Old Trafford expected a routine home win. Instead, it witnessed a familiar story. Manchester United led, then let it slip, drawing 1-1 with bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers and closing the year with boos ringing out. It was the sixth time this season United failed to hold a lead. For Wolves, it was a precious point, their first under new head coach Rob Edwards, and the end of an 11-match Premier League losing run.

This was Matchweek 19 under the lights, an 8:15pm kickoff that promised momentum for United after their Boxing Day bounce at Newcastle. But the game underlined where United are right now under Ruben Amorim: flashes of quality, not enough control, and too many dropped points.

How the game turned: a quick lead, a quick response

United struck first. On 27 minutes, Joshua Zirkzee’s shot took a deflection and nestled in. It was United’s first shot on target, their first real threat, and it brought relief around the stadium. For a team missing eight players and switching back to a three-at-the-back shape, any early calm matters.

But the calm did not last. Just before half-time, Ladislav Krejci leveled for Wolves. The visitors had sensed uncertainty and made it count. From there, the mood shifted. United had the ball, but the belief seemed to drain. Wolves, without a win in months, found something to grab onto and would not let go.

“Six leads dropped. That’s not bad luck — that’s a habit.”

What the draw means: momentum lost, pressure gained

United end 2025 in sixth place. A win would have put them level with Liverpool in fourth. Instead, it was two points gone and a restless home crowd made its feelings clear at the whistle. Amorim, who has tried to steady performances with a back three amid injuries, admitted there were “no excuses” for letting this one slip. That message will land well with fans who want accountability as much as results.

For Wolves, this was more than a draw. It was a reset. They arrived with just two points from 54 possible and left with their third of the season. The 11-game losing run is over. Rob Edwards will call this a foundation. It offers proof that a solid plan and hard work can still slow a giant, even away at Old Trafford.

United’s repeating problem: seeing games out

Six times this season, United have led and failed to win. That pattern says as much about control as it does about finishing. United’s opener came from a deflection on their first shot on target. After that, they didn’t turn pressure into chances often enough. When your margin is thin, the margin for error is zero.

Amorim’s back three made sense with eight players out. It can offer protection and a platform for wing-backs to push. But it also asks for calm in transition and clean passing into the front line. Too often here, that final ball was missing, and Wolves stayed in the game long enough to equalize. The second half then became a test of patience that United did not pass.

“Injuries explain absences, not habits. See the game out.”

Wolves’ turning point: belief from the bottom

There is power in stopping the slide. Wolves came in with 11 straight defeats and just two points all season. Leaving with one point, away at United, changes the mood. Ladislav Krejci’s goal was a big moment, not only for the scoreboard but for belief. It showed this team can punch when it matters. Edwards now has something to build on: shape, grit, and a result that players can trust.

Make no mistake, Wolves are still rock bottom. The table is harsh and the fixtures will keep coming. But this draw is a message to the dressing room: keep the faith, stay compact, and take your chance. If they do, more points will follow. Ending the year by ending a losing streak is the best gift they could have hoped for.

Zirkzee’s bright moment, United’s bigger challenge

Joshua Zirkzee offered the spark United needed in the first half. His finish may have flicked off a defender, but he earned the opening by getting into the right area and pulling the trigger. United needed that bravery. It was their first shot on target, and it went in.

Yet the broader issue is turning those sparks into control. United’s lead didn’t force Wolves back for long. The visitors found space and confidence before the break, and the equalizer told the story of a team not fully in command of its penalty area. That is the piece United must fix if they want to turn sixth place into something better in 2026.

“Credit Wolves — bottom of the table, but they wanted it more in the key moments.”

Old Trafford’s verdict: frustration, and a fair warning

The boos at full-time said plenty. United fans have seen this film too many times in 2025. The team can score, it can fight, but it cannot close the door. Amorim’s “no excuses” line is right. Injuries hurt, but standards matter. The crowd wants authority at home, not just effort.

There were positives to cling to: Zirkzee’s touch, periods of tidy buildup, and a defense that, in long spells, kept Wolves at arm’s length. But a single lapse cost them the points again. United must turn leads into wins. That is the simplest fix and the hardest habit to build.

What comes next: small margins, big consequences

United stay in sixth and stare at what might have been. They could have drawn level with fourth place, but instead carry a bruise into the new year. The task is clear: protect the box, use the ball earlier in attack, and show more edge when the game is there to be finished.

Wolves will celebrate this as a step forward, because it is. Edwards has his first point and a plan that held under pressure. The next job is the same as the last: make it count again. For both clubs, the lesson was simple under the Old Trafford lights. In the Premier League, if you do not finish the job, the job finishes you.

Final word: United had the lead and lost it — again. Wolves had the fight and earned it. One team must learn fast. The other just remembered how.