United records 2-0 win over Wolves

MANCHESTER: Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho struck as Manchester United notched up a comfortable 2-0 Premier League home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) on Saturday, a result that moved it a step closer to a return to the Champions League.

With the top-four qualifying directly for next season’s CL group stage, United is fourth on the table on 66 points, four points ahead of the fifth-placed Liverpool with both sides having three matches left. Wolves is 13th with 40 points.

In a match played at a sluggish pace, United winger Antony curled a shot wide in the ninth minute after sloppy Wolves defending. The Brazilian continued to offer a creative spark as he regularly cut in from the right wing onto his favoured left foot to shoot.

Antony headed over from point-blank range on the half-hour mark but he made amends two minute later, tearing down the right on a quick counter-attack and squaring the ball for Martial to fire home.

Antony was in the thick of the action again on the hour mark as Bruno Fernandes back-heeled the ball to him on the edge of the box, but the Brazilian’s shot deflected just wide of the near post.

Fernandes should have made it 2-0 when he cut in from the left and fired from close range in the 64th minute but ebutant keeper Daniel Bentley saved his shot. and Jadon Sancho’s similar effort was also kept out.

With the Wolves attack looking toothless, Casemiro forced another fine save from Bentley in the 82nd minute with a dipping shot, and substitute Wout Weghorst headed over the bar from close range from the resulting corner. But, the second goal eventually came.

Brought off the bench in the 82nd minute after a long spell out due to an ankle injury, Garnacho wrapped up the three points. After a long run, he took a shot that bounced off the inside of the right-hand post deep into stoppage time.

Commenting on the match, Fernandes said: “We did our job, we needed to get the three points and win the game. After two defeats (to Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United), we knew how important it was to get the momentum back to our side.”

Fernandes added: “We did a professional game and could have scored more, (but) its keeper (Bentley) had a really good game to keep Wolves in the match.”

RESULTS: Manchester United 2 (A Martial 32, A Garnacho 90) bt Wolverhampton Wanderers 0; Leeds United 2 (L Ayling 7, R Kristensen 79) drew with Newcastle United 2 (C Wilson 31(P), 69(P)); Aston Villa 2 (J Ramsey 8, D Luiz 72) bt Tottenham Hotspur 1 (H Kane 90(P)); Chelsea 2 (R Sterling 51 & 58) drew with Nottingham Forest 2 (T Awoniyi 13 & 62)