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Manchester United beat Wolverhampton 2-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday (May 13), courtesy of goals from Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho.
The Red Devils came flying out of the blocks and kept their visitors on the backfoot. It took until 32 minutes for them to break the deadlock. Bruno Fernandes released Antony down the right with a wonderful through-ball, and the Brazilian instead cut it back for Martial to fire home from 12 yards out.
Wolves, who lost 6-0 to Brighton in their last game, looked toothless once more, but thanks to their goalkeeper Daniel Bentley, kept the scoreline respectable. The Red Devils kept pushing for a second goal. Jadon Sancho, Garnacho and Antony saw their efforts saved before Garnacho broke their resilience in the 92nd minute.
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On that note, here are the five talking points from the game:
#5 Martial takes his chance
Having struggled for first-team opportunities all season, Anthony Martial was the beneficiary of an injury to Marcus Rashford. Ten Hag gave him a chance to lead the line for Manchester United, and he marked that with a goal.
Starting for only the ninth time in the Premier League this season, the Frenchman calmly took in a lay-off from Antony into his stride and nonchalantly finished it beyond Daniel Bentley.
The jubilation on his face summed up how much the strike meant to him. Coming into the game, Martial had scored only four top-flight goals all season, and his latest would do a world of good to boost his confidence.
With Manchester United reportedly putting the 28-year-old on the transfer list, Martial could at least attract potential suitors if he bags a few more goals and end an otherwise-torrid campaign strongly.
#4 Wolves remain toothless on their travels
For the second away game, Wolves failed to score. They were beaten 6-0 by Brighton in their last away game in the Premier League before losing 2-0 at Old Trafford.
At the Amex, the West Midlands outfit had mustered two shots on target, but they failed to conjure even one at United, a reflection of how poor they were going forward.
Wolves forwards Diego Costa and Matheus Cunha were isolated up front for most of their time on the field. Together, they attempted zero shots between them, let alone find the back of the net.
Ruben Neves, so often the creator-in-chief, also struggled to exert his influence as Wolves failed to conjure anything meaningful in attack.
#3 Antony blows hot and cold
Antony set the right flank ablaze with his fiery runs but lacked the end product. In the opening stanza, he missed two good scoring chances. The Brazilian capitalised on a mistake from Craig Dawson at the back to come into contention to score but sliced his effort wide.
In the 30th minute, Antony headed a corner from Luke Shaw over the bar. Less than 120 seconds later, he redeemed himself with a superb cut-back for Martial to score the opening goal.
Antony's burst of pace in another moment of quality was praise-worthy, but he wasted the chance with a poor final-ball. If that wasn't enough, Antony saw a shot from close range parried away in the 90th minute. If he sharpens his shooting skills, the 23-year-old would be unstoppable.
#2 Daniel Bentley makes impressive Wolves debut
Daniel Bentley signed for Wolves in January this year but hadn't made an appearance for the club before Saturday. At Old Trafford, he was given the chance to make his long-awaited debut, and Bentley grabbed it with both hands.
The 29-year-old was perhaps the only bright spot for an otherwise insipid Wolves side. Without his heroics between the sticks, this could've been a rout, as Bentley made eight saves to frustrate Manchester United.
His stops to deny Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho (before his goal) were particularly impressive. Bentley also pulled off a tough diving save on Antony in the closing embers. Wolves number one Jose Sa has competition on his hands.
#1 UEFA Champions League in sight for Manchester United
Manchester United's top-four hopes took a hit after back-to-back losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham. However, a return to winning ways with a comfortable win against Wolves means Manchester United are on the cusp of a UEFA Champions League return.
With 66 points, the Red Devils are four clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with three games remaining. However, with the Reds in spectuclar form, winning their last six games, the race for the Champions League could go till matchday 37.
Liverpool can attain a maximum of 71 points, which means United must win their next two games - away to Bournemouth and home to Chelsea - to confirm their place in the Champions League. If the Reds slip up against Leicester City on Monday or to Aston Villa in the following matchday, Manchester United's job will be easier.
