Winless Wolves back in search for maiden win as United trip looms.
Manchester United vs. Wolves begins at 20:15 [GMT] on Tuesday, December 30, at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have won eight of their last 11 league meetings with Wolves, including an emphatic 4–1 victory at Molineux earlier this month, underlining their growing control of this matchup. However, Wolves will take encouragement from last season, when they won 1–0 at Old Trafford, a rare success that ended a long drought at the venue. That said, the visitors have not managed consecutive away league wins against United since a three-game run between 1960 and 1961, highlighting how difficult a repeat would be. This fixture also carries a scheduling quirk. It marks only the third time Manchester United have faced the same opponent twice in the same Premier League month, while for Wolves it is just the second such occurrence. Manchester United are looking to finish the year on a more stable footing. They have lost their final league game in each of the last two calendar years, and another defeat would mark the first time since the early 1980s that they have done so three years running. Encouragingly, United kept just their second clean sheet of the season in a goalless draw with Newcastle last time out. Defensive solidity has been elusive, but back-to-back shutouts would represent tangible progress, something they last achieved in September 2024. Benjamin Sesko is expected at the attacking end of United’s 4—2—3—1 formation. Bruno Fernandes is ruled out due to injury.
Wolves arrive under significant pressure while sitting at the bottom of the table. Wolves remain the only winless side in this campaign, having lost 16 games this season while earning a point in just two games [0W, 2D, 16L]. They have already lost 25 Premier League matches in 2025, and defeat here would see them equal the all-time record for most losses by a club in a single calendar year in the competition. Their end-of-year record also offers little comfort, with just one win in their last six final league matches. While Rob Edwards will hope to defy the odds, his own history at Old Trafford is discouraging, having lost there with Luton in 2023. More broadly, Welsh managers have won just once in their last 27 visits to face Manchester United, underlining the scale of the task. With United seeking momentum and Wolves fighting to halt a historically poor year, the narrative leans towards the hosts. Wolves have shown they can spring surprises at Old Trafford, but current form and long-term trends suggest Manchester United enter this encounter with a clear psychological and statistical edge. A 3—5—2 formation with Hwang Hee-Chan and Larsen in attack is expected against Manchester United.