Summary

  • Man Utd beat Wolves in opening game of 2023-24 Premier League season

  • Varane heads winner in second half after Wolves missed numerous opportunities

  • Wolves boss O'Neil angry when team controversially denied penalty in stoppage time

  1. Postpublished at 8 mins

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Mason Mount swings in this cross which Jose Sa spills. The assistant referee puts his flag up so no harm done.

  2. Postpublished at 7 mins

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Mason Mount gets the ball on the edge of the box and wins a corner off a Wolves defender.

    He takes it short and it's blocked for another corner.

  3. Postpublished at 5 mins

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Decent start for Wolves, who spent nearly all of pre-season with Julen Lopetegui before suddenly getting a new manager last week.

    Gary O'Neil applauds the early efforts of his players on the touchline.Image source, Getty Images
  4. Postpublished at 3 mins

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Casemiro tackles Nelson Semedo and the ball bounces behind. Matheus Nunes lets it go for the Wolves corner and then realises the referee has given a goal-kick.

  5. 'Glazers Out'published at 20:02 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport at Old Trafford

    The whistle goes to start the game and the Manchester United fans in the singing section to my left immediately start their 'We Want Glazers Out' chants.

    It feels as though that will be the early season narrative at Old Trafford.

  6. Postpublished at 2 mins

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Early touches for Mason Mount too in the centre of midfield.

    Mount is pressured in midfield by Semedo.Image source, Getty Images
  7. Postpublished at 1 min

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Early few touches for Andre Onana with the ball at his feet pinging a couple of passes.

  8. KICK-OFFpublished at 1 min

    Man Utd 0-0 Wolves

    Game 10 of the Premier League season begins.

    A match ball sits still in the net.Image source, Getty Images
  9. 'Wolves still have good players and a good manager'published at 19:58 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Chris Sutton
    Former Chelsea striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Wolves players warm up on the Old Trafford pitch.Image source, Getty Images

    Am I worried about Wolves? Of course I am.

    They've still got a lot of good players and they have a good manager in Gary O'Neil.

    If I remember rightly a lot of people were putting him down as their manager of the season last year after doing such a good job at Bournemouth.

    I'm just baffled how you can get to the week before the start of the season and Wolves get themselves in this situation.

  10. Postpublished at 19:58 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    The players are out. The Red Devils of Manchester and the Wolves of Wolves.

    The players emerge onto the Old Trafford pitch.Image source, Getty Images
  11. O'Neil's tough askpublished at 19:57 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport at Old Trafford

    New Wolves boss Gary O'Neil put it rather succinctly in his pre-match press conference.

    "Most teams have six weeks to prepare for their first game," he said on Friday. "We've got four days."

    O'Neil has been picked by sporting director Matt Hobbs to replace Julen Lopetegui, who told Wolves he wanted to leave 10 days before he actually went.

  12. Protests continue inside Old Traffordpublished at 19:56 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Fans continue to display protest banners at their seats in Old Trafford.Image source, Getty Images
  13. Ferguson - Ten Hag's done a fantastic jobpublished at 19:55 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport at Old Trafford

    I mentioned the chat Sir Alex Ferguson was having with NBC earlier.

    Well, he says Erik ten Hag is doing a fantastic job and had a lot of praise for Manchester United's new striker Rasmus Hojlund, who he feels can have a big impact on the club this season.

    Hojlund is injured at the moment, so Marcus Rashford leads United's attack.

  14. 'Wolves: fascinating or in a bit of a crisis?'published at 19:53 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Michael Brown
    Former Manchester City midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Wolves players take to the pitch to warm up.Image source, Getty Images

    The recruitment side, the lack of goals, it is a quite concerning situation for Wolves.

    Managers would normally have six weeks to build up to a new season, to sort team selection, planning and preparation, Gary O'Neil has had more like five days.

    He surprised everyone didn't he in the way he went about transforming Bournemouth? They did extremely well towards the end of last season.

