matches, and pressure is already beginning to mount on the Portuguese coach, who was appointed to bring a fresh identity and stability to a floundering squad. Instead, what unfolded in the West Midlands was another display lacking structure, control, and confidence, symptomatic of a team still searching for direction under new leadership.

The match’s defining moment came early in the second half, when Bruno Fernandes was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Nélson Semedo. The United captain, who had struggled to assert any influence on proceedings, left his team a man down at a crucial stage in the contest. It was a lapse in judgement from one of the club’s most senior players, and it proved costly, shifting the momentum firmly in Wolves’ favour. From that point, United never looked capable of salvaging anything from the game, and the red card served as a symbol of their increasing lack of discipline and composure under adversity.

Adding to Amorim’s growing list of concerns is the form of André Onana, who once again found himself at the heart of criticism. The Cameroonian goalkeeper misjudged Matheus Cunha’s in-swinging corner, allowing the ball to float directly into the net, an error that sapped the belief from his already demoralised teammates. Onana, who arrived with high expectations, has now been directly involved in several costly moments this season, and questions will inevitably be asked about his reliability in high-pressure scenarios. For a United side already struggling to establish defensive solidity, continued mistakes from their No. 1 only exacerbate an increasingly fragile foundation.