Barclays Premier League

FT: WOLVES 0 MAN UTD 5

Manchester United go four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after routing ten-man Wolves at Molineux, a defeat which leaves the Midlands club bottom of the table on goal difference. A first-ever United goal from Jonny Evans midway through the first half set the champions on their way, the central defender finishing off a well-worked corner routine. Any hopes of a Wolves comeback were snuffed out in six eventful minutes before the interval. First Ronald Zubar was sent off for a second bookable offence and shortly after United extended their lead to 3-0 with further goals from Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck. Javier Hernandez netted twice in five minutes either side of the hour, helped by some hapless marking from the home side, who then showed no little heart in still pushing forward when all was most certainly lost. Michael Kightly was particularly impressive atfer coming on as a substitute for Wolves and expect him to start in their next game against Norwich. On today's evidence, though, these two clubs will be playing in different divisions next season.

INTO STOPPAGE TIME

There will be a minimum of two minutes of added time.

DAMAGE LIMITATION

You have to give Wolves some credit for not having conceded in the past 25 minutes. You felt United could go on and get double figures when Hernandez made it 5-0 just after the hour.

ROONEY FRUSTRATED

Wayne Rooney is not best pleased after Antonio Valencia fails to find him with a cross from the right. The England man is desperate for a goal, which is the least he deserves for his outstanding efforts.

TREBLE MUST WAIT

Sebastien Bassong makes a desperate lunging clearance to prevent Javier Hernandez getting on the end of a cross from the right by Fabio and completing his hat-trick.

HENNESSEY WORKED AGAIN

Danny Welbeck escapes the attentions of his marker down the centre of the field, but his shot is repelled by the legs of Hennessey. Again, Rooney supplied the crucial pass.

WOLVES SUBSTITUTION

Steven Fletcher is replaced by Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

FABIO FANCIES A GOAL

The United left-back shows great desire to join an attack, but pushes his shot wide of the left-hand upright.

UNITED SUBSTITUTION

Chris Smalling replaces Jonny Evans, the scorer of the first United goal.

HERNANDEZ DENIED

Rooney sets Hernandez clear, but Hennessey is alertly off his line to deny the United striker his hat-trick.

WARD MISSES A SITTER

Michael Kightly floats a delicious free-kick to the far post, but Stephen Ward is unable to direct his header goalwards when it seemed certain he would score and reduce the arrears for the home side to just four goals.

UNITED BOOKING

Danny Welbeck is cautioned for tripping the lively Michael Kightly.

KIGHTLY DENIED

Michael Kightly holds off three United defenders and turns to get in a shot which is well parried by David De Gea, who keeps out a Steven Fletcher header shortly after.

STILL OUT FOR MORE

United's goal difference is currently +46, they need three more goals to draw level with Manchester City on +49.

UNITED SUBSTITUTION

Fabio replaces Patrice Evra for the visitors.

MORE ON THAT GOAL

Antonio Valencia exchanged passes with Welbeck and crossed to the far post, where the Mexico striker thrashed a first-time shot into the roof of the net from ten yards.

GOAL: WOLVES 0 MAN UTD 5

Javier Hernandez nets his second of the afternoon.

GOING FOR MORE

The offside flag stays down and Javier Hernandez is just inches away from applying a finishing touch to a cross from the left.

MORE ON THAT GOAL

Rafael whipped over an innocuous-looking cross from the right, Javier Hernandez was totally unmarked and did not even have to leave the ground to head home from six yards.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Michael Kightly comes on for Wolves, Paul Pogba is on for United.

GOAL: WOLVES 0 MAN UTD 4

Javier Hernandez scores a fourth for United, moments after Hennessey had made a great stop to deny Rooney.

SPIRITED RESPONSE

Full credit to Wolves. Anyone entering the ground at half-time would not be aware they were either three goals down or a player short, such has been their commitment at the start of this second half.

REFEREE TURNS BLIND EYE

Wayne Rooney is livid after being shoved to the ground by Kevin Foley and not being awarded a free-kick by the referee.

UP AGAINST IT

Wolves have allowed their opponents 208 shots on target this term, more than any other team in the Premier League. That total is going to grow and grow today.

GOOD POSITION WASTED

Matt Jarvis leads an excellent Wolves raid down the left, but his final ball is wasteful. Had he looked up, the winger would have seen Steven Fletcher had got free at the far post.

SOME STILL BELIEVE

Wolfie, the Wolves mascot, is doing cartwheels on the sidelines. He's the definition of the eternal optimist.

MORE PAIN AHEAD

If you offered Terry Connor 3-0 as the full-time result, he would probably snap your hand off. His half-time team-talk would have been interesting, that's for sure.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

United get the second half under way.

