Wolves Ready to Pounce on Struggling Man Utd: Match Preview, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed

Manchester United will look to stabilize their inconsistent performances when they visit Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday evening, entering the match with mixed results from their previous three Premier League encounters - one victory, one draw, and one defeat.

Following a disappointing 1–0 loss to Everton, United responded with a commanding win against in-form Crystal Palace, before surrendering their advantage in a disappointing 1–1 stalemate with relegation-threatened West Ham—another instance of their tendency to collapse late in matches.

This unpredictable run has dropped United to 12th position, although in an exceptionally competitive table, they sit merely three points away from the top five positions.

Wolves, conversely, have suffered through one of the most dismal opening campaigns in Premier League history. Collecting only two points from their first 14 fixtures, Rob Edwards's team has matched the joint-worst record at this point of a top-flight season—equaling Sheffield United's notorious 2020–21 beginning.

Edwards has already acknowledged their dire circumstances, stating recently: "We don't want to go out with a whimper." Theoretically, this should represent a straightforward victory for United—assuming such certainties exist for them this campaign.

Nevertheless, Wolves achieved a surprising league double over the Red Devils last season, meaning recent encounters favor them, despite their current struggles.

With anticipation building for Monday evening's encounter, here is Sports Illustrated's comprehensive preview of the Molineux showdown.

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Wolves vs. Man Utd Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

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Wolves Team News

Adding to Wolves' troubles, central midfielder João Gomes—arguably their standout player in an otherwise catastrophic season—will be absent due to suspension after accumulating his fifth yellow card.

His likely replacement, Marshall Munetsi, is also unavailable with a calf problem, while long-term casualty Rodrigo Gomes continues his recovery.

Fer López and Ladislav Krejčí are both undergoing late fitness assessments, potentially forcing Edwards to deploy an improvised formation on Monday evening.

Wolves Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd

Wolves predicted lineup vs. Man Utd (3-4-3): Johnstone; Mosquera, Toti, Agbadou; Doherty, André, Bellegarde, Wolfe; Arias, Larsen, Hwang

Man Utd Team News

Manchester United will once again be missing two important players for their journey to Molineux.

In attack, Benjamin Šeško continues his absence with the knee problem that has sidelined him since late November, with his return not anticipated until later this month. Defensively, Harry Maguire remains unavailable, having been out for a comparable duration with a thigh complaint.

Both Matthijs de Ligt and Diogo Dalot sustained minor injuries during the West Ham stalemate, but Ruben Amorim expects both players to be available for Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Matheus Cunha, who returned from a head injury against the Hammers, continues seeking his scoring rhythm in a United jersey.

The Brazilian has managed just one Premier League strike since his expensive transfer from Wolves, but he'll be hoping that facing his former club can reignite the clinical finishing that produced 15 top-flight goals last season.

Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Wolves

Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Wolves (3-4-2-1): Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dalot; Mbeumo, Cunha; Zirkzee.

Wolves vs. Man Utd Score Prediction

Considering Wolves occupy the Premier League basement, are without several crucial players and appear completely lacking in confidence, it's challenging to imagine them securing any points from Monday evening's fixture.

Certainly, they have defeated United in their previous two encounters—but Cunha, pivotal in both those triumphs, now represents the opposition in red rather than gold.

United, meanwhile, aren't operating at peak efficiency, but they show significant improvement from last season, appearing more dynamic in attack and considerably better organized defensively.

Wolves have managed merely seven league goals—the poorest attacking output in the division by some distance—while United's 21 goals conceded reflects a solid, though not exceptional, defensive showing.

Everything suggests a methodical, disciplined display from United against an uninspiring Wolves outfit.

Prediction: Wolves 1–2 Man Utd