Manchester United 0-0 Wolves: 5 things we learned from Bruno’s debut
On a day when top 4 rivals Chelsea and Leicester played out a 2-2 draw, Manchester United could only manage a goalless stalemate against Wolves at Old Trafford.
Bruno Fernandes made his much-anticipated debut from the start, as both teams struggled to carve out scoring opportunities in a tightly-fought contest on Saturday night.
United’s new number 18 was impressive in possession, distributing play superbly and coming close with a few rasping long-range efforts.
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For Wolves, Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez were predictably the main attacking outlets, with Traore coming close in the first half with a scorching drive that went wide of David de Gea‘s near post.
The Red Devils gradually grew into the match in the second half, with Fernandes testing Rui Patricio through a free-kick. Substitute Diogo Dalot should have arguably sealed the match in stoppage time when he headed Aaron Wan-Bissaka‘s cross wide from close range.
The result means that both teams have now dropped below Sheffield United, with the gap to the top 4 remaining 6 points.
Here are 5 key takeaways from the match:
1. A tale of two defenses
While both teams left a lot to be desired in their attacking output, the defenses can hardly be faulted.
Wolves dug deep on enemy turf, with every Manchester United player facing a solid wall of black whenever they faced the goal. Willy Boly was a welcome return to Nuno Santo’s backline after 3 months, and performed brilliantly to keep Daniel James and Anthony Martial at bay.
Wolves also looked menacing each time they broke. Traore and Jimenez have wrecked havoc against teams like Manchester City and Tottenham this season with their precise counter-attacking.
But Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were rock solid, with several attacks nipped at the bud before they were allowed a chance to develop. Fred also put in a solid shift in the absence of Nemanja Matic.