Matchday 15 of the Premier League concludes on Monday, December 8 when Manchester United travel to Molineux to face bottom-of-the-league Wolves. Here’s our full pre-match analysis and breakdown, including team news, player injuries, predicted starting lineups, a tactical preview, key stats, a Wolves vs Manchester United prediction, and betting picks.
Odds:
| Wolves | Draw | Manchester Utd. | |
| American | +310 | +300 | -125 |
| Decimal | 4.10 | 4.00 | 1.80 |
| Fractional | 31/10 | 3/1 | 4/5 |
Previous Five Head-to-Head Matches
Wolves pulled the double on Manchester United last season, winning both matches over the Red Devils. That Wolves side from last season, however, looks and competes very differently than they do now. It will be up to Rúben Amorim and his Manchester United squad to seek revenge on Wolves for last season’s double.
Wolves Injuries and Team News
Not much is new here – Wolves still sit bottom of the Premier League, with only two points after 14 matches. New boss Rob Edwards will be in search of his first win in charge of this Wolverhampton side as he and the players continue to work through the transitional period of new management.
João Gomes will be unavailable after picking up a suspension due to yellow-card accumulation.
Injuries: Daniel Bentley, Ladislav Krejčí, Rodrigo Gomes, João Gomes (Suspension)
Manchester United Injuries and Team News
United enter the match continuing to be consistently inconsistent. The Red Devils defeated Crystal Palace last weekend 2–1, followed by a 1–1 home draw against West Ham in midweek. Manchester United have not been able to find any sort of rhythm so far this season, but things may be looking up as Rúben Amorim makes tweaks and changes to his tactical setup.
De Ligt missed United’s last match with a knock and his availability for Monday’s match is currently unknown but United and their fans will be hopeful that the Dutchman will be ready to go.
Injuries: Harry Maguire, Benjamin Šeško
Wolves vs Manchester United Predicted Starting Lineups
Wolves Lineup Notes:
With João Gomes suspended, Munetsi seems the most likely player to step into central midfield, with Krejčí also likely being unavailable.
The remainder of the squad remains unchanged in this prediction. However, with Rob Edwards newly at the helm and with a midweek match having been played on Wednesday, it would not be surprising if he made some changes as he searches for the starting lineup that works best for him.
Manchester United Lineup Notes:
With Šeško out and Zirkzee having started all three of Manchester United’s most recent matches, it would not be surprising if he were given an opportunity to rest, with Mason Mount stepping into the attacking front three.
In defense, Lisandro Martínez has returned from injury after a long layoff; however, he is likely not fully up to speed yet after so much time away. Because of that, De Ligt, Shaw, and Mazraoui look the likely back-three combination for United.
Match Preview
This is a pressure situation, in my opinion, for Rúben Amorim. Manchester United have been up and down, turbulent, and inconsistent so far this season. With United heading to Molineux to face a winless Wolves side who have fewer points than a triangle, I think there may actually be a weight of pressure on Amorim and United’s shoulders to win this match – there would be no excuses for dropping points to this Wolves side.
As for Wolves, the search for a Premier League win continues.
3-4-3 vs 3-4-3
Both sides will likely set up in their tactical preset of a 3-4-3 formation. On paper, that would make man-marking quite simple, as each side symmetrically matches the other. [See image below]
Both sides operate with a back three that transitions into a back five when out of possession. Both look to attack with width and stretch the pitch horizontally, spreading numbers across the park. Although symmetrical on paper, it is unlikely that we will see much symmetry on matchday.
Rúben Amorim’s Attacking Changes
Amorim has recently been tweaking his 3-4-3 setup, and it is for the better. It almost feels as if Amorim moved to another phase of his in-possession shape during the second half against Crystal Palace and continued it in the midweek match against West Ham.
Manchester United players are suddenly moving, rotating, and drifting far more fluidly. The second half against Crystal Palace and the match against West Ham offer a glimpse of what the vision for this 3-4-3 can look like when all the pieces are in motion. Rotations are appearing in buildup, progression, and attack. United’s movement over their last 135 minutes of football genuinely looks intentional.
Here are some examples we may see against Wolves. At times in the buildup phase, United are looking for a member of their back three to push into midfield alongside Casemiro, allowing Bruno Fernandes to push higher. [See images below]
When De Ligt steps up, it can free central passing options. Bruno vacates the deeper midfield area and is free to operate higher up the pitch. Mbeumo, in this example, can then drop into space between the lines to receive. With Mbeumo dropping from the attacking line, confusion can arise for the opposition: is it the central defender’s job to track him? How far can a defender step without opening space in behind? These are the grey areas that United have now started to target.
