Manchester United’s miserable season suffered another Boxing Day blow as captain Bruno Fernandes was sent-off in a 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves. Fernandes saw red for the third time this season early in the second half for a second bookable offence. Wolves took full advantage to make it two wins in two games under new boss Vitor Pereira. Matheus Cunha’s goal direct from a corner opened the scoring before he teed up Hwang Hee-chan with virtually the last kick of the game. United, who slipped to 14th, have won just twice in seven Premier League games since Ruben Amorim took charge last month and were insipid in attack even before Fernandes’ dismissal.
Victory was enough to lift Wolves out of the relegation zone at the expense of Leicester, who lost at Liverpool.
The optimism that greeted Amorim’s early days in charge already seem a distant memory as the Portuguese has been left in no doubt over the scale of the task he faces to turn around a fallen giant.
Amorim reacted to a 3-0 humbling at home to Bournemouth on Sunday by making just two changes.
Leny Yoro came into the defence, while Rasmus Hojlund replaced Joshua Zirkzee up front.
The Dane, though, struggled to make any impact as Cunha showed the value of a forward in form.
Wolves look set to lose their top scorer to suspension over a FA charge for misconduct for a clash with an Ipswich member of staff after a 2-1 defeat earlier this month that cost Gary O’Neil his job.
Only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak have scored more goals in the Premier League this season than the Brazilian international.
United, by contrast, were let down by their talisman.
Fernandes was walking a tightrope from a first-half booking when he recklessly dived in on his Portuguese international team-mate Nelson Semedo two minutes into the second period.
Even the normally argumentative Fernandes had few complaints when referee Tony Harrington brandished a second yellow and a red.
The 30-year-old’s first red card of the campaign against Tottenham was overturned on appeal before he was also dismissed in a 3-3 draw at Porto in the Europa League.
Wolves almost immediately made the man advantage count when Semedo squared for Jorgen Strand Larsen to tap in.
The Norwegian, though, had strayed offside before making contact with the cross.
United’s frailties from set-pieces have been routinely exposed since Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag.
For the fifth consecutive Premier League game they conceded from either a corner or free-kick in what proved to be the decisive goal.
Cunha’s in-swinging delivery flew in at the far post with United goalkeeper Andre Onana sandwiched between two Wolves players and the Cameroonian’s pleas for a foul fell on deaf ears.
Wolves’ nervousness allowed United to press for an equaliser in the closing stages.
But a Harry Maguire header that floated into the arms of Jose Sa was the closest the 10-man Red Devils came to redemption on another sobering night for Amorim.
Hwang rubbed salt into United wounds deep into stoppage time after he and Cunha were left with just Onana to beat between them.
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