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Wolves boosted by Everton win
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Rashford in fine form for United
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Antony averaging over three shots per game
Dramatic finale gives Lopetegui the perfect start
After Rayan Ait-Nouri crashed home a last-gasp winner against Everton at Goodison Park, new Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui pumped his fists like he'd won the Premier League.
That ferocious celebration was perfectly understandable - Lopetegui has staked part of his reputation on dragging the West Midlands club out of relegation danger, and that win against a fellow struggler provided a healthy and early boost.
Wolves have been chasing Lopetegui for a long time (they were strongly linked with him back in 2016), and when you look at his pedigree you can see why.
He had a tough start at Porto, but recovered to lead Spain to the 2018 World Cup. Then came the biggest misstep of his career to date, as he negotiated with Real Madrid behind the Spanish federation's back, and was promptly dismissed before the finals in Russia began. Predictably, the subterfuge wasn't worth it, as Real turfed him out less than three months into his tenure.
His renaissance came in Seville, as he led Sevilla to victory in the Europa League, and regularly qualified for the Champions League.
He was ultimately undone by the club's inability to retain key players, as first-choice centre-backs Diego Carlos and Jules Koundé left in the same transfer window, and the excellent Lucas Ocampos joined Ajax.
Lopetegui takes over a talented group of players, and according to our friends at Infogol, the Expected Goals data suggests that Wolves should actually be 12th in the standings, as they are underperforming compared to xG at both ends of the pitch. The attacking issues are particularly chronic, as the team has scored just ten league goals from an xG of 17.9.
Pedro Neto and Sasa Kalajdzic are long-term absentees, but there are no fresh concerns. Daniel Podence, who scored the opener against Everton at Goodison Park, is expected to shake off a knock.
Ten Hag's United have found their rhythm
The King is dead, long live the King. Cristiano Ronaldo may have once been the dominant figure at Old Trafford, but having irked new coach Erik ten Hag with his petulant behaviour, the pouting Portuguese has been jettisoned.
Winning that battle of wills has strengthened ten Hag's authority, and the remaining players now know who truly holds the reins of power. The likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick were never afforded that luxury.
United are very much in the mix for Champions League qualification, although with Arsenal and Manchester City looking likely to finish in the top two, the remaining spots may well be between United, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and Newcastle. United are trading at 2.26/5 on the Exchange to finish in the top four.
United dismissed a hapless Nottingham Forest 3-0 last time out, their fourth league win in the last six attempts. Marcus Rashford continues his revival by scoring the opener, and the England forward has now netted eight times across his last 13 appearances for club and country. Luke Shaw did well in an unfamiliar centre-back role, and Casemiro gave another sturdy display at the base of midfield.
Victor Lindelof and Scott McTominay hope to return after illness, while Lisandro Martinez is back in training after his World Cup-winning exploits.
United too short at odds-on
Opta tell us that Manchester United have won on their last two Premier League visits to Molineux, and have never won their three times in a row. However, it's worth noting that the last meeting saw Wolves win 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Although United are undoubtedly heading in the right direction under ten Hag, they have only won two of their last five away games in the league, and I can't get excited about backing them to win here at 1.9620/21.
Instead, I like the look of Both Teams To Score at 1.910/11. That bet has landed in United's last five away games, and although Wolves are struggling to score goals, BTTS has landed in four of their last six league matches.
Rampant Rashford worth backing
Given Marcus Rashford's recent improvement, I'm happy to use him in a Bet Builder for this game on the Sportsbook. According to fbRef.com, the England international is averaging 2.6 shots per 90 in the Premier League this term, including just over one shot on target per game.
Therefore, I'll combine a BTTS bet with Rashford to have a shot on target at 2.285/4. I'll also throw in Antony to have two shots or more. Since arriving at Old Trafford, the Brazilian winger has averaged 3.57 goal attempts per 90 in the Premier League. Finally, let's go for Casemiro to commit at least one foul. The defensive patrolman has committed 22 fouls in the Premier League already, putting him in the league's top ten after just 12 appearances.