In the early Premier League fixture on New Year's Eve, Manchester United were away to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Surprisingly, the Red Devils' goal scorer Rashford was temporarily relegated to the bench, with the Canadian player Garnacho on the bench. This change made United passive in the first half, until Rashford came back from suspension in the second half and scored a wonderful goal at the crucial moment. In the end, United ended the 2022 Premier League season with a narrow 1-0 victory.
Rashford was suddenly relegated to the bench, rumored to be for "disciplinary reasons". Meanwhile, United's backline has also been adjusted, with French center back Joaquín Varaney returning from injury and Lauchiquemol playing in the other center back position. Wolverhampton Wanderers, on the other hand, have adopted an all-out attacking strategy, fielding three strikers, namely Diego Costa, Hwang Hee-Chan and Pudangs.
Without Rashford, United's offense looked lackluster. In the 16th minute, Canazo had a one-touch chance, but it was parried by Wolves goalkeeper Hosea Shaya. Wolves' main attacker Diego Costa was aggressive but out of form, and his threat to United was limited. At the end of the half, United's Anthony Maffios had a close-range header chance, but the angle was poor and failed to break through, leaving both sides goalless at half-time.
In the second half, both sides made substitutions. United replaced Canazo with Lashford, and Wolves' Diego Costa came off for Adamachael. In the 58th minute, Rubin Neves fired a brilliant free kick, but it was parried by United goalkeeper Dikia. In the 79th minute, Rashford and Fernandes played a wall game at the top of the penalty area, and Rashford broke the deadlock for United with a close-range shot in the crowded defense, which eventually helped the team to win all three points, surpassing Tottenham Hotspur and moving up to the top four position.
