EPL: Wolves Compound Amorim’s Woes, Beat Man United 2-0 on Boxing Day
What a rollercoaster of a Boxing Day for Manchester United fans! The Red Devils faced another tough blow, losing 2-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and things keep getting worse for captain Bruno Fernandes, who got sent off. Ouch!
Fernandes saw red for the third time this season after picking up a second yellow early in the second half. Talk about a tough break! Wolves capitalized on this advantage, securing their second consecutive win under new boss Vitor Pereira. Matheus Cunha kicked things off with a cheeky goal straight from a corner, and just when you thought it couldn’t get worse for United, he assisted Hwang Hee-chan with almost the last kick of the game.
With this defeat, United slipped to 14th place in the Premier League. They’ve only managed to win twice in their last seven games since Ruben Amorim took over. Honestly, their attack looked pretty lifeless even before Fernandes’ dismissal. It’s clear the optimism from Amorim’s early days is fading fast. He’s got a monumental task ahead to revive this fallen giant!
In response to a rough 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth, Amorim made just two changes to the lineup. Leny Yoro came into the defense, and Rasmus Hojlund replaced Joshua Zirkzee up front. Unfortunately, Hojlund struggled to make an impact while Cunha was busy showing off his scoring skills.
Here’s a twist: Wolves might lose their top scorer due to a suspension over a misconduct charge from earlier this month. But even without him, the Brazilian international Cunha has been on fire—only a handful of players have scored more goals in the league this season!
On the flip side, United was left hanging by their star player. Fernandes, already on a yellow card, made a reckless challenge on his fellow Portuguese teammate Nelson Semedo just two minutes into the second half. He couldn’t even argue when the referee, Tony Harrington, pulled out a second yellow card. It’s been a rough ride for Fernandes this season, with his first red card against Tottenham being overturned but followed by another dismissal in a Europa League match against Porto.
Wolves quickly tried to make the most of their one-man advantage. Semedo set up Jorgen Strand Larsen for a tap-in, but the Norwegian was offside. United’s defense has been shaky, especially with set pieces, and they’ve now conceded from corners or free-kicks in five straight Premier League games. Cunha’s in-swinging corner found its way to the back post, leaving United goalkeeper Andre Onana caught in a mess between two Wolves players. His calls for a foul went unheard, and that goal proved a game-changer.
As the match wound down, United pushed for an equalizer, but Wolves’ goalkeeper, Jose Sa, easily collected Harry Maguire’s header. That was as close as the 10-man Red Devils got to turning things around on a night that was, once again, tough for Amorim.
Hwang added insult to injury deep into stoppage time, leaving Onana with no chance as he and Cunha broke through to seal the deal.
Ultimately, it’s clear that Manchester United needs to regroup and rethink their strategy. It’s a much-needed boost for Wolves, pulling them out of the relegation zone.
