Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford as Joshua Zirkzee and Ladislav Krejčí traded goals in a night that yielded frustration more than momentum.

The match swung in momentum early. United rode initial Wolves pressure before Joshua Zirkzee put the hosts ahead just over midway through the first half. That lead lasted until the interval when Ladislav Krejčí met a loose ball from a corner to guide a firm header back across goal and level the scores.

Both sides created opportunities after half-time and both goalkeepers had decisive moments. Senne Lammens made important saves in either half that potentially stopped Wolves claiming a first win of the season. José Sá also produced several key interventions, including a timely scoop to prevent an own goal and stops from Šeško headers.

United will view the result as two points dropped from a fixture that offered a chance to build momentum. There were moments of quality for the hosts: Ayden Heaven won the ball high and drove forward to help create Zirkzee’s goal, while Benjamin Šeško worked hard to create chances but lacked the finishing touch on several opportunities.

Notable match incidents included a marginally offside Dorgu when a would-be winner at the death was ruled out. A VAR check confirmed the offside decision. Ruben Amorim introduced young fresh legs for Wolves, including debutant Bendito Mantato and 20-year-old Leny Yoro.

Player ratings (out of 10)
GK: Senne Lammens – 6.5
RB: Diogo Dalot – 6.9
CB: Ayden Heaven – 7.2
CB: Lisandro Martínez (c) – 7.4
LB: Luke Shaw – 7.2
CM: Casemiro – 7.5
CM: Manuel Ugarte – 6.7
RM: Joshua Zirkzee – 7.4
AM: Matheus Cunha – 6.0
LM: Patrick Dorgu – 7.0
ST: Benjamin Šeško – 7.3

Substitutes used: Jack Fletcher (46′ for Zirkzee) 6.3; Leny Yoro (75′ for Heaven) 6.5; Bendito Mantato (75′ for Ugarte) 6.1. Subs not used: Altay Bayındır (GK), Tyler Fredricsson, Tyrell Malacia, Tyler Fletcher, Chido Obi, Shea Lacey.

Wolves starting XI listed in the match notes: José Sá; Matt Docherty (c), Yerson Mosquera, Ladislav Krejčí; Jackson Tchatchoua, Jhon Arias, João Gomes, Hugo Bueno; Mateus Mané, Hwang Hee-chan; Tolu Arokodare. Subs used: Jørgen Strand Larsen, Fer López, David Møller Wolfe.

On balance the draw reflected the flow of the game: chances for both teams and goalkeeping interventions that kept the score level.

Florian Wirtz admitted relief after finally scoring his first Liverpool goal, the second in a narrow 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield. The goal followed a period of adjustment to the Premier League, where the 22-year-old has found the pace and physicality challenging and has not yet been able to dictate play as he did in Germany.

Manager Arne Slot tried Wirtz on the left in search of impact, before briefly dropping him when early form failed to improve. A gradual uptick in performances over recent fixtures culminated in Wirtz breaking his duck against the league’s bottom side. His strike arrived just 89 seconds after Ryan Gravenberch had opened the scoring, putting the champions 2-0 up, although Wolves fought back and made Liverpool work for the three points. The win extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to six games, a recovery from a sequence that saw the club lose six of seven between late-September and November.

On the pitch after the match Wirtz reflected on the moment and his expectations. “It was very nice, the feeling on the pitch with the fans around,” Wirtz said in a postmatch interview. “I was very happy and I am still, I like it. I was confident that I would score one day but of course I wanted to start scoring and assisting earlier. It was like this, I have to accept it, but I just knew it will come.”

He also urged his teammates to address a dip after the interval. “We played a brilliant first half and I think everyone was working really hard,” he continued of Liverpool’s overall display. “Then in the second half, the last 25 minutes we made it ourselves difficult. I cannot explain why but we have to talk about this at training. We have to change this.

“This is the way we want to do it. We want to be there, on top of the table. It’s not been easy start but in the last games we’re doing better and better. We’re trying to win every game.”

Slot was upbeat about Wirtz’s progression and his growing adaptation to English football. “I think I’m quite sure it was a relief for him, this I could see after his reaction after he scored the goal—and the same I saw with his teammates,” Slot said in his postmatch press conference. “I think they were really happy for him scoring his first goal because in football—rightly so, maybe—we mainly get judged on results and individuals mainly get judged on goals and assists. Sometimes we tend to forget what else there is to do during a game.

“I think he’s had multiple good games for us but I also feel he gets better and better every single game he is playing for us. He gets fitter and fitter and was getting closer and closer to his first goal. Then it was not a surprise to me that he scored one today, but he would probably be the first one to understand that one goal is not enough.

“He will score many more goals for us than only this one, but I also liked his performance during large parts of the game today. I think he was special in a lot of moments.”

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has spoken openly about the emotional weight the squad carries as they prepare to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, the first meeting between the clubs since the tragic accident earlier this year.

Jota’s sons, Dinis and Duarte, will join the matchday mascots for the fixture. Van Dijk used the club match programme to reflect on a year that delivered both the joy of a title and the pain of devastating loss.

“Saturday marks our last fixture of 2025 and when I reflect back on the year there have been a wide range of emotions for everybody at the club,” Van Dijk wrote in the match programme. “There have been some incredible highs, of course.

“To become Premier League champions, as we did back in April, was incredible. Lifting that trophy in front of you guys at Anfield is a memory that I will never forget, I can assure you. It was a real team effort and a deserved reward for a season of hard work, on and off the pitch.

“Soon after that, though, came the most devastating of lows. The loss of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in July was something none of us could ever have prepared for, and something all of us are still coming to terms with.

“Our thoughts, as ever, remain with Diogo and André’s family. They will never, ever be forgotten, and we will carry their memory always.”

Wolves manager Arne Slot also addressed the occasion in his programme notes, urging supporters to show unity and support for Jota’s family as they approach their first Christmas without him.

“Reflecting on everything that has happened over the last 12 months ignites a rollercoaster of emotions but it is normal at this time of year to look back to everything that has happened,” Slot said in his own notes.

“Doing so leads me to think especially of the family of Diogo Jota on what will be their first Christmas without him.

“It is not my place to tell them where they should look for comfort—if that is even possible—but I can only hope that the feeling of love and affection that Diogo still generates brings them some solace.”

The Wolves game closes Liverpool’s 2025 programme; the club resume on Jan. 1 with a visit from Leeds United.