Mainoo scores winner as Man Utd beat Wolves in thriller

Kobbie Mainoo scored a 97th-minute winner as Manchester United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 at Molineux in a Premier League classic.

Wolves pulled themselves level having been 2-0 down at half-time and 3-1 behind on 85 minutes, but United took the three points thanks to 18-year-old Mainoo, who picked the ball up on the left, nutmegged Max Kilman and cut inside before bending the ball into the bottom corner.

Marcus Rashford had opened the scoring five minutes into his United return, having been absent from the FA Cup fourth round with illness amid reports he had missed training following a night out in Belfast, before Rasmus Hojlund doubled the lead.

Pablo Sarabia pulled one back from the penalty spot, before Scott McTominay seemingly made it safe for the visitors by heading in a corner with 15 minutes left shortly after coming on as a second-half substitute.

But that was only the start of the late chaos.

Wolves captain Max Kilman ensured a grandstand finish by scoring from close range following a corner.

Then, in the sixth of nine added minutes, Neto struck home past the wrong-footed Andre Onana as United were caught on the break.

Wolves celebrated wildly – but it proved premature as Mainoo had the final word in a remarkable game.

Erik ten Hag’s side move back into the top seven after ending a run of four away league matches without winning and are now eight points off the Champions League places, while Wolves stay 11th.

Rashford scores five minutes into United return

At the beginning of the evening all eyes were on Rashford, who started for United despite being the subject of what the club called an “internal disciplinary matter”.

The forward missed Sunday’s win at Newport County after it was reported last week that he had been seen in nightspots in Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday before arriving to training unwell on Friday.

Ten Hag says he considers the “case closed” as Rashford has “taken responsibility” – and the England international certainly did inside the opening five minutes.

A low cross from the right was flicked back by Hojlund to the edge of the area, and Rashford produced a slick and controlled finish to curl the ball past Sa, before celebrating in front of away fans and being mobbed by team-mates.

Rashford’s connection with Luke Shaw looked refreshed too, with the England duo combining in the Wolves area before the left-back set up Hojlund for the second. The striker slid in to finish from close range from Shaw’s low cross as the Wolves defence failed to clear.

It has been a chastening week for Rashford and United, with Ten Hag forced to field plenty of questions about the forward’s future at Old Trafford.

While Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho were forced to exit after fallouts with the Dutch manager, Rashford has been reintegrated – and showed why he has the trust of Ten Hag.

After scoring early doors, Rashford tracked back nearly 50 yards to hassle Matheus Cunha into shooting straight at Onana – himself returning to the XI, following Cameroon’s early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Indeed, the entire United team was seemingly renewed as they swarmed Wolves in the first 45 minutes. Hojlund was unlucky not to make it three when he charged down a Sa clearance, and both he and Casemiro had goals ruled out by the offside flag.

But United’s issues with inconsistency were laid bare after the break as Wolves were allowed to get back in the game – and ultimately they were left to rely on another academy product in Mainoo to bail them out.