Manchester United 1 Wolves 1

Wolverhampton Wanderers halted a run of 11 straight Premier League defeats with a hard-earned 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

Ladislav Krejci cancelled out Joshua Zirkzee’s effort as the league’s bottom side left Old Trafford with a deserved share of the spoils.

Zirkzee’s first home goal in the top flight for over a year opened the scoring after 27 minutes, with his deflected strike finding the net via Krejci.

However, the Wolves defender made amends at the other end of the pitch, as a fine header on the cusp of half-time proved enough to stop the rot for Rob Edwards’ side.

Man Utd, who had Patrick Dorgu’s last-gasp strike ruled out for offside, end 2025 in sixth place after missing the chance to move level on points with Liverpool in fourth. Wolves remain rooted to the foot of the table, now on three points for the season.

How the match unfolded

Wolves were given a scare when Benjamin Sesko's effort from a tight angle deflected narrowly wide, though another deflection proved crucial as Krejci unwittingly diverted Zirkzee's shot beyond a stranded Jose Sa.

Man Utd went close to doubling their lead when Sesko headed against the post from close range, but the visitors rallied before the break.

They sounded warnings when Tolu Arokodare sent a free header over and Hugo Bueno drew a smart reaction save from Senne Lammens, before Krejci's well-placed header levelled the contest in the 45th minute.

The home side almost regained their lead when Sa just about clawed Yerson Mosquera's misplaced header off the line.

Lammens produced a strong double-save to deny Krejci and Mosquera, and Man Utd looked to have made their goalkeeper’s work count when Dorgu thought he had snatched all three points at the death, but he was thwarted by the offside flag as Wolves held on for a rare point.

An opportunity missed for Man Utd

Ruben Amorim’s side would have ended 2025 in the top four with a win, yet with the odds stacked in their favour, they failed to deliver against a team that seems destined to drop to the second tier, potentially with a record-low points total. 

Fresh from their win over Newcastle United last time out, the hosts were quickly into their stride, with Sa forced to push Luke Shaw’s dangerous inswinging corner out from under his crossbar after just four minutes.

It seemed inevitable the goal would arrive, though it did in fortuitous circumstances with Zirkzee’s shot beating Sa via a huge deflection off Krejci.

However, when Sesko headed against the post from close range, Man Utd could not have thought it would prove crucial. Yet, they were pegged back towards the end of the first half, and that fragility in defence will not please Amorim.

That meant the Red Devils finish 2025 having not kept successive Premier League clean sheets at any point during the calendar year.

Amorim's team begin 2026 with back-to-back away games against Leeds United and Burnley, but this was a big chance missed to apply some real pressure to Liverpool and Chelsea in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Wolves not going away with a whimper

This year has been one to forget for Wolves fans, and even if their fate looks like a foregone conclusion, they at least can go into 2026 on a positive note.

On their previous visit to Old Trafford in April, Wolves secured their Premier League status with a 1-0 win, thanks to Pablo Sarabia’s free-kick.

Ten points adrift at the foot of the table at kick-off, Wolves would certainly have taken that same scenario eight months on, and the fond memories of that previous visit appeared to inspire them.

Despite falling behind to a goal that sums up their season thus far, Wolves refused to let their heads drop, and kept pushing forward, with Hwang Hee-chan twice going close.

Wolves had lost all 15 Premier League matches in which they had conceded first this season, but they stopped the rot thanks to Krejci’s fine header, as he made amends for his unfortunate part in Zirkzee’s opener.

The visitors were well in with a chance of claiming victory during the second half, but they will settle for taking their first point since Edwards took charge.

They will desperately hope to build on that momentum when they host fellow strugglers West Ham United on Saturday.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Lammens; Heaven (Yoro 75), Martinez (c), Shaw; Dalot, Casemiro, Ugarte (Mantato 75), Dorgu; Zirkzee (J. Fletcher 46), Cunha; Sesko.

Subs not used: Bayindir, Fredricson, Malacia, T. Fletcher, Lacey, Obi.

Goals: Zirkzee 27.

Wolves: Sa; Doherty, Mosquera, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Arias (Wolfe 90+5), Gomes, Bueno; Mane, Arokodare (Strand Larsen 65); Hwang (Lopez 88).

Subs not used: Johnstone, Hoever, Ojinnaka, Olagunju, Sutherland, Gonzalez.

Booked: Tchatchoua, Strand Larsen.

Goals: Krejci 45.