fernandes red card costs man utd in sobering wolves defeat

Fernandes' Red Card Costs Man Utd In Sobering Wolves Defeat

Manchester United's struggles deepened on Boxing Day with a 2-0 defeat at Wolves, compounded by captain Bruno Fernandes' red card early in the second half.

Fernandes, dismissed for a second bookable offence, left United with an uphill battle at Molineux. Wolves capitalised on the man advantage, with Matheus Cunha scoring directly from a corner and later assisting Hwang Hee-chan's stoppage-time goal.

The defeat marked United's third consecutive loss, leaving Ruben Amorim's side in 14th place. Wolves, meanwhile, climbed out of the relegation zone under new manager Vitor Pereira, securing back-to-back victories.

United's frailty from set-pieces was exposed yet again as Cunha's in-swinging corner evaded goalkeeper Andre Onana, who appeared obstructed but received no reprieve from the referee. This marked the fifth consecutive Premier League game where United conceded from a dead-ball situation.

Amorim, appointed last month to revive the fallen giants, has won just two of his first seven league games. The optimism that greeted his arrival now feels like a distant memory, with United's attack looking toothless even before Fernandes' dismissal.