The greatest is frequently reserved until last. The final name announced over the stadium PA system before of Manchester United’s first game of the season against Wolves was Alejandro Garnacho, and the fans erupted.
Garnacho wants to be the best, so he smiled before putting the ball into the net during the pre-match shooting drill. He also returned to the dressing room to the sound of a chorus of ‘Viva Garnacho’ from the Stretford End.
This game was an opportunity for Garnacho to demonstrate his ability to effect a Premier League game from start to finish, and he began in flamboyant fashion, begging for the ball each time control was won in the first few minutes.
Garnacho has a habit of being overly excited when he first comes in, and he was precisely that throughout the first half, which resulted in him losing the ball and an easy pass from Casemiro towards the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
It was a shaky start for the 19-year-old, and he wasn’t the only one. Wolves looked the superior side in the opening exchanges, creating great chances for Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha.
Andre Onana had Sarabia’s attempt covered, but he appeared to be caught off guard by Cunha’s right-footed effort. Old Trafford sighed a collective sigh of relief, as the travelling support clapped, growing increasingly optimistic about the chances of a result.
Those missed chances seemed to serve as a wake-up call for United, and they gradually gained control of the game as the first half progressed, but the final pass around Wolves’ box was ultimately insufficient, and the midfield struggled to exert control.
Despite Garnacho’s efforts to create whenever he had the ball, his attempt at step-overs before taking a heavy touch just before half-time summed up the team’s performance, and Erik ten Hag was bound to have words with him during the interval.
Ten Hag wanted his veteran players to step up, and they did. This was meant to be a night for a young Garnacho to shine, but it was the veteran players of the squad who started to make a difference.
Casemiro was the most impressive of the starting midfield three in the opening 45 minutes, and he continued where he left off after the break, making vital interventions and funneling up the pitch when pressure was needed to be relieved.
Despite being in the latter stages of his career, the Brazilian remains one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, and the minority’s pre-season social media buzz about the ‘need’ to replace him was always amusing.
Mason Mount, who was removed with less than 20 minutes remaining, and Bruno Fernandes were off the pace, but Casemiro kept the squad going and was likely the star performer, along with Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
There was some dispute before the game about whether Wan-Bissaka should start. There will be no before the weekend encounter against Tottenham since the right-back was brilliant against Wolves in both defensive and offensive situations.
Wan-Bissaka got off to a fast start, and that set the tone for the rest of the game. He made Cunha look dumb by regaining the ball in style in the first half, and his night only got better when he assisted the matchwinner.
After marauding down the right wing, Wan-Bissaka lofted a cross onto Raphael Varane, and Wolves’ defense was finally overcome, with the Frenchman headed home past a hapless Jose Sa in goal.
Varane celebrated loudly in the Stretford End, while a member of the club’s security staff punched the air. Varane rarely scores, but he seemed to enjoy his goal, which appeared to be enough for the three points.
That is, until Andre Onana crashed with Max Kilman in the last seconds of the race. It appeared to be a straightforward penalty, and VAR confirmed it, but the spot kick was strangely not awarded, prompting an angry appeal from Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.
United survived the penalty appeal and gained their 21st Premier League opening-day victory. It was not a vintage performance, and others would have thanked Varane, Wan-Bissaka, and Casemiro at full-time.
Those guys delivered on a frustrating night for United, and they will almost certainly start against Tottenham.
