Two days before the end of the 2020-21 Premier League season, Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo announced his intention to leave the club at the end of the season. Wolves will be hoping to send the most successful manager in club history off in style as it hosts Manchester United at Molineux Stadium on Sunday.
Wolves vs Man United Match Info:
Wolverhampton (12th, 45 points): L L W D L
Manchester United (2nd, 71 points): D L L W D
When: Sunday, May 23 at 10:00 am CDT
Where: Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
TV: Peacock ($)
Streaming: PremiumTV
Wolverhampton vs Manchester United Preview
Nuno’s fate is perhaps harsh, becoming a victim of expectations he created since taking over at Wolves in May 2017. In his first season in charge, Nuno led Wolves to a title-winning season in the English League Championship. Following promotion to the Premier League, Wolves finished seventh in back-to-back seasons before taking a step back in 2020-21.
After earning just one point in three straight home games at Old Trafford, second-place finishers Manchester United head to Wolverhampton Wanderers to cap off the 2020-21 season on Sunday with nothing to play for. The hosts are in 12th place and can drop to as low as 15th with a loss depending on other results.
Man United is coming off a 1-1 draw at home against relegated Fulham. Edison Cavani scored a wondergoal for the Red Devils from just inside the halfway line to bring the 10,000 fans to their feet. It marked the first time fans were inside the stadium in over 14 months and the first time Cavani played in front of the Old Trafford faithful after his move from Paris St. Germain on a free transfer before the season.
Bruno Fernandes leads Manchester United with 28 goals and 18 assists on the season, while England international Marcus Rashford has scored 21 goals. Cavani has been in torrid form as of late, checking in with 16 goals for the season. Teenage wunderkind Mason Greenwood has scored 12 goals and has held his own playing primarily as a right-wing forward.
Manchester United will have one game remaining this season in the Europa League final against Spanish La Liga club Villareal on Wednesday, May 26 in Poland. They could be without club captain Harry Maguire for the final due to an injury. Since he was injured, Manchester United has only gained one point out of a possible nine.
Wolves have lost back-to-back fixtures away to Tottenham Hotspur and Everton and have not scored a goal since a 2-1 win over 10-man Brighton and Hove Albion on May 9. Morgan Gibbs-White netted the winner in the 90th minute to claim the three points.
Goals have been hard to come by for Wolves, with Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves leading the club with just five goals for the season in 37 matchdays. Wolverhampton has only scored 35 goals for the season and has missed Mexico international Raul Jimenez, who has been out with a fractured skull suffered on November 29.