Another recent example of player rotation is the increased frequency of the 10s dropping into midfield. Cunha and Mbeumo are now looking to drop during progression phases, allowing Fernandes and the wingbacks to push higher. [See images below]
This again challenges the opposition’s positioning. When Cunha drops into midfield, Bruno drifts across the pitch into Cunha’s vacated 10 position. Does Munetsi track him across the pitch? If he does, space opens centrally; if he doesn’t, United achieve a numerical overload down the left-hand side.
United are also using positional rotations from the back line to free attackers. Shaw can be seen pushing into the outside-left lane in attack, giving Dalot freedom to either push high or invert centrally. [See image below]
As can be seen in the image, Shaw will look to push out wide to the touchline, giving Dalot the ability to push high up the wing. Space will be available centrally between lines against Wolves’ 5-4-1 boxed midfield defensive shape. Cunha can look to drop into the gaps between the lines, opening space behind him for Dalot to invert into. [See images below]
Cunha can drop to receive to then try and find balls through the Wolves defensive line.
These are just a few examples of how Amorim is diversifying United’s attack. Zirkzee has been dropping to link play, Mazraoui has pushed into central midfield, and Bruno Fernandes has been operating higher – all movements that can open space and create opportunities. United just need to reach the point where these transitions become a domino effect: when one player moves, all of them do.
Bruno has also been increasingly making long runs from deep, looking to get in behind the opposition defensive line. These runs are good and often go untracked. The long ball to find him is difficult, but when it works, it is dangerous. Wolves’ midfield lacks quality, and with their boxed midfield shape out of possession, this exact run from Bruno could unlock their defence.
Wolves’ Opportunities to Counter
With United rotating their players, this can at times leave their back line slightly exposed and susceptible to fast-breaking counters.
One rotation seen against West Ham involved Mazraoui pushing into midfield to act as a holding midfielder alongside Casemiro, with Bruno pushing high. [See images below]
When Mazraoui pushes into midfield, it can leave a back two in possession before Casemiro drops into the back line. Any losses of possession when United only have two at the back can open space outside the central United defenders for Wolves to exploit and look to take advantage of.
Wolves’ Attack in Outside Lanes
Wolves have looked poor in attack most of the time; however, in their recent matches, they have shown occasional promise through wide-lane attacks. Tchatchoua has pace and can deliver strong crosses. Wolves look to stretch the pitch and progress via their wingbacks in the wide lanes.
Their most dangerous passages under Rob Edwards have come from whipped crosses or driven balls into the area from Tchatchoua and Møller Wolfe. All it takes is one dangerous delivery for Wolves to find the back of the net. Expect the wingbacks to play a key role.
Set Pieces
Manchester United are making a stake for the claim of Set Piece FC – which currently is held by Arsenal. United have the second-most goals from set pieces in the Premier League this season, only behind the Gunners. What United are showing on set pieces is an increase in creativity from dead ball situations. Short corners followed by passes to unmarked players on the edge of the area, attacking free kick passes into the half-spaces for attackers to run onto, and creative movement inside the box to free up aerial threats.
Wolves have conceded only four set piece goals this season, which is admirable, but United remain a strong threat in these situations.
Wolves vs Manchester United Prediction
All in all, this is a match United can use to build on. What I want to see from Amorim’s side is continued work on player rotations and transitions to free space and create more passing options across the pitch. Wolves are weak, and although they may pose a counter-attacking threat, I do think the Red Devils will come out on top.
Betting Tips
Pick: Manchester United – Win
Odds:
- American: -125
- Decimal: 1.80
- Fractional: 4/5
United haven’t looked consistent, and this pick carries risk. They have only been given a 50% chance of winning according to match probability metrics. Regardless, I think United have a good opportunity to take all three points from the library that is Molineux. That is not to say that Molineux has historically been quiet, but this season, the atmosphere has understandably been lacking.
For a look at all of the match win probability percentages, click here.
I am backing the Red Devils to continue improving in their transitions and attacking play to find the back of the net more than Wolves. Manchester United to win.
Pick: Manchester United – Win
Disclaimer: The betting picks and analysis shared are for informational purposes only and are not guarantees of outcome or financial advice. Please gamble responsibly and only risk money you are willing to lose
