Manchester United’s struggles in the Premier League continued on Thursday as captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off during a 2-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
The defeat marked United’s fourth in their last five league games.
Fernandes received a second yellow card just two minutes into the second half, leaving his side to battle on with 10 men.
Wolves capitalized on the advantage, with Matheus Cunha scoring directly from a corner in the Boxing Day fog—an embarrassing moment for United goalkeeper André Onana.
The goal symbolized the disarray at the club, which now finds itself in the lower half of the table.
In a tense finale, Wolves navigated eight minutes of added time before sealing the victory in emphatic fashion.
Hwang Hee-chan struck the decisive blow on the counter-attack, sparking celebrations for new manager Vitor Pereira, who secured his first home win after beginning his tenure with an away victory at Leicester City.
The win propelled Wolves out of the relegation zone into 17th place with 15 points from 18 games, while Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United slipped to 14th, holding 22 points.
Matheus Cunha was the standout performer for Wolves, elevating a scrappy contest with his influential display.
After netting an unusual opener, Cunha provided the assist for Hwang’s late goal, igniting joy among the home fans.
For Amorim, the result underscored the immense challenge of rebuilding United after succeeding Erik ten Hag. It also placed him in the record books, though not in a way he’d have hoped—Amorim now holds the dubious distinction of losing four Premier League games in just seven matches, significantly fewer than Ten Hag’s 13.
The spotlight inevitably fell on Fernandes. Already on a booking from the first half, the Portuguese captain made a reckless challenge on Nélson Semedo, earning himself a red card and leaving his already struggling team vulnerable.
Wolves had earlier seen Jorgen Strand Larsen’s header ruled out for offside after he connected with Semedo’s cross.
But their breakthrough came in bizarre fashion as Cunha’s wickedly curling corner evaded everyone, including Onana, to find the back of the net.
United’s toothless attack was epitomized by striker Rasmus Hojlund, who failed to register a single touch inside the Wolves penalty area before being substituted midway through the second half.
