Monday night football’s singular game this week will be an early evening clash between Manchester United and Wolves at Old Trafford. At the time of writing Wolves have quietly managed to steal into 8th place in the Premier League one position below their hosts in 7th. While their rankings suggest a good season for Wolves and a lackluster one for United, any real assessment of the two will have to be done at the end of the season once their new managers have managed to imprint themselves onto the pitch.
The man in charge for United is Ralph Rangnick who is unbeaten since taking the helm vs Crystal Palace in early December. There has been a muted disappointment in performances from the fans who very nearly left with no points in a tense 1-1 draw vs Newcastle, however, an impressive 3-1 win vs Burnley last week appears to mark progression under the father of gegenpressing. The Wolves’ custodian Bruno Lage joined at the beginning of the season with impressive attacking football departing from Nuno Gomes’s defensive nature. Their last match was a close 0-0 draw against Chelsea, that preceded a two-week absence from games due to Covid. They’ll come into this game a little light in squad depth but their starting XI will be enough to put up a good fight away at United.
The reverse fixture saw United manage to steal a 1-0 win on the first day of the season. One manager wasn’t in his position and the other was playing his first Premier League match so there will be a new look fixture on our hands on Monday. Manchester United enter the betting favourites, but Wolves will certainly be in with contention for all 3 points. I’ve selected my top 3 bet builder tips and a complementary Cheat Sheet for Monday’s action to keep you informed all the way.
Manchester United vs Wolves Bet Builder Tips & Predictions
Ruben Neves to be Carded
Mike Dean is the appointed referee for the game at Old Trafford. The man who used to once kill chickens with a smile on his face has awarded more penalties (21) to Man Utd than any other team in his career. A controversial penalty was the catalyst for the 1-0 win at Molineux Stadium for United so his return to this fixture will not be welcomed by Wolves’ fans and players alike. He has been slightly less of a controversial presence in recent years, but he still manages to hand out 3.33 cards a game this season. The controversial ending to the last tie and the same man in charge spells trouble for charged up Wolves’ players who haven’t competed in a fortnight. My pick for a booking on Monday is Portuguese talent Ruben Neves.
Neves has cemented himself as a real fan favourite at Wolves. He’s synonymously known for his ability to only score screamers and his poor disciplinary record. The central midfielder plays with his heart on his sleeve and is their most carded player this season with 6 yellows. He commits a respectable 1.4 fouls a game and I think this will be above average in this tie as Man Utd seek to dispossess the ball playing midfielder with a press and cause mistakes. Any combination of Man Utd midfielders will effectively draw fouls from him, VDB, Bruno, Mctominay, and Fred all consistently have over 1 foul suffered per game. They can also give it too, Fred, Matic, and Mctominay can be real villains in the middle of the park and will certainly let him know they are there. Neves has averaged a yellow every four matches across his career and was booked in the reverse fixture when things didn’t go their way. He looks destined to suffer the same fate on Monday and looks good odds at 3.4.
Daniel Podence to have 1+ Shot on Target
I’m expecting a game that’s going to have chances at both ends considering the way the two teams like to attack. Raul Jimenez will lead the line against Manchester United but it his teammate I think has been overlooked by the bookmakers’ odds. Raul Jimenez records 0.45 shots on target per game with odds of 1.4 to get one on Monday, however, Daniel Podence averages a shot on target every game with odds of 1.83 as per the Cheat Sheet. His role as a winger should on paper lead to a lower shooting accuracy on paper when shooting from difficult positions, but this is not the case. He has managed to hit the target with over 50% of his shots which commonly can come from outside the area.
He also has a high propensity to shoot, averaging over 2 shots per game only beaten by Francisco Trincao for number of shots. This will be useful if this game is not as open as I am predicting, and the chances will become less clear cut for both team’s attackers. The United defence will be altered for this match as Eric Bailly jets off to the Africa Cup of Nations which will require a new partner for Harry Maguire. Raphael Varane or Victor Lindelof will step in as replacements if Covid allows and though they are both accomplished centre-backs, this will provide uncertainty for Maguire who has spent time partnering with each of them. This could work in favour of the Wolves’ attackers who will look to take advantage of any back line communication errors. Podence comes in at 1.83 for a shot on target on Monday.
Manchester Utd to Win
I was really impressed by Manchester United’s performance against Burnley last week following on from the Newcastle draw. It was exactly the type of performance I had expected when the new manager arrived that embodied German efficiency. It is worth reminding also that they have been unbeaten since taken over around a month ago. Wolves have only managed 1 win in their last 6 league games although it has to be said they haven’t been playing badly. They have had close contests against Chelsea in a scoreless draw and losing 1-0 to Manchester City. Wolves thorn in their side this season has been their inability to record wins against teams above them in the league aside from a win over West Ham. The points against Chelsea are the only ones they’ve gained against any side from the ‘big six’ and I expect a similar scenario on Monday.
This will be a hard-fought victory for Manchester United as they come up against a side who in their last 7 Premier League games have not seen over 1 goal at either end. United have not suffered a similar goal drought, they’ve scored around 1.6 goals per game this season in all competitions. They have had over 1.5 goals scored in 78% of their league games this season compared to Wolves’ paltry 39%. This suggests that even if Wolves can score, United possess a far greater ability to outscore and beat them. In their last 10 away visits to Old Trafford, Wolves have failed to record a win. This run dates back to a 1-0 success in February 1980. More recently, their last 3 away trips to the Red Devils have seen them unable to score a goal each time which reinforces their previously mentioned lack of goals. I’m predicting a close game but with the expectation that Manchester United will score some unanswered goals that will ensure a victory. Manchester United to pick up maximum points on Monday is available on Paddy Power at odds 1.57.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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Manchester United vs Wolves Cheat Sheet
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Manchester United vs Wolves Predicted Line-ups
Manchester United Predicted 11 vs Wolves: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Rashford, Fred, McTominay, Fernandes; Greenwood, Ronaldo. (4-2-2-2)
Wolves Predicted 11 vs Manchester United: Sa; Kilman, Saiss, Coady; Hoever, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Neves, Marcal; Podence, Jimenez. (3-4-3)
How to watch Manchester United vs Wolves in The Premier League
📅 When is Manchester United vs Wolves? / Monday 3rd January 2021, 17:30
🏟 Where is Manchester United vs Wolves? / Old Trafford (Manchester)
📺 What TV Channel is Manchester United vs Wolves on? / Sky Sports Main Event
📱 Online Live Streaming for Manchester United vs Wolves? / Sky Go
🟨 …And who is the referee for Manchester United vs Wolves / Mike Dean
