Man Utd ground out a vital 1-0 victory over Wolves on a day where Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane made their full Premier League debuts.
Adama Traore sparked a surprisingly dominant first half for the home side at Molineux. The speedster proved unplayable at times and gave Fred in particular a torrid time with his piercing runs through the lines.
Despite their pressure, the Wolves again lacked a cutting edge in the final third. In contrast, Man Utd crafted very few opportunities to showcase the lethal finishing of their forwards.
With the game in the balance, David de Gea produced a truly spectacular double save to deny Romain Saiss from close range. That would prove pivotal moments later when Mason Greenwood fired a low strike between the arm and body of Jose Sa as Man Utd ground out a hotly-contested 1-0 victory.
PLAYER RATINGS
David de Gea: Truly remarkable double save to deny Saiss from a corner in the 68th minute. The second in particular had visions of the Spaniard when he was at his impenetrable best. 8/10 [MAN OF THE MATCH]
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: Critical goal-line clearance to prevent Trincao from opening the scoring. Shrugged off and left on the turf by Traore in a trademark lung-bursting run, though he will not be the last. 7/10
Raphael Varane: Rarely targeted by Traore but handled the speedster well when tested one-v-one on a single occasion in the first half. Calm and composed in possession and already looks a cut above most centre-halves in the league. You’ll be able to count the mistakes he makes this season on one hand judging by today’s performance. Was beaten in the air by Saiss for his double chance but an otherwise superb outing. Grabbed the assist for Greenwood’s goal. 8/10
Harry Maguire: Could do little to prevent Wolves’ early onslaught as his midfield in front were regularly overrun. Strong when called upon in the air and ultimately helped to steady the ship. 7/10
Luke Shaw: Sharp in the early going and quick into the tackle. Always strived to provide an attacking outlet but had his hands full containing Trincao and the marauding Semedo. 7/10
Paul Pogba: Anonymous going forward in the first half and didn’t do enough defensively in the deeper role to stem Wolves’ pressure. Afforded more chances to shine after the break and picked out Fernandes with a divine lofted through ball. 6/10
Fred: No match for Traore’s piercing runs through the lines in the first half. Mis-controlled a pass into the path of Trincao soon after and could neither outmuscle nor keep pace with the Portuguese winger as he raced away on goal. A torrid afternoon all-around. 3/10
Daniel James: Failed to make an impact in what will likely be a rare start. Did not lack energy and determination but his contribution can only be described as minimal. Replaced by Cavani soon after the break. 5/10
Bruno Fernandes: Had the ball in the net before half-time after being set free by Pogba but was rightfully chalked off for offside. Talked his way into a booking before a superb flick set Greenwood scampering away in an otherwise subdued first half. An increasingly influential figure after the interval, but not his best day. 7/10
Jadon Sancho: Almost made an impact at the wrong end when gifting possession to Jimenez who then fed Moutinho. Did not shirk his defensive responsibilities when Wolves were on top. Not the impact many might have expected from the highly-rated Englishman and was duly replaced by Martial with the game still in the balance. 5/10
Mason Greenwood: Starved of supply in the first half until the final moments. Fired narrowly wide after a superb flick from Fernandes gave him a chance to stretch his legs. Shifted out wide after Cavani’s introduction but again showed he is lethal from anywhere when powering the match-deciding goal through Sa with 10 minutes remaining. 8/10
Substitutes
Edinson Cavani (On for James, 52): 6/10
Anthony Martial (On for Sancho, 72): 6/10
Diogo Dalot (On for Greenwood, 90): N/A