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Manchester United left it late to grab all three points against an upbeat Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford's stoppage-time winner steered the Red Devils to second in the Premier League, two points off leaders Liverpool.
It was far from easy for Manchester United. They, however, dug in and probed until the end with various attacking routes and options.
Rashford's strike was their latest winning strike in the PL since 2009 when Michael Owen netted the decisive goal against Manchester City.
Manchester United have now extended their home unbeaten run against Wolves in the league to 10 matches, with seven clean sheets in this period.
On that note, we analyze the major talking points from Manchester United's late win against Wolves.
#1 Wolves' front two cause early hiccups
While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rang in six changes to his Manchester United side, Wolves tweaked their entire system to combat the hosts' dynamic attacking outlet.
Off the ball, as one would expect, they set up with a back five and three midfielders in Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, and young Vitinha. They enveloped the pitch's heart and helped their side gain control, with the latter assisting a front two of Pedro Neto and Adama Traore.
Vitinha tested David de Gea once, but Traore's thinking runs early on, and Neto's interchangeability across the front line, confused the Red Devils.
Neto's right-footed hit and Ruben Neves's long-range effort meant that De Gea was by far the busiest goalkeeper in the opening exchanges.
Not to mention, Romain Saiss' headed effort off a free-kick in the 23rd minute was denied by the bar.
#2 Manchester United's slowness allows Wolves to settle
The first-half's scoreline suggested that the fixture could go either way, but Nuno Espirito Santo would undoubtedly have been the happier of the two managers.
Vitinho, whenever paused or observed, was man-to-man with Paul Pogba in his own third. He allowed Pogba to have the ball in deeper positions, but the Frenchman remained ponderous and lacked the incision.
There was a visible lack of urgency from Manchester United, who not only struggled to move it about quicker but also lacked sharpness. The same was portrayed through the failed one-twos between Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes came closest to scoring when Mason Greenwood produced perhaps the only moment of quality from Manchester United's perspective with a stunning cross from the right-hand side.
The Premier League giants also looked extremely vulnerable on the counter and on set-pieces, as Saiss almost managed to break the deadlock later on in half.
Also read: Manchester United set to sign £210,000/week Barcelona star in January - Reports.
#3 Both teams fail to pick out the final pass
One expected the second half to be far more open-ended and direct, but it was not to be as Manchester United and Wolves failed to apply the finishing touches to well-crafted attacking moves.
Pogba and Fernandes tried to create chances over the top of the Wolves backline, only to be beaten by a superior away team in the air.
Wolves, too, had their opportunities to break away. A clear lack of precision in their passing, coupled with indecisive moments concerning the weight in their passes, led to a turnover in possession.
Having said that, they defended much better than Manchester United, denying them any space in the channels. Their contain-and-counter approach took the sting out of United's attack.
#4 Rashford leaves it late to win it for United
Wolves proved to be a stern defensive test overall, but Marcus Rashford had other ideas in the third minute of extra time.
Manchester United's performance was encapsulated by slow build-up, poor final touches, and the inability to get Edison Cavani involved.
Their problems against Wolves seemed to continue until Fernandes picked Rashford out with a beautiful long ball. The English forward cut inside onto his left foot and scored through a deflection off arguably Wolves' best player, Saiss.
A 1-0 result may appear like a tough one for Nuno's charges, who defended excellently, kept hold of the game without the ball, and had their share of sights on a goal.
Saiss, a true contender for the Man of the Match award, was their most likely goalscorer. It speaks volumes of the defender's versatility and underlines Wolves' struggles in front of goal in the absence of star forward Raul Jimenez.
#5 Manchester United end the festive period as the best team in the division
It could be safe to say Manchester United finished the Christmas period as the best team in the English top-flight.
A surging, optimistic young squad shepherded by Solskjaer seems to be catching red-hot form at a time when teams are suffering from congested fixtures and injury concerns.
They have won the big games, come back from behind multiple times and now, held their nerve to grind out a key victory.
It illustrates the different dimensions of this Manchester United side, along with a sense of improvement in their otherwise underwhelming home form.
Also read: Juventus want a swap deal for Manchester United star Paul Pogba - Reports.
