Erik ten Hag delivers verdict on Andre Onana and Mason Mount's Manchester United debuts after 1-0 Wolves win

In the wake of a tense 1-0 triumph against Wolves, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag weighed in on the performance of his team. He particularly focused on the debuts of summer signings Andre Onana and Mason Mount.

The victory against Wolves may have been hard-fought, but United were far from convincing. Faced with numerous missed opportunities from Wolves and struggling in midfield, they were fortunate to escape with a win in their opening game of the Premier League season.

Despite the onslaught of 23 shots - a number not seen at Old Trafford from a visiting side since Chelsea's barrage in November 2005 - United held on for the win. The decisive moment arrived in the 76th minute when Raphael Varane sent Aaron Wan-Bissaka's cross into the net.

Wolves put up a remarkable fight, with standout performances from Matheus Nunes and Matheus Cunha. However, they will be reflecting on what could have been after failing to convert numerous opportunities. United's debutant goalkeeper Andre Onana proved to be the difference, making several crucial saves.

Ten Hag's post-match comments revealed a mixed assessment of his team's performance. Regarding Mason Mount's debut, his critique was rather generic, stating to the press (via Manchester Evening News):

"He did his job, it was a moderate game, he did well."

Onana's performance earned more praise from the coach, who said:

"But luckily, we were defending the counter-attacks well, and in Andre Onana, we had some very good saves."

While Manchester United walked away with all three points, their victory was perhaps less a triumphant beginning and more a cautionary tale for the season ahead.

---

Controversy overshadows Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana as Wolves boss fumes over penalty decision

Andre Onana's clean-sheet debut for Manchester United is now paired with controversy, following a late-game incident that has left Wolves boss Gary O'Neil incensed. The match took a dramatic turn in the 97th minute when VAR began investigating a possible penalty, following Onana's collision with Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic.

As the Old Trafford crowd waited anxiously, the referee approached the sideline. But instead of awarding a penalty, he booked Wolves boss O'Neil for his words to the fourth official.

In his post-match interview with Sky Sports, O'Neil's anger was evident, as he pointed to the goalkeeper as the one deserving punishment, saying (via UnitedInFocus):

"As the ref was coming over, I thought he was coming to look at the screen but he's booked me, instead of Onana for smashing our player's head."

O'Neil's frustration was palpable as he added:

"I thought the keeper almost took our centre forward's head off."

The strong words created a stark contrast with the opinion of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who firmly dismissed the notion that Wolves deserved a penalty.

Speaking to BBC Sport, ten Hag expressed his view on the incident: (via UnitedInFocus):

"After the opponent touched the ball, he dived in. It was the judgment of the VAR, of the refs. Lucky for us. We were happy with that. You can debate about it, but I don't think it is a penalty."

Manchester United will feel lucky to have gotten away with all three points as they struggled to keep Wolves out of the game for long periods.