Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho scored in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday that took them one step closer to returning to the Champions League.
With the top four qualifying directly for next season’s group stage, United are fourth in the table with 66 points, four ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool with both teams having three matches remaining. Wolves are in 13th place with 40 points.
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In a game mainly played at a slow pace, United’s Brazilian winger Anthony V. curled a ninth-minute curler after Wolves’ sloppy defence, and continued to provide a creative spark as he regularly cut in from the right wing on his favored left foot to shoot.
The 23-year-old headed in from close range on the half-hour mark but made up for it two minutes later, tearing up the right with a quick counter-attack and squared the ball for Martial to fire the ball into the net.
Anthony was in the thick of the action again on the hour mark as Bruno Fernandes back-heeled the ball onto the edge of the penalty area, but the 23-year-old Brazilian’s shot was deflected wide of the near post.
Fernandes should have scored twice when he cut in from the left and fired in from close range in the 64th minute, but his shot was saved by first-time Wolves goalkeeper Daniel Bentley and Jadon Sancho’s similar attempt was also cleared.
With Wolves’ attack looking completely toothless, Casemiro made another save from Bentley in the 82nd minute with a dipped shot, and substitute Wout Weghorst headed over the bar from close range from the resulting corner, but the second goal eventually came.
Coming off the bench in the 82nd minute after a lengthy spell with an ankle injury, Garnacho sealed the three points with a long run and curled a shot that bounced off the inside of the right post deep in stoppage time to seal the win. .
We did our job, we needed to get the three points and win the game – after two defeats, we knew how important it was to bring momentum back to our side,” United captain Fernandes said.
The Portugal international paid tribute to the 29-year-old Wolverhampton keeper, who was making his Premier League debut after stints at Southend, Brentford and Bristol City.
“We played a professional game and we could have scored more goals. [but] “Their goalkeeper played a really good game to keep Wolverhampton in the game,” Fernandez said.
“It wasn’t about wasting our chances. Their goalkeeper did a really good job, we have to commend him.”
