Manchester United Suffers Defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers as Bruno Fernandes Receives Red Card

Manchester United's disappointing season took another hit on Boxing Day with a 2-0 loss to Wolves, where captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off for the third time this season. The defeat at the hands of a struggling Wolves side saw Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan score the goals for the hosts under new manager Vitor Pereira. United, now languishing in 14th place, have struggled to find form under Ruben Amorim, winning only twice in their last seven Premier League matches. The team's lackluster performance in attack was evident even before Fernandes' dismissal, leaving fans frustrated with the team's lack of consistency.

Victory was enough to lift Wolves out of the relegation zone at the expense of Leicester, who lost at Liverpool.

The optimism that greeted Amorim's early days in charge already seem a distant memory as the Portuguese has been left in no doubt over the scale of the task he faces to turn around a fallen giant.

Amorim reacted to a 3-0 humbling at home to Bournemouth on Sunday by making just two changes.

Leny Yoro came into the defence, while Rasmus Hojlund replaced Joshua Zirkzee up front.

The Dane, though, struggled to make any impact as Cunha showed the value of a forward in form.

Wolves look set to lose their top scorer to suspension over a FA charge for misconduct for a clash with an Ipswich member of staff after a 2-1 defeat earlier this month that cost Gary O'Neil his job.

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Only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak have scored more goals in the Premier League this season than the Brazilian international.

United, by contrast, were let down by their talisman.

Fernandes was walking a tightrope from a first-half booking when he recklessly dived in on his Portuguese international team-mate Nelson Semedo two minutes into the second period.

Even the normally argumentative Fernandes had few complaints when referee Tony Harrington brandished a second yellow and a red.

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The 30-year-old's first red card of the campaign against Tottenham was overturned on appeal before he was also dismissed in a 3-3 draw at Porto in the Europa League.

Wolves almost immediately made the man advantage count when Semedo squared for Jorgen Strand Larsen to tap in.

The Norwegian, though, had strayed offside before making contact with the cross.

United's frailties from set-pieces have been routinely exposed since Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag.

For the fifth consecutive Premier League game they conceded from either a corner or free-kick in what proved to be the decisive goal.

Cunha's in-swinging delivery flew in at the far post with United goalkeeper Andre Onana sandwiched between two Wolves players and the Cameroonian's pleas for a foul fell on deaf ears.

Wolves' nervousness allowed United to press for an equaliser in the closing stages.

But a Harry Maguire header that floated into the arms of Jose Sa was the closest the 10-man Red Devils came to redemption on another sobering night for Amorim.

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Hwang rubbed salt into United wounds deep into stoppage time after he and Cunha were left with just Onana to beat between them.

(This story has not been edited by staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)