Manchester United 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Player ratings as Rangnick suffers 1st defeat as United manager | Premier League 2021-22
Ralf Rangnick suffered his first defeat as Manchester United manager, courtesy of a late Joao Moutinho stunner at Old Trafford. The Red Devils endured a narrow 0-1 loss in their first Premier League fixture of the new year.
Despite having not played since December 19 due to COVID-19 issues, the visitors dominated proceedings at Old Trafford. Bruno Lage's side were all over the home side, managing a whopping ten shots inside the opening half hour.
The Red Devils, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact throughout the game. They misplaced passes, and failed to get a hold of the ball against a spirited Wolves side. Bruno Fernandes' inclusion in the second half provided United with a bit of spark. However, United failed to take advantage of a rather short-lived swing in momentum.
Joao Moutinho then struck with eight minutes remaining as United slipped to seventh in the league standings. They are now four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, albeit with a game in hand.
Full-time at Old Trafford.
#MUFC | #MUNWOL
On that note, here's a look at the Manchester United player ratings from the game.
David de Gea - 8/10
As has often been the case this season, De Gea was the only player who stopped Wolves from scoring, especially in the first half. He made five saves, keeping Wolves at bay for much of the game until Joao Moutinho found the net.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 4/10
Wan Bissaka did just fine on the defensive front. He was heavily involved in United's attacking play down the right, but the full-back failed to put in one decent cross all night.
Raphael Varane - 5/10
Varane struggled to deal with Wolves' consistent flurry of attacks throughout the game. He was often caught out of position, and even looked slow to react at times.
Phil Jones - 7/10
Starting his first game in nearly two years, Phil Jones was arguably United's best outfield player on the night, especially in the first half. He did well to win a free-kick on the edge of the Wolverhampton box late in the second half.
Luke Shaw - 5/10
Shaw did just about enough to hold his own against Francisco Trincao. However, the England international looked completely lost when Adama Traore came on, often getting skinned by the Wolves winger. Shaw didn't provide any bit of threat on the attacking front either.
Scott McTominay - 6/10
McTominay looked like a completely different player than he did against Burnley. He often misplaced his passes, and failed to make the most of the ball throughout the night.
Nemanja Matic - 5/10
Matic was a part of a highly dysfunctional United midfield. He failed to contain Wolves' midfielders, and was thoroughly outplayed by Moutinho and Ruben Neves throughout the game. Age seems to have finally caught up with the Serb, which showed on the night.
Mason Greenwood - 5/10
Greenwood was one of United's more lively players on the night. However, that's hardly a compliment on a night when United looked pretty average.
Looking bright so far, @MasonGreenwood 💡
#MUFC | #MUNWOL https://t.co/l4kprTKVcL
Greenwood also showed poor decision-making at times.
Jadon Sancho - 5/10
Like Greenwood, Sancho also looked off with his decision-making throughout the game. He looked dangerous at times, but often held the ball a little too long when he should have played his teammates in.
Edinson Cavani - 4/10
It was perhaps Cavani's worst game in a United shirt. The striker had one decent opening from the edge of the box, but he blasted wildly over the bar. He looked stiff with the ball at his feet, and struggled to make a telling impact throughout the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 4/10
Ronaldo was just as poor as Cavani, if not worse. He was missing for pretty much most of the game, apart from his offside goal in the second half.
⏱ Just past the 70-minute mark in #MUNWOL…
➖ @B_Fernandes8’s effort strikes the bar
➖ @Cristiano has the ball in the net but is offside, before our no.7 fires just wide of the far post
Much better, Reds! 🔴
#MUFC https://t.co/9YoAhLwGoU
It's not something one would expect from a player of his calibre.
Ratings of Manchester United substitutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Bruno Fernandes - 6/10
Fernandes provided a drive to United's play after coming on in the 60th minute, creating a couple of good chances. He was, however, guilty of hitting the bar from a glorious opportunity that he should have buried.
Marcus Rashford - N/A
Rashford came on as a 75th-minute substitute for Jadon Sancho. However, he didn't play long enough to be rated.
Anthony Elanga - N/A
Coming on as an 84th-minute substitute, Elanga didn't have enough time to make any impact on the game.