Overview
The last time Manchester United received Wolves at Old Trafford in April, the "Wolfs" then left the field in a state of excitement. Pablo Sarabia's free kick brought a 1-0 victory, extending the winning streak when Wolves won 5 consecutive matches in the Premier League.
8 months later, the picture completely reversed. Wolves returned to Old Trafford in a prolonged crisis, losing 11 consecutive matches in all competitions, including a 1-4 defeat in the first leg against Man United earlier this month.
Being at the bottom of the table with only 2 points after 18 rounds, 16 points behind the safe zone, shows that they have not been able to maintain the positive momentum from the end of last season.
The change on the coaching bench has not yet created a turning point. Rob Edwards has not yet won in the Premier League this season and is experiencing a 7-match winning streak since taking office.
However, the 1-2 defeat at Liverpool's home ground last weekend still left some positive signs, especially in the second half. Wolves narrowed the score thanks to Santiago Bueno's header, but they paid the price with 2 quick goals conceded right before halftime after Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz's goals.
If they continue to be empty-handed at Old Trafford, Wolves will reach the milestone of 26 defeats in the Premier League in the 2025 calendar year, thereby equaling a sad record in the league's history. Although they won against Man United in April, the last time Wolves won 2 consecutive away wins at Old Trafford was from the period 1960-1961. This shows that both historical and current barriers are not on their side.
On the home side, Man United entered this match with a clearer foothold. They have won 8/11 of their most recent encounters with Wolves in the Premier League and just had their second clean sheet in the league this season.
More importantly, Ruben Amorim signaled a correction when switching to a 4-defender system in the match against Newcastle on Boxing Day. Although he only controlled the ball 33.3% in the absence of Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu's volley was still enough to decide the 1-0 victory. This was a match that showed the pragmatism and defensive discipline of the "Red Devils".
The current position also creates more motivation for Man United. Ranked sixth, 3 points behind Liverpool (fourth), they will aim to keep a clean sheet in 2 consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since the winning streak against Southampton and Crystal Palace in September 2024.
In terms of force, Man United's defense may be strengthened as Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt approach their return day.
Conversely, Mason Mount leaves open the possibility of playing after having to leave the field early in the match against Newcastle. Fernandes has not yet recovered, while Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui continue to be absent due to AFCON.
On the other side, Emmanuel Agbadou is on duty at AFCON, while Wolves are missing 4 players due to injury including Marshall Munetsi, Toti Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Rodrigo Gomes.
Head-to-head record
Man United have won 8/11 of their most recent encounters with Wolves in the Premier League (3 defeats), including a 4-1 victory at Molineux Stadium earlier this month.
Last season, Wolves won 1-0 at Old Trafford, but in the Premier League alone, they have never won 2 consecutive away wins against Man United since the 3-match winning streak lasting from March 1960 to September 1961.
Score prediction: Man United 1-0 Wolves
The match between Man United and Wolves takes place at 3:15 AM on December 31 (Vietnam time).
