Manchester United Back in Form? 4-1 Rout of Wolves Shows Promise But Questions Remain

Manchester United finally looked like a side on the up as they steamrolled Wolves 4-1 at Molineux on Monday night, but don’t start celebrating just yet. After a season of stop-start form, this was United at their attacking best—but old doubts remain.

Mason Mount starred with a superb goal, his third in four starts, proving the England midfielder is starting to hit the heights expected of his £55m Chelsea move in 2023. But United’s rollercoaster season means fans are still wary. Just nine days earlier, they had thumped Crystal Palace, only to stumble to a disappointing draw against rock-bottom West Ham. And the run before that? Three wins in a row, followed by three games without a victory, including a home defeat to a 10-man Everton.

Against Wolves, however, everything clicked. United fired 27 shots— their highest in a Premier League match under Ruben Amorim. They dominated possession, led for more minutes than in the entirety of last season, and showcased the kind of ruthless finishing missing for months. Yet Amorim was cautious in his post-match chat, stressing that Wolves’ struggles and off-field unrest made this result a “specific case.”

“This is a specific case,” said the United boss. “We faced a team that is really, really struggling. You can sense it in every situation of the game. This moment for Wolves is really hard, as a team and as a club. We took advantage of that.”

Even so, Amorim admitted the first half wasn’t perfect. Wolves, under new boss Rob Edwards, managed to score through Jean-Ricner Bellegarde—ending a 540-minute goal drought—and gave United a scare early on. Sir Jim Ratcliffe was in the stands, pictured deep in discussion with director of football Jason Wilcox, as the game ebbed and flowed. Amorim took a moment alone in the dugout at half-time to reset his squad.

“We should have finished that half differently,” he said. “At half-time, they understood we have everything to win the game. If you look at Everton, that was three points. We could have had two more points against West Ham. Look at the table, the environment, everything. We needed to win the second half. It didn’t matter the result.”

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher was impressed but wary: “We make the assumption there is a bad result around the corner.” United’s defensive issues persist—they’ve kept only one clean sheet this season, against Sunderland on 4 October. Form is inconsistent: one defeat in nine or just two wins in six. After failing to capitalise on opportunities to rise to second place, United sit sixth. Play goes their way, and they could leap to fourth after Bournemouth on 15 December—but a slip could see them back in mid-table.

Injury and availability remain a concern. Netherlands international Matthijs de Ligt, sidelined against West Ham with a minor knock, missed Wolves too. Amorim admits he isn’t sure when the defender will return. Talks continue with Morocco, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon over Africa Cup of Nations call-ups for Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo.

Mount’s emergence offers a silver lining. With main striker Benjamin Sesko injured and Mbeumo set to depart for AFCON, Mount provides attacking versatility. “If you compare the past he had in Chelsea, he has great quality,” said Amorim. “He can defend, he can attack, and the quality when he touches the ball is really good. It’s not a surprise for me. But we need to take care of him. He’s going to be really important for our club.”

So, Monday night was a step forward—but United are still a side in flux. Fans can cheer the goals, praise the young stars, and hope the run continues—but with league unpredictability, injuries, and AFCON looming, nothing is guaranteed in this stop-start season at Old Trafford.