Man United clip Wolves in thriller
MARCUS RASHFORD scored an early goal on his return after a disciplinary issue and Kobbie Mainoo grabbed a winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time for Manchester United in a wild 4-3 win at Wolverhampton in the English Premier League.
In another match played yesterday, West Ham and Bournemouth drew 1-1.
United manager Erik ten Hag recalled Rashford to the starting line-up at Molineux after the England forward was left out of the FA Cup win at Newport on Sunday, with the club saying he was too ill to take part. Rashford was reportedly seen in a Belfast night spot last Thursday and missed training the following day.
He repaid the faith of his manager by giving United the lead against Wolves with a curling strike into the far corner from the edge of the area in the fifth minute.
Rashford was off the field after being substituted for the dramatic finale to the match, which saw Wolves score in the 85th minute through Max Kilman and again in the fifth minute of stoppage time through Pedro Neto to fight back from 3-1 to 3-3.
There was still time for Mainoo, an 18-year-old defensive midfielder with a bright future, to dance through a number of challenges and curl a brilliant low shot into the far corner from outside the area.
United moved up to seventh place.
At the London Stadium, Kalvin Phillips started his loan spell at West Ham by making an error, leading to a goal inside three minutes of a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
The England midfielder’s loose back-pass under pressure went straight to Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, who had the simple task of slotting home from close range for his 13th league goal this season - just one behind joint-leading scorers Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.
Phillips’ debut lasted 68 minutes before he was substituted, by which time West Ham had equalised through James WardProwse’s penalty in the 61st after Mohammed Kudus - recently returned from playing at the Africa Cup of Nations for Ghana - was tripped.
Phillips joined West Ham last week on a six-month loan from Manchester City, where he remained out of favour midway through his second season at the champions. He will be hoping the move secures him guaranteed playing time ahead of the European Championship in Germany, starting in June.
The point kept West Ham in sixth place, seven points behind Aston Villa in fifth. Bournemouth moved up one place to 12th.