    It is going to be tough for them but he will be looking forward to that challenge.

  15. 'There seems to be no plan at Molineux'published at 19:51 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport

    LopeteguiImage source, .

    It could be argued that Wolves' latest managerial transition has been significantly smoother than their previous one.

    Not since Tony Pulis quit Crystal Palace two days before the 2014-15 season began has a manager left his job so close to the first game as Julen Lopetegui, after he quit on Tuesday.

    But considering the former Real Madrid and Spain coach told Wolves officials of his wish to leave on 29 July and he then presided over a draw with Luton and an encouraging 3-1 win against Rennes to complete the pre-season campaign before Gary O'Neil was installed as his successor less than 24 hours after his exit was confirmed, it was all quite straightforward.

    Certainly more so than Lopetegui's appointment in November 2022. That came more than a month after Bruno Lage's dismissal, after one attempt to get the Spaniard had failed for family reasons and Wolves had publicly been rebuffed by Michael Beale, who left QPR for Rangers just over a month later.

    Nevertheless, it is hardly ideal.

    "Every other club in the Premier League has been working towards this game for six weeks," reflected O'Neil.

    "We have had a very different pre-season to that."

    Read more here.

  16. Summer signings 'fit Ten Hag's gameplan'published at 19:49 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Shearer contributor image for BBC Sport website.Image source, BBC Sport
    Hojlund fist pumps to the Stretford End as he is unveiled on the pitch.Image source, Getty Images

    Ten Hag had an impressive first season, making the Champions League places, winning the Carabao Cup and reaching the FA Cup final and I am expecting them to build on that, and continue to improve.

    It is going to be interesting to see how Rasmus Hojlund gets on at Manchester United, once he has recovered from his injury. He's only 20 and £72m is a lot of money, but obviously they are buying for his potential as well.

    We will have to wait and see how he and Marcus Rashford link up, and who will play where, but Erik ten Hag has obviously made a decision to go with youth rather than trying to sign a more established striker.

    We are going to see them pressing from the front even more when Hojlund plays, and having Andre Onana in goal means they can play out from the back, something that didn't always work for them with David de Gea.

    I don't see them as having enough to win the league, but they have made some good signings that fit Ten Hag's gameplan.

  17. Lingard training at West Hampublished at 19:47 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport

    Former Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard finds himself without a club this summer after his one-year deal with Nottingham Forest came to an end.

    It is understood Lingard is training at West Ham, where he had half a season on loan under David Moyes and arguably played the best football of his career.

    There is no talk at this stage of a contract being offered.

  18. Postpublished at 19:45 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Bruno Fernandes told Football Focus that being appointed Manchester United's permanent captain is "such an honour", and that the current squad has "many leaders" which will help to create a winning mentality at Old Trafford this season.

    Media caption,

    Man Utd captaincy is 'huge honour' - Bruno Fernandes

  19. 'United away form has to improve this season'published at 19:43 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Michael Brown
    Former Manchester City midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Casemiro and Antony warm up on the pitch.Image source, Getty Images

    Sitting here now I am expecting a really comfortable win for Manchester United.

    Their form away from home is something they are going to have to look at. At Old Trafford the improvement has been there but it is away from home that needs work.

    The midfield three is brave, Casemiro - Fernandes - Mount, but can they afford to line up that way against the top, top teams?

  20. 'United should be looking to at least fight for the title'published at 19:40 British Summer Time 14 August 2023

    Man Utd v Wolves (20:00 BST)

    Jamie Carragher
    Former Liverpool defender on Sky Sports

    Replica scarves with players faces hang from a kiosk outside Old Trafford.Image source, PA Media

    When you talk about a trophy and finishing third which Manchester United did last season, you almost want to go on and get closer [to the top two].

    There was a spell in February/March time where you thought they could have found themselves in the title race.

    Their start to last season wasn't great, losingtheir first two games, and you can't see them doing that again this time around.

    I think a good season would maybe not be to win the title, but to make more of a fight for it.