Wolves 1-4 Manchester United match highlights and review
Man Utd secured an important win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and it might have changed one transfer plan.
It is difficult to read too much into Manchester United's win over Wolves, given it didn't exactly teach us much we didn't know already. Bruno Fernandes is still the most important player, Mason Mount has a key role to play under Ruben Amorim, and United are still capable of conceding cheap goals against the most underwhelming opposition.
That shouldn't take anything away from the fact it was an important win though after the recent draw with West Ham. Due to the congested nature of the Premier League table, it is easy to sensationalise league positions and one result can drastically alter perceptions. Last week, United appeared to be in crisis. Now, they are sixth in the table.
United will face tougher tests in across their next three matches with Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Newcastle the opponents. Those are the games that will tell us more about Amorim's side and they will also tell us more about a player who might have changed United's transfer plans this week.
Read More
Heaven and Hell
Manchester United fans might have thought it would be a while before they would see Ayden Heaven again after his poor performance in the West Ham draw last week. The 19-year-old was handed a shock first start of the season but was substituted at half-time after he found himself on a yellow card and ran the risk of a red.
Ruben Amorim backed the teenage centre-back after the draw and claimed United missed his aerial presence during the second half, though it was hard to tell just how much he meant it. Few expected Heaven to retain his starting role against Wolves, but that is exactly what he did on Monday night as he produced a much-improved performance.
Heaven completed every pass (36/36), won every ground duel (2/2) and won every aerial duel (4/4) in the Wolves win, an impressive response for someone of such a young age. He only signed for the club back in February and has already made 11 competitive appearances to become a valuable fringe player at first-team level.
"I think Ayden has a great future," Amorim said after the Wolves win. "He’s really hard to beat. He adapts really well in the centre. We have Mattha and Harry with problems. Of course, he needs more rhythm to play 90 minutes. I think he did really well and I really enjoyed to see him with the ball, and that was a very good point in his game."
It is only last month Heaven featured for the U21s amid a lack of playing time, with United mindful he might need to leave on loan next month to get some more minutes under his belt. The teenage centre-back has never kicked up a fuss and is content with his squad role, something he has been rewarded with after two successive senior starts.
His playing time could dry up again once Harry Maguire and Matthijs De Ligt are both match fit, but on Monday night, Heaven made the case why his immediate development might be better-suited if he were to stay in Manchester instead. If United have a fully fit defensive line by the end of the year, a loan exit might still be the wise short-term decision, and interest won't be short in a player who has already impressed in the top-flight.
With Maguire out of contract next summer and United in the market for a centre-back, Heaven has sent the perfect reminder that they might already have their long-term replacement.
Continue Reading