Despite Defeating Wolves, Manchester United's Inconsistency Remains Strong

WOLVERHAMPTON, TUESDAY — An important victory was brought home by Manchester United from the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Molineux Stadium, on Tuesday (9/12/2025) WIB. The score of 4-1 underscores the superiority of the "Red Devils" over the bottom-placed team. However, MU will still face difficulties in maintaining victories in the upcoming weeks and climbing to the top of the standings.

Midfielder and captain, Bruno Fernandes, opened and closed the scoring fest for Manchester United at Molineux with a goal in the 25th minute and a penalty execution in the 82nd minute. Bryan Mbeumo (51’) and Mason Mount (62’) also made their mark on the scoreboard. Meanwhile, the lone goal for Wolves was scored by attacking midfielder, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde during stoppage time of the first half.

These three points boosted MU to sixth place with 25 points. They are only inferior in terms of goal productivity compared to Chelsea, who occupy fifth place.

I feel good. I think we played well for the majority of the game duration. We just lost focus a bit after the first goal, which allowed them to equalize.

MU is even just one point away from the prestigious top four zone. Crystal Palace, which occupies the fourth position, has accumulated 26 points.

MU's chances of gradually climbing the rankings are still very much open in the 16th week, this weekend. This is because the two teams above them, Chelsea and Palace, will face extremely difficult matches. Chelsea will be up against Everton, while Palace will host Manchester City.

The condition of the two teams from London is also not ideal as they prepare for the match this weekend. They must share their focus with participation in European club competitions in the middle of this week. This situation contrasts with the Red Devils, who are fully concentrated on competing in domestic events.

"We faced a very, very difficult team. This was a very difficult time for Wolves as a team and a club. We capitalized on that," said Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim after the match, as reported by the BBC.

"I feel good. I think we played well for the majority of the game duration. We just lost focus a bit after the first goal, which allowed them to equalize. However, in the second half, all the players performed to win the match," added Amorim, who is from Portugal.

Wolves manager, Rob Edwards, stated that his players responded positively after conceding a goal. They finally scored their first goal after a drought of 540 minutes.

"Unfortunately, we only managed to get the performance we wanted for the final 15 minutes of the first half," said Edwards.

Amorim reminded his squad to maintain a positive performance in the next match. MU will host Bournemouth, who have been struggling in their last six games, on Tuesday (16/12/2025) early morning WIB. Bournemouth has only garnered two points during that period.

The last victory for "The Cherries" was achieved when they defeated Nottingham Forest on October 26. This situation has caused Bournemouth to be thrown out of the competition among European clubs, placing them in 13th position.

"We must continue this momentum. We need to realize that we must achieve 20 consecutive victories. The next match is important and crucial to win," said Amorim.

However, continuing that winning trend will be difficult for the Red Devils. The reason is that they will lose three key players who will be participating in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

They are Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), and Mbeumo (Cameroon). Interestingly, all three players play on the same side, specifically the right flank of MU.

According to the schedule, the three players are expected to join their national teams on December 14. Specifically for Mazraoui, Morocco will play their opening match as the host against Comoros on December 21. This means that the three of them are likely to leave the Manchester United squad before facing Bournemouth.

Mazraoui is a key pillar for MU in the three-center-back scheme. If not injured, Amorim is expected to always include him in the starting eleven. The 28-year-old player has participated in nine matches since the kickoff.

Meanwhile, Mbeumo and Diallo are two of the five MU players who have played over 1,000 minutes this season. Mbeumo is even just behind Fernandes in terms of playing time, having also appeared 16 times.

In terms of goals, Mbeumo is the most productive player for the Red Devils with a total of seven goals. Meanwhile, Diallo is the deputy for assists at MU with three assists. Diallo's record is only surpassed by Fernandes, who has a total of six assists.

Amorim will have a tough time deciding on a starting XI without those three players. Mbeumo, for example, has found chemistry with Mount and Matheus Cunha in attack. Diallo could be replaced by Diogo Dalot, with Patrick Dorgu taking over on the left wing. However, Dalot lacks Diallo's courage and ability to outplay opponents one-on-one.

The absence of Mazraoui has led Amorim to hope that Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs De Ligt are in 100 percent physical condition throughout this December.

Amid the obligation to release the trio of players for the Africa Cup, MU is still trying to negotiate with the representatives of the national teams of the three countries. Amorim hopes to be able to field all three when facing Bournemouth.

"I do not know if they can still play (against Bournemouth). Let us wait for a decision about them until the middle of this week," said Amorim. (AFP)