Wolverhampton Wanderers had to settle with defeat at Old Trafford, as Julen Lopetegui’s side lost 2-0 against top-four hopefuls Manchester United.
A goal in the first half from Anthony Martial drew first blood, followed by a late blow from the newly returning Alejandro Garnacho that sealed Wolves’ fate in Manchester.
The visitors succumbed to a wave of pressure from Erik ten Hag’s team, with the Red Devils registering 3.20 xG and firing a total of 27 shots towards goal - as per Sofascore.
Lopetegui’s side mediated the game through possession, controlling 52% of the proceedings, however, could not settle the attacking threat of the hosts, who were hungry for goals following back-to-back 1-0 defeats in their previous two.
With survival confirmed, the defeat didn’t have fatal repercussions for Wolves, however following Crystal Palace’s win, the Molineux-outfit were unable to remain level on points with the Londoners in 12th, leaving them in 13th with just two games to go.
There was speculation prior to the game as to whether Lopetegui would make alterations going forward, with his side being the lowest scorers in the league, however, it was a contrasting change that saved Wolves from potential embarrassment at the Theatre of Dreams.
The former Real Madrid boss shocked fans as he handed Daniel Bentley his Premier League debut in goal ahead of Jose Sa, following his arrival at Molineux in January from Championship representatives Bristol City.
How did Daniel Bentley perform vs Manchester United?
At 29 years of age, the Basildon-born keeper was granted his first appearance in the Premier League by Lopetegui as the end of the season is in sight.
It was a dramatic occasion to be introduced to the top division, however, the Englishman showed no doubt of his quality in the Manchester sunshine with a “brilliant” display, as per journalist Chris Phillips.
Described as being “very calm” by his manager who spoke to the media after the game, Bentley kept the hosts at bay for the majority of the game, denying a number of efforts lashed at him in the bid to increase the scoreline.
The shot-stopper, who took 48 touches, gained an impressive Sofascore match rating of 8.0, making him his team’s top performer on the day by a long stretch, with Ruben Neves scoring 7.3 as second-best for the visitors.
Lopetegui executed an impressive switch between the posts exquisitely, with Bentley making eight saves in 90 minutes, as well as preventing 0.48 xG in what was a high-pressure fixture considering United’s desire to win after some disappointing form.
United registered nine shots on target in the game, with four of those being deemed as big chances in what could’ve been a bloodbath for the visitors to deal with had their 'keeper not stepped up to the task.
It wasn’t just praise from his own camp that the 29-year-old received, but from United captain Bruno Fernandes who told BBC after the game that his team simply had to “compliment him.”
“Their 'keeper had a really good game to keep Wolves in the game. It wasn’t a case of wasting our chances. Their 'keeper did a really good job.”
Despite the result, it’s high praise for the debutant who relished in the pressure and occasion at Old Trafford, giving Lopetegui a headache regarding selection for the final two games.