Manchester United will end their 2020/21 Premier League season with an away trip to Molineux as we take on Wolves in the Sunday afternoon game. The match kicks off at 16:00PM BST. The game can be watched live in the UK on BT Sport 1 with coverage starting at 15:00 PM.
It could be argued that all eyes are focused on Wednesday’s Europa League final. This league game meaning very little to the Red Devils in terms of positions. We have managed to secure second place, this is despite a run of three games without a win. United had previously lost to Leicester City and Liverpool before securing a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.
We might be pleased to back on the travels as our away form has been excellent this season. United remained unbeaten away from home in 18 matches recording 11 wins. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given a firm hint that there will be changes for the Wolves game. He will have one eye on the Europa League final on May 26th against Villarreal.
The Red Devils will not want to enter the final off the back of a disappointing result at Molineux. We will be wanting to do a league double over Wolves as we recorded a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford back in December.
MANCHESTER UNITED TEAM NEWS
For United, we are still without captain Harry Maguire. He continues to recover from his ankle injury. It is touch and go he will be fit for the Europa League final. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will give him every opportunity and will have to pass a fitness test. For Anthony Martial, this match has come too soon for him having only just returned to training following his knee injury.
Fred, Scott McTominay and Daniel James have been declared fit following their recent knocks. Solskjaer had already mentioned they will be changes for this game. This could see Alex Telles, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Amad Diallo and Donny van de Beek get some minutes on the pitch.
David De Gea could be handed the goalkeeper spot again and is likely to start the Europa League final as well. This would see the future of Dean Henderson at the club called into question.
MANCHESTER UNITED’S PREDICTED LINEUP
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Tuanzebe, Telles; Matic, Van de Beek; Amad, Mata, James, and Rashford.
OPPOSITION PREVIEW
Wolves know a win against United on Sunday would see them secure 12th place in the table. It has been announced that manager Nuno Espirito Santo is to leave the club by mutual consent after the final league game of the season. There had been much speculation about the manager’s future in the last few months as Wolves will now prepare for life after him.
The Portuguese had only signed a three-year contract with the club back in September after leading the club to back-to-back seventh places in the league. It has been an underwhelming campaign for Wolves with 45 points leaving them in 12th place. They cannot finish any higher than this position. However, there are only three points clear of 15th placed Newcastle United. It means results across the final round of games could see their position in the league change.
The home side will come into the game after suffering back-to-back losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. They have not won a game against United in their last five matches across all competitions.
Wolves have struggled for consistency at home this season, winning seven, drawing four and losing seven of their 18 Premier League matches. However, as this is their last home game with Nuno in charge, the players and fans will want to give him a good send off.
WOLVES TEAM NEWS
For our opponents, they will be without the services of Raul Jimenez, Pedro Neto, Jonny, and Daniel Podence through injury. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo could make changes to the side that played against Everton in midweek. Romain Saiss, Fernando Marcal, Rui Patricio, Leander Dendoncker, and Vitinha are expected to feature in the starting eleven.
There will still be familiar faces in the team as Conor Coady, Ruben Neves, Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho set to play some part.
FORM GUIDE
Manchester United Premier League form: WDWLLD
Manchester United form (all competitions): WLWLLD
Wolves Premier League form: WLDWLL
MATCH STATS
- Manchester United have lost just one of the past seven Premier League meetings against Wolves (W3, D3). (source: BBC Sport).
- Manchester United have equalled their highest Premier League finish since Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013. (source: BBC Sport).
- United are on a club league record run of 25 successive away fixtures unbeaten (W16, D9). They could become only the third club to remain unbeaten away from home across an entire English top-flight campaign, emulating Preston in 1888-89 and Arsenal in 2001-02 and 2003-04. (source: BBC Sport).
- When finishing their Premier League campaign away from home, the Red Devils are unbeaten in 10 games since losing at Spurs in 2000-01 (W7, D3). (source: BBC Sport).
- Marcus Rashford’s next goal will be his 100th in all competitions in his senior career (88 for Manchester United, 11 for England). Rashford has scored in two of his three starts against Wolves for the Red Devils. (source: Opta)
PREDICTED SCORE
If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was to put out his strongest side against Wolves, then we would be firm favourites to win. However, he has said there will be changes to the side with a look towards the Europa League final on Wednesday. Three of the last games against each other have ended in draws, it is more likely this match could end the same way.
Wolves 1-1 Manchester United
