Manchester United will aim to begin the 2023/24 season with a bang when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Old Trafford on Monday.
The Premier League is well and truly back. Gameweek 1 of the 2023/24 season has produced so much eye-catching football and results to remind us why fans were eagerly waiting for the new campaign to kick off. And the opening round of fixtures will culminate on Monday night, with Manchester United hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.
Manchester United made considerable progress under Erik ten Hag last season. Their long wait for a trophy ended with the Carabao Cup triumph, while the Red Devils clinched a top-four finish in the Premier League. But they showed a lot of chinks in their armour, meaning they needed to invest in the squad to continue the upward trajectory.
It took some time for Manchester United to get going this summer. But they have made three clever signings to reinforce the first-team squad. Meanwhile, the Red Devils had a mixed bag of a pre-season campaign, losing three and winning four of their eight fixtures (D1). So they are not up to speed yet heading into the 2023/24 season.
On the other hand, Wolverhampton Wanderers were dreadful in the 2022/23 campaign, with Julen Lopetegui helping them evade relegation. But the Spaniard is no longer in the top job at the Molineux after a few run-ins with the club’s board due to the inactivity in the transfer market.
The decision shocked neutrals, considering the impact Lopetegui had on the Black Country outfit last season. And his departure despite an unbeaten pre-season campaign suggests something was very wrong in the background. Nonetheless, Gary O’Neil has replaced Lopetegui heading into the season, and we might strangely see the infamous new manager bounce on the opening day!
Manchester United won the corresponding fixture 2-0 last season, with Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho finding the back of the net. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
A delayed start to @TyrellMalaciia's second season with us, but we know he'll be back stronger 💪#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 11, 2023
Erik ten Hag has a plethora of injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s opening fixture of the 2023/24 season. Against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, the Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of as many as seven first-team players.
Rasmus Hojlund is the most notable absentee, with the Danish international recovering from a back issue. The 20-year-old accompanies Dean Henderson (thigh), Tom Heaton (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Kobbie Mainoo (ankle), Amad Diallo (knee), and Anthony Martial (hamstring) on the sidelines.
With Hojlund and Martial unavailable, Marcus Rashford is an automatic pick to lead the line for Manchester United. Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho will be his compatriot’s backup after playing as a “False Nine” during the pre-season campaign.
Meanwhile, Rashford’s presence in a central role means Alejandro Garnacho will feature on the left flank. And Antony will be a shoo-in for the right-wing berth, while Bruno Fernandes, the new Manchester United captain, will reprise his usual no. 10 role.
Mason Mount has been essaying a deeper role than he was accustomed to at Chelsea since joining Manchester United. And the English international will accompany Casemiro in the double pivot in the middle of the park. But Mount’s functionality will be situational, and he will also roam freely when the opportunities present themselves.
As for the defensive unit, Diogo Dalot seems to have usurped Aaron Wan-Bissaka as the first-choice right-back. And the Portuguese international should join Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw in the backline. Finally, Andre Onana, David de Gea’s successor, will make his competitive debut for Manchester United against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Onana; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mount; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Gary O’Neil barely has any issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. And the Wolverhampton Wanderers manager might have a full-strength squad on Monday night.
O’Neil has been sweating over Matheus Cunha’s fitness. But with the Brazilian striker facing a late fitness test to determine his availability, he might board the train to Manchester United ahead of Monday’s game.
O’Neil does not have many reliable strikers at his disposal. And while Cunha is not dependable either, he should make it to the starting eleven on Monday, joining Daniel Podence and Pablo Sarabia in the final third. Pedro Neto and Fabio Silva should be among the backup options for the visitors.
Your Wolves captain, @maxkilman © pic.twitter.com/qfpjWpo7vE
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 11, 2023
Matheus Nunes will look to become the midfield lynchpin following the departures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho. The Portuguese international will have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities in the middle of the park. But most importantly, he will look to lead by example while shoring up the midfield department.
Nunes will also look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates while releasing Podence and Sarabia on their runs. Meanwhile, he will have Mario Lemina and Joao Gomez as his midfield partners on Monday.
Nelson Semedo and Rayan Ait-Nouri should be the two full-backs. O’Neil will likely give them the license to charge forward and wreak havoc when the opportunities present themselves. But they will primarily remain pinned back to help out the two centre-backs, Craig Dawson and Max Kilman. Finally, Jose Sa will take his spot between the sticks at Old Trafford.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Sa; Semedo, Kilman, Dawson, Ait-Nouri; Nunes, Lemina, Gomes; Sarabia, Cunha, Podence
Key Stats
- Manchester United’s only defeat in their last 12 home league games against Wolverhampton Wanderers (W8 D3) was a 1-0 loss in January 2022, when Joao Moutinho scored the winner.
- Manchester United have won their opening Premier League match on 20 occasions but have started with a defeat in two of the previous three seasons. They lost to Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend last August but are unbeaten in their subsequent 18 Premier League home fixtures (W15 D3), conceding just eight goals in this run.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers are winless in their most recent eight Premier League away matches (D2 L6), losing the last four in a row by an aggregate score of 15-1. That is their longest losing run on the road since their return to the top flight in 2018.
- Manchester United are undefeated in 29 home matches in all competitions (W25 D4) since losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad in the Europa League on 8 September 2022. Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag’s men have won their last six top-flight matches at Old Trafford. It is six years since they had a better run at home, winning eight straight league games between May and November 2017.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers netted just 12 Premier League away goals in 2022/23. Only West Ham United, with 11, had a worse record on the road.
Player to Watch
Mason Mount
Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are always under the spotlight during games involving Manchester United. But the new signings will step onto the stage for the first time in a competitive setting. And we have picked one of those players for this section, Mason Mount.
The English international stunned many Chelsea fans when he decided to join Manchester United. And while he has shown teething problems, the 24-year-old has brought a lot to the table. His undeniable work ethic will be the biggest addition, and he will help Manchester United counter-press better. But his chance creation will be under the scanner against a stubborn Wolverhampton Wanderers defence.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Julen Lopetegui’s departure could not have come at a worse time for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Gary O’Neil took the managerial hot seat less than a week before his team’s season-opening game. And his side’s first opponents had the best defensive record in home conditions last season.
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ only clean sheet in their last 23 Premier League away matches was a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth on 31 August 2022, a game which, coincidentally, was Gary O’Neil’s first as Cherries boss. So the chips are stacked against the visitors.
Meanwhile, despite blowing hot and cold during the pre-season campaign, Manchester United showed positive signs. And they should play a more free-flowing style of football. So while O’Neil will set Wolverhampton Wanderers to defend with numbers behind the ball, the hosts should have enough quality to clinch the three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 victory for the home side.
