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.

James Featherstone, the agent for Adam Wharton, has outlined a structured pathway for the midfielder as he targets a regular England place. Central to that plan is Champions League football, a requirement Featherstone says any potential suitor must be able to meet if they are to help Wharton reach the international level.

United have been repeatedly linked with Wharton as a priority midfield target. The player is described in scouting terms as an upright defensive midfielder who lacks the lashings of physicality favoured by Ruben Amorim but offers a penetrative passing range that could improve supply to a costly frontline that can at times lack service.

Wharton also carries experience of operating in a 3-4-2-1 system that Amorim favours on team sheets, even though Crystal Palace set up differently. What he does not possess is Champions League experience.

Wharton’s rise has been rapid. A Blackburn Rovers academy graduate, he had not played a top-flight game before the start of 2024. Palace signed him in February 2024 and by the end of that season he had been called into the England squad for Euro 2024. Gareth Southgate did not give Wharton a single minute during England’s run to the final, and the 21-year-old waited until November to make his competitive debut under Thomas Tuchel.

Featherstone made clear that international recognition is the priority and explained the steps. “When he was at Blackburn we sat down and spoke about shooting for the stars and playing for England,” Featherstone outlined on talkSPORT . “So how do you get there? Personally I think to play for England you have to play Champions League, to play in the Champions League you have got to play for one of the top teams in one of the top leagues.

“That jump to a Champions League team [straight from the Championship], I think you can get lost. The plan below that was to play for a Premier League team.”

Featherstone also urged patience. “We have got a plan,” he insisted. “He [Wharton] is 21. I have to check myself to remember that every now and then. It doesn’t have to be achieved yesterday, today or this moment.

“He has got his in-game, in-season targets and goals. He has got to do his bit and the rest will look after itself in a very structured, calm way to ultimately add value and maximise his ability.”

Featherstone’s criteria mean that any destination, including Manchester United, would have to qualify for the Champions League. Ahead of Monday’s clash with rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers, Amorim’s side sit 12th but remain only three points adrift of the top five, with fifth likely to be sufficient for qualification this year. Amorim is not getting ahead of himself.

Diogo Dalot refused to let Ruben Amorim’s public criticism define his response after recent matches. The United right-back has returned to the starting line-up for the club’s last two games after Dorgu was dropped, and he opened the scoring against West Ham on Monday night before being substituted and watching from the bench as his teammates conceded a late equaliser.

On the criticism, Dalot pointed to a collective responsibility rather than a targeted rebuke. “I think it’s something in general,” he told The Independent . “He could be talking about me but I think he could be talking about everyone at the club.

“We always have to find ways to improve ourselves, be more consistent. We are in a team where you’re as good as your last game.”

The 26-year-old highlighted the pressure that accompanies the club’s expectations and referenced a personal milestone at Old Trafford. It was Dalot’s first ever Premier League goal at Old Trafford seven and a half years on from his debut. “So, you just have to know that this is a type of pressure for a big club like Man Utd.

“Fortunately, I’m here long enough to understand how it works and find a way to help the team. I think that’s the aim for everybody.”

Dalot urged a change in mindset across the squad, insisting on greater obsession with performance and winning. “I think we’ve shown this season that we can be a very good team and we can beat anybody. Then, it’s something that we need to get into ourselves,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s not football qualities. It has to be from inside. It has to be from the anger and the drive that you have every day to win football games and to live your life like that.

“I think we need to become a bit more obsessed about playing for this club, winning games and winning trophies for this club. But it’s a process.”

Rejecting calls for patience, Dalot said the demand for immediate results is clear. “I’m not going to get into the ‘we need time’ thing,” he sniffed. “I think we have to win straight away because that’s what the club demands.

“That’s why it hurts sometimes even more when we have opportunities like this [against West Ham] and we don’t win.

“Even after winning three or four games in a row, people will expect you to win five or six or seven. So, we just have to focus on one game, one win at the time.”