HT: WOLVES 0 MAN UTD 3

Manchester United lead by three goals at the break and are well on the way to opening up a four-point gap at the top of the table. The opening goal came midway through the half, from a very unlikely source in Jonny Evans. The central defender escaped the attentions of the home defence, who were totally undone by an expertly worked United corner, with Michael Carrick supplying the assist. As if Wolves' task was not already hard enough, it became doubly difficult when they were reduced to ten men shortly before the interval, Ronald Zubar committing his second bookable offence. A wonderful United breakaway saw Valencia double the visitors' advantage and scorer then turned provider, supplying the cross for Danny Welbeck to make it 3-0 in stoppage time.

GOAL: WOLVES 0 MAN UTD 3

It's 3-0, with Danny Welbeck the scorer, netting from 12 yards from a right-wing cross by Valencia. Wolves are all over the place.

MORE ON THAT GOAL

United break majestically from a Wolves corner. Rooney's first-time ball puts Valencia clear down the right and he runs half the length of the field before beating Wayne Hennessey.

GOAL: WOLVES 0 MAN UTD 2

Antonio Valencia gives United a two-goal lead.

WOLVES SUBSTITUTION

The injured David Davis is replaced by Eggert Jonsson.

UPHILL STRUGGLE

Zubar can have no complaints. He lunged into a tackle near the halfway line and got nowhere near the ball. Mr Taylor had no option. Kevin Foley drops in to left-back. Wolves have a mountain to climb.

WOLVES RED CARD

Ronald Zubar commits a second assault, this time on Danny Welbeck, and is shown a second yellow card.

DAVIS BACK ON

David Davis appears to have a rib injury, with bandages having been applied around his midriff. That's going to smart a little.

ONE MAN DOWN

Wolves are still down to ten men when United win a corner on the right, but the home side clear their lines comfortably enough.

PHYSIO ATTENDS TO DAVIS

David Davis needs treatment after making an important tackle to break up a United counter-attack.

TAKING HIS TIME

That historic first United goal for Jonny Evans came on his 119th appearance for the club.

TAME EFFORT FROM FLETCHER

Kevin Doyle draws a foul from Rafael which wins Wolves a free-kick in a promising position. Fletcher lifts a disappointing shot well over the crossbar.

WOLVES BOOKING

Ronald Zubar is booked for a scything tackle on Wayne Rooney. He can have no complaints, even Paul Scholes would have been proud of that one.

TIME FOR PATIENCE

Wolves have been playing with a five-man midfield, with Steven Fletcher ploughing a lonely furrow up front. It's important they do not go for broke too early despite falling behind or you feel United will tear them apart.

DEAD-BALL SPECIALISTS

That Evans goal was the 16th United have scored this season from a set-piece. Wolves will be kicking themselves.

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

It's not all doom and gloom, Wolves fans. Your side have garnered 14 points from losing positions this season - only Arsenal (19) can better that total.

FIRST FOR EVANS

That is the first goal Jonny Evans has scored for Manchester United.

MORE ON THAT GOAL

It's a goal straight from the training ground. Carrick got behind the Wolves defence to head a deep corner from the left back across goal and the United defender was there to stab the ball home from close range.

GOAL: WOLVES 0 MAN UTD 1

Jonny Evans gives United the lead from a corner.

FLETCHER A THREAT

Steven Fletcher meets a cross from the left by Jarvis with an excellent glancing header which goes only inches wide. Moments later the linesman puts his flag up for offside, but even so it's a warning for the visitors.

AWKWARD COLLISION

Rafael and Matt Jarvis collide inside the United area, but the claims for a penalty from the crowd are optimistic in the extreme. Mr Taylor waves play on.

DAVIS CARRYING A KNOCK

David Davis appears to have picked up a leg injury in the early going, but the young midfielder seems determined to play his way through it.

CARRICK NOT FAR AWAY

United look threatening every time they break. A neat passing move ends with Carrick pulling a shot wide of the far post.

SHOT FROM DOYLE

Wolves have carried little threat in the opening ten minutes, but Kevin Doyle collects the ball on the edge of the area and turns neatly before getting in a shot which is straight at De Gea.

UNITED GO CLOSE

Rooney loses the ball, but it runs kindly to Welbeck, whose shot from the left lacks any sort of power and Wayne Hennessey picks up. Moments later, however, there is a real threat, with Rafael just unable to find two unmarked United strikers in the middle.

CHANGE OF OFFICIAL

Howard Webb was supposed to be the fourth official today, but with the stress of taking charge of the Spurs game yesterday he has been stood down, with Andre Marriner taking his place.

TAKING NO PRISONERS

United break swiftly, but Stearman is there to snuff out the threat of Javier Hernandez, taking both man and ball. Wayne Rooney is not impressed.

UNWANTED HISTORY AWAITS

Wolves have lost five in a row in the league at home. A sixth setback would set a new low for the Midlands club in one season.

SHAME ABOUT THE CROSS

Wolves start brightly, with Ronald Zubar beating his man down the right before hoofing his cross about 15 yards too deep beyond the far post.

THOUGHTS WITH FABRICE

There was a very warm and generous round of applause before kick-off for Fabrice Muamba. All our thoughts are with him.

