Image copyright: Getty Images
2022/23 English Premier League
Matchday 36
Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Old Trafford
Manchester, England
Saturday, 13 May 2023
Kick-off is at 16h00
Manchester United will be desperate to get back on the winning trail when they welcome Wolves to Old Trafford on Saturday, May 13.
The Red Devils have opened the door for fierce rivals Liverpool in the race for UEFA Champions League football after suffering back-to-back defeats in the
Premier League.
Erik ten Hag's side lost 1-0 to Brighton in dramatic fashion on Thursday, May 4 after Alexis Mac Allister scored a 99th-minute penalty at the Amex and they were beaten by the same scoreline by West Ham at the London Stadium three days later.
United remain two points adrift of Newcastle in fourth place, having seen the Magpies go down 2-0 to title hopefuls Arsenal earlier in the day, while the Reds have cut the gap to one in fifth position following a 1-0 win over Brentford.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Wanderers secured their top-flight status with a surprise 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at Molineux last Saturday as they bounced back from a humiliating 6-0 loss to the Seagulls the previous weekend.
The Black Country outfit moved up to 13th in the standings, 10 points clear of Leicester, who dropped into the relegation zone after a crushing 5-3 defeat to Fulham on Monday, coupled with Everton's 5-1 thrashing of Albion.
It means that Julen Lopetegui's team are safe from the drop as there are just nine points left to play for in the final three matches of the season.
David de Gea will be targeting an improved performance for the visit of Wolves after he was at fault for the Hammers' unlikely winner. The Spanish goalkeeper has been back to his best this season, making numerous outrageous saves to lead the league in clean sheets with 15. However, he allowed Said Benrahma's tame shot to squeeze past him in the first half despite getting a glove to the ball.
Matheus Cunha has shown glimpses of his talent following his arrival from Atletico Madrid on a six-month loan in January. The Brazilian striker has two goals to his name in 15 appearances, getting off the mark against Leeds on March 18 before opening the scoring at Leicester on April 22. With Wolves' frontline struggling to deliver this season, Lopetegui will be looking for more from Cunha in the final three games of the campaign.
In team news, the hosts continue to be without Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Tom Heaton (all ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee) and Scott McTominay, although Alejandro Garnacho (ankle) could return to contention. Chiquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic (both) are definite absentees for the visitors, who will access the fitness of Boubacar Traore.
Ten Hag insists United are still in charge of their own destiny to a bid to finish in the top four and stressed the importance of controlling what's in front of them instead of worrying about Liverpool.
"Nothing changed, only we could have made it [securing a top-four place] easier when you have a win," the Dutchman said after the defeat to West Ham.
"We need three wins in four games, so everything is in our hands and we have to believe. But it's not about Liverpool, it's about us, because look to the table and we have everything in our hands.
"If we bring our performance, if we bring our standards then we will win games, so we don't have to look to others - we have to look to ourselves and find a way to win and find a way to get back to our levels."
Lopetegui has described keeping Wolves up as the "most difficult achievement" of his career but is urging his players to carry on fighting until the end of the season to finish as high as possible.
"I hope [Wolves are now safe]! Of course, this moment is about the merit of the players. I arrived here five months ago with 15 matches played and 10 points, at the bottom of the table, and the next team was with four points more, so we were in a very bad situation, with a very low morale, but with one belief," the Spaniard said.
"I have fortunately won the Europa League, I have put Sevilla three times consecutively into the Champions League for the first time in its history, but for me, this is the most difficult achievement I have made.
"Everything is difficult in football, but the more difficult achievement is this - undoubtably. For a lot of reasons; you are playing in the Premier League, you only have 10 points from 15 matches, you're at the bottom, but now we have to continue."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Man United - 4
Wolves - 1
Draws - 0
Matchday 36 fixtures:
Saturday, May 13
13h30: Leeds United v Newcastle United
16h00: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur
16h00: Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
16h00: Crystal Palace v Bournemouth
16h00: Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
16h00: Southampton v Fulham
Sunday, May 14
15h00: Brentford v West Ham United
15h00: Everton v Manchester City
17h30: Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
Monday, May 15
21h00: Leicester City v Liverpool
Kick off your sports betting journey & place a winning bet with our exciting Sports Welcome Offer where you’ll get up to R1,000 as a Free Bet when you make your first deposit.
Ready to take your online gaming experience to the next level?
Don't wait any longer! Join in on the action and experience the excitement of the best Evolution Games.Take a spin on the wheel or join the Crazy Time game show and let the fun begin!
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow
Betway on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram and
YouTube. Start playing on the go and download the
Betway App.