Goals from Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho earned Manchester United a deserved 2-0 win over Wolves at a sun-kissed Old Trafford on Saturday.
Martial slotted home from close range after Antony had breached Wolves' defensive line - beating the retreating Craig Dawson after debutant Daniel Bentley had left his goal to close the Brazilian down - before Garnacho added a second in injury time after latching on to Bruno Fernandes' on the counter.
Bentley was in terrific form all afternoon for the visitors having been given the nod in goal by manager Julen Lopetegui, and made some fantastic saves from Jadon Sancho, Casemiro and Antony to prevent the winning margin from being greater.
Antony looked to be in particularly good touch for United, mixing devastating turns of pace with diligence in his defensive duties - the only thing missing from the 22-year-old's repertoire on the day being composure and the ability to pick the right pass.
Wolves didn't offer much of a threat, leaving David de Gea as a spectator for much of the afternoon, and they deservedly went behind when Max Kilman stepped into midfield to try and win the ball from Fernandes, only to lose out to the Portugal international.
Moments later the ball was slipped through to Antony, who had ghosted into the space vacated by Kilman, and he left Martial the easiest task after drawing Bentley off his line.
Bentley's saves in the second half from Sancho and Antony were particularly impressive, but he could do nothing about Garnacho's goal. The young Argentine, who recently signed a new long-term contract, ran through on goal after collecting Fernandes' perfectly timed through ball, and he ricocheted a shot off the inside of Bentley's near post and into the back of the net.
It was just reward for United, who now hold a four-point lead over Liverpool in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
Man Utd player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: David de Gea - 5/10 - Most notable action in the first half was smashing the ball out of play - another nod to his kicking woes.
RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 6/10 - Didn't pose a threat in the attacking third but solid enough in defensive areas.
CB: Raphael Varane - 7/10 - Facing Diego Costa of Wolves was far easier than facing Diego Costa of Chelsea in yesteryear, but the Spaniard was a threat nevertheless.
CB: Victor Lindelof - 7/10 - Given very little to do as most of Wolves' threat came in the form of pressing.
LB: Luke Shaw - 7/10 - Far more dynamic than Wan-Bissaka on the other flank, creating chances and getting forward on the overlap.
DM: Casemiro - 6/10 - A little sloppy on the ball at times and picked up his customary card.
CM: Christian Eriksen - 6/10 - Had a couple of early half chances, firing over and wide, but was a little rushed at times.
CM: Bruno Fernandes - 8/10 - Can be really frustrating when United are looking to close out games but there's no denying his ability to create chances.
RW: Antony - 7/10 - Really, really lively in the first 45 minutes but let down by his execution and decision making more often than not. Did set up Martial's goal well.
CF: Anthony Martial - 7/10 - Took his chance clinically and led the line well. Getting sharper as he continues to tuck minutes under his belt.
LW: Jadon Sancho - 6/10 - There will be a game where Sancho explodes into life, but it's evident that he's a couple of good performances away from really believing in himself.
Substitutes
SUB: Wout Weghorst (69' for Martial) - 6/10 - Offered nothing to suggest his Premier League goal duck will be broken.
SUB: Fred (81' for Eriksen) - N/A
SUB: Harry Maguire (81' for Varane) - N/A
SUB: Alejandro Garnacho (81' for Sancho) - 7/10 - Took his goal superbly.
Subs not used: Butland (GK), Dalot, Malacia, Pellestri, Elanga
Manager
Erik ten Hag - 7/10 - The result was the only important thing for Ten Hag and his side did enough to win the game.
Current Premier League table, top scorers & upcoming fixtures
Wolves player ratings (4-4-2)
GK: Daniel Bentley - 8/10 - Superb saves from Sancho and Antony in a very accomplished Premier League debut.
RB: Nelson Semedo - 6/10 - Full of energy at right-back and won four ground duels.
CB: Craig Dawson - 6/10 - Always a threat at corners and composed in his defensive duties.
CB: Max Kilman - 5/10 - Stepped out into midfield to try and beat Fernandes to the ball and lost out - that resulted in their being space for Antony to exploit and led directly to Martial's goal. Good otherwise.
LB: Toti Gomes - 5/10 - Struggled to keep a lid on Antony's first half movement so perhaps no surprise that he didn't last the full 90 minutes.
RM: Matheus Nunes - 6/10 - Not enough of an end product to worry United in the final third.
CM: Ruben Neves - 7/10 - Not a brilliant performance by any stretch of the imagination but a very calm all around display.
CM: Mario Lemina - 6/10 - Worked hard out of possession as Wolves tried to apply a high press on United.
LM: Pedro Neto - 5/10 - A very ineffective showing led to an unsurprising half-time hooking.
CF: Matheus Cunha - 5/10 - Not enough threat from the Atletico Madrid loanee despite a couple of nice touches.
CF: Diego Costa - 6/10 - Lovely lunge on Antony for a throwback yellow card in the first half. Nowhere near his prime but combative at least.
Substitutes
SUB: Hwang Hee-chan (46' for Neto) - 6/10 - Helped Wolves apply more pressure in the second half but no cutting edge.
SUB: Daniel Podence (61' for Cunha) - 5/10 - No real impact.
SUB: Hugo Bueno (61' for Gomes) - 6/10 - Spent more time tracking back than going forward.
SUB: Adama Traore (75' for Lemina) - N/A
SUB: Raul Jimenez (78' for Diego Costa) - N/A
Subs not used: Sa (GK), Collins, Joao Gomes, Sarabia
Manager
Julen Lopetegui - 5/10 - Made his side difficult to beat but Wolves showed little appetite to throw caution to the wind.
Player of the Match: Daniel Bentley (Wolves)
This article was originally published on 90min as Man Utd 2-0 Wolves: Player ratings as Martial & Garnacho boost Champions League hopes.
