Manchester United produced a commanding 4-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, a result that moves the visitors up to sixth in the Premier League table. Bruno Fernandes scored twice and was deeply involved in United’s attacking play, while Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount also found the net. Wolves’ goal came from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, the hosts’ first Premier League goal since October.

The match swung quickly. United took the lead when Matheus Cunha dispossessed André and set up Fernandes, who turned away from Emmanuel Agbadou to finish off an improvised move. Wolves responded in first-half stoppage time when a throw-in developed into a David Møller Wolfe delivery finished by Bellegarde.

United’s response after the interval was rapid. Luke Shaw won the ball inside his own half and United moved forward; Cunha played in behind to Diogo Dalot, whose cross found Mbeumo to restore the lead. Mount extended the advantage with a volley from a lofted through ball by Fernandes. The Portugal international completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute after Yerson Mosquera was penalised for handball.

United finished the match with a clear statistical advantage: 60 percent possession, 14 total shots and five on target, compared with Wolves’ 40 percent possession and three shots. The visitors created the better chances and controlled large portions of the game as they took the three points back to Manchester.

Individual performances were notable. Fernandes was the standout with a 9.4 rating, Mbeumo earned an 8.5, and Matheus Cunha registered 8.0 for his contributions in the build-up. Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot both received 7.9, Casemiro 7.3 and Mason Mount 7.4. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens was given 6.9. Among substitutes, Lisandro Martínez was rated 6.5, Leny Yoro 6.6 and Kobbie Mainoo 6.1; Patrick Dorgu and Joshua Zirkzee were listed N/A.

The result leaves United level on points with fourth-place Chelsea ahead of their clash with Bournemouth at Old Trafford next Monday.

Mohamed Salah’s public criticism of Liverpool and manager Arne Slot led to a swift reaction from the coach, who stressed that politeness should not be mistaken for weakness. The 33-year-old forward had said he was being “thrown under the bus” for Liverpool’s poor run of form and claimed he has “no relationship” with Slot. Less than 48 hours later, Salah was left out of Liverpool’s squad to face Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Slot, 47 years old, spent more than 10 minutes answering questions at his pre-game news conference on Monday and outlined how the club had communicated with the player. “We know he is not travelling with us, so that was the only communication that’s been there from us to him. Before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter,” he said. “That’s not the way I feel but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I haven’t felt that at all until Saturday evening for sure.

“Usually I am calm and polite but it doesn’t mean I’m weak. When a player says things like that we have to react as a club. And you can see he is not here.”

Slot acknowledged surprise at Salah’s remarks given the forward’s behaviour in recent weeks. “When I didn’t play him anymore, usually players don’t like the manager that much, but he was very respectful to the staff members and to his teammates and he trained really hard so it was a bit of a surprise when I heard he made those comments,” he said. “But it’s not the first time a player hasn’t played. My reaction to that is also clear and that’s why he isn’t here.”

Even with the fallout, Slot left the door open for reconciliation. “I’m a firm believer that there is always a return for a player.” he stated. The manager declined to say whether Salah would be available for the visit of Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday, the player’s last possible appearance before joining Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. The comments come amid a difficult run for the defending English champions, who have won just two of their last 10 games in the English top-flight.

Wrexham have announced a new minority investment from Apollo Sports Capital (ASC) as the club continues its long-term objective of reaching the Premier League. BBC report the stake is thought to be less than 10%, leaving Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as the majority shareholders and controlling owners of the oldest club in Wales. The two Hollywood stars purchased Wrexham back in 2020 and have led the once forgotten side from the National League to the Championship.

“From day one, we wanted to build a sustainable future for Wrexham Association Football Club. And to do it with a little heart and humour,” Reynolds and McElhenney said in a joint-statement.

“The dream has always been to take this club to the Premier League while staying true to the town. Growth like that takes world-class partners who share our vision and ambition, and Apollo absolutely does. We have known Al Tylis, the CEO of Apollo Sports Capital, for many years and are thrilled to now have ASC join the Wrexham family as we take the next step forward together.”

Al Tylis, Reynolds and McElhenney also hold minority stakes in Liga MX side Necaxa and Colombian side La Equidad. The broader investor group includes Eva Longoria, two-time World Series champion Justin Verlander and his wife, Kate Upton.

On the field, Wrexham are in their first Championship campaign in 43 years and currently sit 12th in the standings through 19 games. Phil Parkinson’s men are just three points off the playoff places, helped by a nine-game unbeaten streak in England’s second-tier.

“Wrexham is on an incredible journey, and we are thrilled to be a part of it and to support the club, the Wrexham community and Rob and Ryan,” said Apollo Partner and ASC Co-Portfolio Manager Lee Solomon.

“This is a multi-faceted investment where Apollo Sports Capital can provide long-term, patient capital to help Wrexham reach its goals and to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of the facilities and local economy.”

Securing a place in the Premier League seemed impossible for the Red Dragons just four years ago, and yet now, they are closer than ever before, with new financial backing to help them along the way.