Wolves halted an 11-match losing streak with a resilient 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, as Ladislav Krejci’s first-half header cancelled Joshua Zirkzee’s deflected opener and earned the Premier League’s bottom club a rare point on the road.
The hosts still believed victory was theirs in the final minute of normal time when Patrick Dorgu, who scored the winner against Newcastle United in Manchester United’s previous league game, tucked in a rebound, only for the assistant’s flag to cut short those celebrations.
Manchester United moved ahead in the 27th minute after Joshua Zirkzee spun away from a defender inside the area and fired goalwards, with the effort diverting off Ladislav Krejci and wrong-footing Jose Sa for Zirkzee’s
first top-flight home goal in more than a year.
Wolves almost levelled before the equaliser when Benjamin Sesko met a cross from close range and directed a header against the upright, with Jose Sa beaten, as the visitors showed far greater attacking threat than their league position suggested at Old Trafford.
The pressure from Wolves finally brought reward shortly before half-time, when Ladislav Krejci timed a run into the box and guided a precise header into the far corner, turning frustration from the earlier own goal into relief for the travelling support behind that net.
Both sides created chances to win the contest after the interval. Jose Sa reacted sharply to scoop Yerson Mosquera’s miscued defensive header off the goal-line, then Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens denied Mosquera and Ladislav Krejci in quick succession during an increasingly stretched second period.
Late drama arrived on 90 minutes as Benjamin Sesko’s effort was parried and Patrick Dorgu converted the loose ball, but the assistant immediately flagged for offside against Dorgu, leaving Manchester United frustrated and Wolves satisfied with what could prove a morale-boosting draw.
A point earned at Old Trafford. pic.twitter.com/ysE5Ccls9QWolves (@Wolves) December 30, 2025
Wolves and Manchester United Premier League data debrief
The result means Wolves avoid matching Ipswich Town’s record of 26 Premier League defeats in a calendar year, set in 1994, though the 2025 tally of 29 points from 38 matches gives Wolves a points-per-game figure of 0.76.
That return is the poorest across a complete Premier League year since Huddersfield Town collected 23 points from 37 fixtures in 2018, a rate of 0.62, underlining how difficult 2025 has been for Wolves despite the valuable Old Trafford draw.
Wolves also reach unwanted territory by becoming only the second top-flight side to start a campaign with a 19-match winless run, after Bolton Wanderers in the 1902-03 season, and no club in any of England’s top four tiers had done that since Macclesfield Town in League Two in 2006-07.
Defensive issues remain clear as Wolves concede at least 40 goals by the halfway point for the second successive Premier League season, allowing 42 in 2024-25 and 40 in 2025-26, yet this point at Manchester United offers a small positive as Wolves move towards 2026.
