Premier League 2019-20: 3 key battles that decided Manchester United's 1-1 draw against Wolves

#2 Adama Traore vs Luke Shaw

Will we finally see the Traore we have been promised?

It is not every day that a forced substitution turns out to be a masterstroke. Today happened to be one of those rare occasions, and Nuno has to thank his stars for Matt Doherty's inability to continue in the second half.

Anyone who watched Adama Traore last season will tell you just how frustrating the experience was. He seemed all legs and no brains, a winger capable of running full steam ahead at charging defenders, without any realization that the purpose of the game is to keep the ball at his feet and do stuff with it.

Tonight, however, was an entirely different Traore. The summer seems to have done wonders for him; he is not the wispy winger any more, but a genuine threat in the final third.

Traore ran with the ball as he usually does, but that was not all. He crossed with surprising accuracy, pirouetted around hapless defenders and ended the night with 3 dribbles to his name despite playing only 45 minutes.

Luke Shaw every time Adama Traore came near him pic.twitter.com/6BFvqDgrg1

— The Procurerer (@LordEihcra) August 19, 2019

Luke Shaw was the one who bore the brunt. While the first half didn't cause him much trouble, the introduction of Traore's speed did pose problems. Shaw held his own admirably most times, doing his best not to take Traore on one-on-one but trying to take advantage with his positioning.

In the end, Shaw could have turned hero for his side, his final kick of the match taking a slight deflection and going safely into Patricio's arms. But that was always asking too much of him. Defensively, Shaw won four aerials for United, and put in two vital tackles and one interception, but was also dribbled past twice.