Manchester United are set to continue their Premier League season when they kick-off 2022 against Wolves.
Having produced a lacklustre performance in drawing with Newcastle, the Old Trafford giants improved to beat Burnley on Thursday night, and there is now another quick turnaround for Ralf Rangnick and his United side as they get down to business against Wolves.
That contest will take place in the Premier League on Monday afternoon (5.30pm) at Old Trafford.
Here is what three big-name pundits are predicting will happen against Bruno Lage’s side:
Mark Lawrenson – BBC Sport
Speaking to BBC Sport, the former Liverpool player said: “Wolves don’t score too many, so I’m backing Manchester United here, but it’s going to be very interesting to see what kind of performance we see from Ralf Rangnick’s side.
“United were awful against Newcastle and, although they were much better against Burnley, their inconsistency is one of the things Rangnick has to tackle if they are going to make it into the top four.”
Score prediction: United 2-0 Wolves
Paul Merson – Sky Sports
Speaking as part of his latest Sky Sports column, Merson said: “You just don’t know what you’re going to get with Manchester United. They were so fortunate against Norwich City and were never going to beat Newcastle United away from home, so this will once again be a hard game for them.
“Based on what I’ve seen, I don’t see them finishing top four. Manchester United are a long way off now and if they somehow manage to get to fourth, it’ll be a great season for them.”
Merson added: “In terms of their team, I strongly believe Cristiano Ronaldo should be left out of the team. It won’t happen, but Edinson Cavani should take his place – with Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood in contention to play on the wings.
“Something’s just not right there. I think there is a lot going on behind the scenes.”
Score prediction: United 1-0 Wolves
Michael Owen – BetVictor
The BetVictor ambassador, Owen said: “This is a big game for Man United. I know that it’s early on in Ralf Rangnick’s tenure, but it really does feel like he needs a couple of big wins to stamp his authority on this side and to get the fans on board.
“Recent performances haven’t been great and it seems like he’s having the same issues as Ole did, finding the right system to fit all these players.
“Wolves continue to impress me defensively. They are so organised and hard to break down. I’m sure Wolves fans will be a little frustrated because, if they could just score more, they’d be in the top four race. For Wolves to be as high as they are having only scored 13 goals is remarkable and it shows how good they’ve been at the back.
“There won’t be much in this game, but United will narrowly edge this and it could be yet another late winner from a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Score prediction: United 1-0 Wolves