Wolverhampton Wanderers secured promotion to the Premier League in style with a historic fifth consecutive top-flight victory, beating Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford thanks to a stunning Pablo Sarabia free-kick. The result condemned the Red Devils to their 15th league defeat this season – the most in a single Premier League season in the club’s history – and secured Wolves their first double against Manchester United since the 1979/80 season.
A flat first half reflects the Red Devils’ struggles
With Thursday’s emotionally draining extra-time win over Lyon still fresh, Ruben Amorim opted to make five changes to his Manchester United starting XI, including a first full league appearance for youth-team recruit Tyler Fredricson. This rotation, combined with the fact United are already guaranteed their lowest points tally in the Premier League, made for a laborious and quality-deprived first half.
Christian Eriksen, widely expected to leave this summer, provided a rare spark with a dipping free-kick that forced José Sá into a smart save just after the half-hour mark. Kobbie Mainoo also tried his luck with a curling effort, but his effort never looked like opening the scoring, going wide without bothering the Wolves goalkeeper.
Sarabia makes the difference
Frustrated by the lack of attacking energy, Amorim turned to his bench just after the hour mark, bringing on Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, and Diogo Dalot to try and find the opening goal. But while the home side briefly advanced, it was ultimately Wolves who struck the decisive blow.
With just over 10 minutes left in the match, substitute Pablo Sarabia stepped up to take a free-kick from the edge of the box and executed it perfectly – curling his shot over the wall and beyond a rooted André Onana.
The goal sparked wild celebrations from the away Wolves fans as their team edged ever closer to a historic result.
Wolves seal safety, United’s woes deepen
Mount still had time to waste two promising late chances, but Wolves held on to secure a memorable victory that not only secured their Premier League stays but also marked their first league double over Manchester United in more than four decades.
For the hosts, another defeat confirms a campaign to forget, as they now find themselves 14th, level on points with Wolves, having set an unwanted club record for most Premier League defeats in a single season. With just a few games remaining, United are now focused on preserving their European pride, while Wolves can hope to build on their impressive record under Vítor Pereira.
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