Martial sparks Manchester United win over Wolves to boost top-four hopes

From the moment the enigmatic Anthony Martial scored Manchester United lived in a squeaky posterior time that lasted until Alejandro Garnacho’s 94th-minute breakaway strike.

Wolves, as they did throughout, refused to be cowed and it was from their attack that Erik ten Hag’s team countered. An Aaron Wan-Bissaka header in his area came to Luke Shaw whose hooked pass found Antony who relayed the ball to Bruno Fernandes. The arch-playmaker’s pass was weighted perfectly into Garnacho, on as a replacement for a first appearance since a foot injury in March.

The jet-heeled youngster raced along an inside-right channel and pinged United’s second in off Dan Bentley’s left post, then raced to the Stretford End to celebrate, stripping his shirt off when doing so.

Victory tightens United’s grip on a Champions League berth after the loss of their previous two games plus Newcastle’s earlier draw at Leeds, and six points from the last available nine will ensure “the job is done”, to quote Ten Hag.

United were mostly dominant throughout, exchanging possession as if a contest they were desperate to win was a mere training exercise. A punched Casemiro ball found Christian Eriksen but he smashed it over. A Max Kilman slip allowed Antony in, the Brazilian shaped on to his left but the shot sailed wide of Bentley. Missing chances was to a theme of Antony’s contribution.

Martial, in for an injured Marcus Rashford, next tried to race on to Victor Lindelöf’s through-ball yet this time Kilman doused the danger for a Wolves side who were perspiring hard due to the runaround United gave them.

Jadon Sancho, Casemiro, Shaw, Antony and Wan-Bissaka were forming attack waves that Julen Lopetegui’s men struggled to repel, so a Diego Costa scythe of