Manchester United 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
The moment of the match, indeed of today’s Premier League action, arrived before a ball had even been kicked.
The return of Sir Alex Ferguson to Old Trafford, for the first time since he underwent emergency brain surgery in May, was a truly wonderful and humbling moment for the greatest manager of all time.
What followed will not make many Premier League 2018 highlights reels, but that almost seemed secondary on the day one of the club’s knight of the realms was back home.
What also followed is a result that will disappoint him and tens of thousands of onlookers.
Highlights of the game
Visiting manager Nuno Espirito Santo had promised his team would attack, and they certainly did.
In an entertaining game for SBOBET neutrals, Wolves made a bright start and, but for the superb instincts of David de Gea, would have been ahead.
They exploited an uncertain home defence twice inside the opening 13 minutes.
After fine work from Helder Costa down the right flank, Raul Jimenez showed neat feet inside the box and swivelled before producing a shot which De Gea kept out with an instinctive right foot.
Then, after Ryan Bennett was given the freedom of the penalty area at a corner but headed over, more De Gea brilliance denied what seemed a certain goal.
Another corner caused uncertainty in the home rearguard, and Willy Boly’s close-range header seemed destined for the net until the alert Spanish number one somehow got a hand to it.
To feel really hard done by, United were ahead from the next attack.
Paul Pogba produced a sublime touch to take an Alexis Sanchez cross out of the air and touched it to Fred who produced a fine low range strike with unerring Brazilian accuracy and fired low past a helpless Rui Patricio.
Wolves were lively, playing quick-tempo possession football, and didn’t deserve to be behind. But it was a salutary lesson of what can happen if you fail to take your chances at the highest level.
The goal clearly boosted United confidence, although Wolves continued to play well and the goalscorer had to be alert twice to stop a potentially dangerous attack.
They finished the half as they had spent most of it, in the ascendancy, although only a fine save from Patricio kept out a Fred free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
Wolves scored the equaliser their play merited seven minutes after the restart and, in many ways, it was a role reversal of the opening goal.
Moments after Marouane Fellaini wasted a delivery, Wolves countered and, after Jiminez expertly held the ball up, he laid it off to Joao Moutinho who produced a superb finish.
United were rattled and Romelu Lukaku – who scored against Watford last weekend – was isolated for spells.
The home side needed someone to calm play down or produce a moment of magic. On came Anthony Martial and Juan Mata, yet De Gea saved from Diogo Jota as Wolves looked more likely to add to their tally rather than United regain the lead.
Jesse Lingard tested Patricio with a curling effort before De Gea was called into action again, equal to a Jimenez strike from the edge of the box.
A superb Luke Shaw delivery saw Fellaini head straight at Patricio as the game became end-to-end.
As the stoppage time board went up, Wolves attacked a final time with pace. Substitute Adama Traore was only denied a famous goal by De Gea.
A surprise for Premier League 2018 betting odds and a point apiece.
Based on their first half-dozen Premier League 2018 matches of the season, Wolves will not have any problem cementing their status in the Premier League following promotion.
Make no mistake, this was a deserved point as Moutinho denied Mourinho.
Key statistics
Wolves’ last win at Old Trafford came in February 1980 when Melvyn Eves scored the only goal.
This result ended a run of eight successive league and cup defeats at the famous ground.
What’s next?
United are back at Old Trafford on Tuesday when they entertain Derby County in the League Cup and will see Mourinho reunited with his former midfielder Frank Lampard, now in charge in the Midlands.
United are then in East London for a lunchtime clash at West Ham next Saturday.
Wolves welcome Leicester City to Molyneux in the League Cup in midweek before Southampton are the visitors in the Premier League next weekend.
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