HERE WE GO

Wolves kick off, attacking the goal to our right.

TEAM NEWS

Wayne Rooney is fit for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson names an attacking line-up which also features Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez, with Paul Scholes coming back into midfield. Jamie O'Hara has failed a fitness test for Wolves, so his place goes to Kevin Foley.

TODAY'S TEAMS

Wolverhampton: Hennessey, Zubar, Stearman, Bassong, Ward, Foley, Edwards, Davis, Jarvis, Doyle, Fletcher. Subs: De Vries, Kightly, Ebanks-Blake, Hunt, Johnson, Berra, Jonsson. Man Utd: De Gea, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Welbeck, Hernandez, Rooney. Subs: Amos, Giggs, Smalling, Park, Young, Fabio Da Silva, Pogba. Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)

PREVIEW

Manchester United can ease the painful memories of their European humiliation with victory at strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday. Rarely can Sir Alex Ferguson's side have been so utterly outplayed over two legs as they were by Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League. If there can be a silver lining, the league has always been the Red Devils' priority once they exited the Champions League and now they can be totally focused on the job in hand. And with Manchester City not playing until Wednesday, victory at Molineux would open up a four-point gap at the top of the table, which would represent their biggest advantage all season. For five of the six halves of football Wolves have played under new manager under Terry Connor they have been poor at best and inept at worst. They already look like a side doomed for the drop when all is far from lost and an albeit unlikely victory would lift them out of the relegation zone. The men in gold need to summon the same spirit which saw them produce one of the results of last season when they roared back from condeding an early goal to turn United over at Molineux. A more realistic aim, however, is damage limitation. The visitors are going to want to send out a statement after Thursday's defeat and it is hard to see them slipping up again. It is so tight down the bottom that goal difference could yet be a deciding factor as to who is relegated and who stays up, so it is imperative that if Wolves do taste defeat it is not another thumping like the ones they have experienced against West Brom and Fulham in recent weeks. Today's game kicks off at 1330GMT, so join us around 30 minutes beforehand when we should have the confirmed team news, which will be followed by a match commentary.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wayne Rooney has three goals in his last three matches against the Midlanders and is sure to give the porous Wolves defence a thorough examination providing he is passed fit. The England striker has 20 goals in the Premier League this season, second only to Robin van Persie of Arsenal, and has ten goals for United in his last seven games in all competitions. Nani has three goals in his last two games against Wolves. The leading scorer for Wolves this season in the league is Steven Fletcher, with ten goals, but the Scotland striker has scored just once in his last six in the league, with his side having lost five of those matches.

HEAD TO HEAD

United have the better head-to-head record in league meetings between the sides with 41 wins to 32 by Wolves and 14 games being drawn. At Molineux, Wolves have 23 wins to 11 by United, with a further 11 meetings ending up all square. The corresponding match last season on February 5 finished in a stunning 2-1 win for Wolves. Nani gave United a third-minute lead, but the home side turned the game around with goals from George Elokobi (10 minutes) and Kevin Doyle (40). United are looking to do the double for the second time in three seasons, having won 4-1 at Old Trafford on December 10 with two goals apiece from Nani and Wayne Rooney.

FORM GUIDE

United are top with 67 points from 28 games, one more than Manchester City. They have won ten games away from home this season, three more than any other side in the division, scored more goals away from home than any other side in the Premier League and conceded the fewest. Only a slightly less inferior goal difference keeps Wolves from the foot of the table after Wigan's draw with West Brom yesterday. They are next to bottom with 22 points from 28 games, the same as basement boys Wigan and QPR, who are in 18th. The West Midlanders have conceded more goals at home than any other side in the top flight. United have won their last four in the league and won seven and drawn one of the last eight. Wolves have lost their last two, collected just one point from their last four matches and won just one of their last 14.

EARLY TEAM NEWS

Karl Henry is still out for Wolves with a groin injury and the home side will give late fitness tests to fellow midfielders Jamie O'Hara (groin) and Nenad Milijas (calf). Dropping Roger Johnson three games ago has not had the desired effect in galvanising the Wolves defence and the captain could earn a recall. United striker Wayne Rooney picked up a knock in Bilbao but is expected to be fit and should start as United do not have a game in midweek. Defender Phil Jones, who has been battling a flu bug this week, is listed as doubtful.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Taking charge of today's game is Anthony Taylor, who has been a member of the Premier League's elite group of referees since 2010. The Manchester-based official has refereed 12 games in the top flight so far this season, showing 34 yellow cards and dismissing one player, Blackburn striker Yakubu against Fulham. Taylor has yet to take charge of a United game this season, but he has certainly not been a lucky charm for Wolves. In his three previous trips to Molineux in the Premier League this season, Taylor has seen Wolves lose 3-0 to QPR, 2-1 to Stoke and 3-0 to Liverpool. Taylor's assistants today are Simon Beck and Stephen Child, while Howard Webb is the fourth official.