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WThis is one way for Marcus Rashford to end 2020. If Manchester United are going to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title this season, then it may well be this hard-fought victory that fueled that belief. They didn’t give up and Rashford, throughout this year of every year, has embodied that spirit on and off the field.
An injury-time winning goal from Rashford brought United into second place, just two points behind leader Liverpool and while it felt cruel to the Wolves, United will believe they deserved it.
Hope seemed to be gone when Bruno Fernandes selected Rashford with a cross pass. There was a lot of work to be done, but the striker braked before his shot deflected from Romain Saiss to beat goalkeeper Rui Patricio. Rashford’s celebration showed how much it meant. At the final whistle, the Wolves players fell to the grass. Who could blame them after the effort they had made?
Such is the depth of his team that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made six changes to the team that had walked away from Leicester City on Boxing Day and possibly lined up a stronger lineup; it certainly felt like a more offensive one. But it was the Wolves who fired the first three shots on goal and continued to show intent with the best of Rubén Neves, whose fierce 20-yard shot was finished off by David de Gea.
The booming voice of Wolves captain Conor Coady was heard as he implored his teammates to close the loop but also stay disciplined. “Form, form,” the defender yelled as the Wolves, with 18-year-old Ki-Jana Hoever and 20-year-old Vitinha making their first league starts, quickly walked back and challenged United to try to break their offside.
They also attacked with determination and, when Harry Maguire hastily dropped Pedro Neto, the free kick was taken by Joao Moutinho and was met by Saiss with his header spinning and hitting the top of the crossbar. Despite playing just 48 hours earlier and having one less day off than United, the Wolves were the most threatening.
With Edinson Cavani in the starting lineup, fresh from Solskjaer’s endorsement that he wants the 33-year-old to extend his contract for 12 months, there was a greater aerial threat to United. He found a cross from Nemanja Matic, but was unable to direct his header closely into the goal.
The Wolves had made four changes since the draw against Tottenham Hotspur and were comfortable until a Mason Greenwood cross from the right was greeted by Fernandes, ahead of Hoever, only for Rui Patricio to react magnificently and block the midfielder’s guided volley with the legs when it seemed certain that it would be the initial goal. Fernandes was just yards away, and Patricio also reacted alert to force Cavani to send the rebound out.
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