Manchester United play their first match of the calendar year on Monday when the seventh-place Red Devils welcome ninth-place Wolves to Old Trafford. United enter the match with a 9-4-5 record, having won four of their last five, but they’ve scored multiple goals in just one of their last three matches. Meanwhile, Wolves are somehow in the top-half of the table despite the second-fewest goals scored in the league with just 13 in 18 games.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Monday, Jan. 3 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Old Trafford — Manchester, England
- TV: USA
- Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
- Odds: Man. United -180; Draw +300; Wolves +525 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton
Storylines
Manchester United: Don’t think this attack is back and exciting just yet. While they may have scored three on Burnley last time out, one was an own goal and the other was a Ronaldo tap-in that Burnley defended poorly. The one goal on Norwich and the one on Newcastle show a deeper problem of a system that just isn’t working well. Going with a 4-2-2-2 has left a hole in the middle for a creative midfielder that is desperately needed. Don’t be surprised to see Bruno Fernandes move a bit more centrally to try and get things going with the attack stuck in neutral.
Wolves: Considering they feature some quality in attack, their performances going forward have been far from clinical. Averaging 0.72 goals per game, the other teams in the top half average a combined 1.8 goals per game. They’ve scored just two goals in their last eight games, with those goals coming in 1-0 victories. They have surpassed 1.0 expected goals just once since Nov. 6 and have been held to just one shot on goal in three of their last four games. In order to create more, they need to emphasize possessing the ball more. Often conceding possession and going on the counter, it hasn’t worked. Let’s see if they can improve upon possession and look like more of a threat as a result.
Prediction
Bruno Fernnades gets back on track, sets up Cristiano Ronaldo and the Red Devils earn three big points. Pick: Manchester United 2, Wolves 0
KVSP