Manchester United vs Wolverhampton: 5 Points to look forward to
Manchester United welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Old Trafford on Saturday, sitting just above them on 8th, with just one more point on board. But Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have already stopped City in their backyard this season and have lost just one of their 5 Premier League games. United, as such, cannot be complacent now.
The two sides have met 98 times in total, with Manchester United having the upper hand with 48 wins. The last time these two met was in 2012, when United, under Sir Alex Ferguson, thumped Wolves 5-0. Interestingly, Wolves have not won at Old Trafford in almost 38 years.
Kevin Friend, who has already overseen United’s first loss of the season at Burnley, will be in charge on Saturday, and the Red Devils will be desperate to ensure that result is not repeated. Ahead of the game, we take a look at 5 points to look forward to when United meet Wolves.
#5 Will Luke Shaw continue to impress?
Luke Shaw played every minute of United’s Premier League games before the international break. However, he picked up a head injury while on duty with England and was rested for the win over Watford as a precaution. He returned to the team in the Champions League win against PSV and looked fit and ready. However, whether Mourinho will be willing to use him in twice in a space of 4 days remains to be seen.
Luke Shaw has been fantastic for Manchester United this season. He has completed 227 passes, the second highest in the team after Paul Pogba, even though he played a game less. He also has the second most touches in the ball for his club so far – 344, and only Pogba has had more touches in the team. Shaw has been impressive while going forward, recording 8 shots, the third most in the United team and the second in the whole league among defenders. 4 of those shots have been on target and he has already scored a goal. He has also attempted 9 crosses.
Defensively, Shaw has been a revelation. He has 5 interceptions, 7 tackles – highest at United, and 14 clearances. Manchester United’s left side has been strong in attack as well as defense and much of the credit, deservedly, goes to Luke Shaw. As such, it will be interesting to see if the English left back starts again and if he does, fans will have their hopes and expectations resting on him.