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Wolves vs. Manchester United: EPL Match Preview, Odds & Prediction
United go to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day for a Premier League match, hoping to redeem themselves after a disastrous performance in their last match.
After Sunday's humiliating home loss to Bournemouth, the Red Devils will enter the match in the worst possible position in the league, having not been in this position since 1989.
Previous Matches and Head-to-head
If Ruben Amorim had any doubts about the enormous challenge that awaited him upon joining Manchester United last month, they have been brutally exposed to him today.
Man Utd's new manager has only managed two victories in his first five league games in charge, including last weekend's 3-0 home loss to the Cherries and last week's 3-2 home loss to Nottingham Forest.
After a seven-game undefeated streak after Erik ten Hag's dismissal, Amorim has now presided over four losses in his past six games after being eliminated from the EFL Cup by Tottenham Hotspur last week.
This also adds to the surprise of their impressive away victory against Manchester City, but they have not won consecutive away league games since February, so it may be difficult to repeat the feat.
However, they need to aim for six points in their last two games of the year, at Wolves and home against Newcastle United, since United will start 2025 by playing Liverpool and then play Arsenal in the FA Cup a few days later.
Man Utd has won more games on Boxing Day than any other English football league team in history (54, 22 in the Premier League era); therefore, the away fans will be looking to that record for motivation, even if they have failed to maintain a scoreless draw in their past 10 games.
United will be looking for their sixth consecutive victory at Molineux after winning a 4-3 classic in February; thus, the location remains a favorite despite their struggles in recent years.
Having won five of their last seven games, Wolves also have an impressive record on Boxing Day in recent times.
The home crowd will be riding high as well after last week's 3-0 victory away to relegation rivals Leicester City under new manager Vitor Pereira.
Their four-game losing streak came to a stop with that, and they are currently within two points of Leicester and safety, having won their previous two games on the road, scoring seven goals each.
Wolves' remarkable start to the season is summed up by the fact that they have scored 27 goals, which is equal to or more than six of the top ten clubs in the league.
They will now want to get back-to-back shutouts for the first time since January before Wolves face a dangerous run of games. Last Sunday's unusual clean sheet was a major bonus.
Including the current leaders, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal, every one of their next nine league opponents will likely consider themselves championship or top-four contenders.
Following the match against Bournemouth, Amorim was vague once again when asked whether wanted forward Marcus Rashford would be participating; nevertheless, the truth is that Rashford is very unlikely to play for the club again.
Players prone to injuries, like Mason Mount and Victor Lindelof, will miss time after being substituted early in the games against Man City and Spurs, respectively. Luke Shaw will also miss time due to another injury.
While Matthijs de Ligt is expected to make a full recovery and return to the lineup after missing the loss to Bournemouth with an illness, Tyrell Malacia will likely sit out the match after a rough first half last weekend.
Wolves manager Pereira may be hesitant to make many changes after a flawless start, regardless of whether Rayan Ait-Nouri returns from suspension.
Wolves' leading scorer, Matheus Cunha, who scored again on Sunday, is likely to face a suspension at some point in the future; he has not yet received a response from the FA over a possible misconduct charge arising from the loss to Ipswich.
After missing the victory at Leicester, Mario Lemina might return considerably sooner, with Pereira hoping he can play a role tonight. Boubacar Traore and Pablo Sarabia are expected to return in a couple of weeks.
Our Predictions
Both Teams are to score @ 1.60 on Sky247.ng.
Both teams' seasons may hinge on an exciting holiday matchup; if Pereira wins his second game, his team has a great chance of cruising to safety.
United would be devastated to lose again, but they have a decent record at home and are doing better away from home, so they will want to take advantage of Wolves's joint-worst home record in the league.
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