Manchester United emerged victorious from a pulsating seven-goal encounter against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday, with Erik ten Hag's side winning 4-3 thanks to an injury-time decider from Kobbie Mainoo.
United dominated the first half and looked set to come away with a comfortable win thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund, with Scott McTominay adding a third after the break. But the team's old fragilities came back to bite them and they surrendered three soft goals in the second half.
Pedro Neto drew the game level in added-on time as Wolves looked to have rescued a point, before Mainoo popped up with an incredible finish to seal the points for the Red Devils.
So much of the talk in the build-up to the game surrounded Rashford after his ill-advised exploits in Belfast. But the trip across the Irish sea must have revitalised the forward, who put in one of his best display of the season.
He netted after just five minutes when a sweeping United move resulted in Hojlund laying the ball off to Rashford at the edge of the box and he casually slotted it beyond Jose Sa.
Ten Hag said before the game that he selected his strongest XI at Wolves, with Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Luke Shaw all starting. It had the desired effect with United dominating the flow of the game early on.
It was 2-0 soon after as Hojlund bundled the ball into the Wolves goal, after Diogo Dalot, Alejandro Garnacho, Rashford and Shaw combined in another intricate passing exchange. Hojlund couldn’t buy a goal just a few weeks ago, now he has four in five and his latest somehow squeezed in off the Dane after Shaw’s cross pinged off Wolves’ Craig Dawson and then went in via a slightly fortuitous Hojlund.
It could, and should, have been more than two before the break with United squandering two great breakaway opportunities, while Casemiro went close with a header, Bruno Fernandes stroked the ball just wide and Raphael Varane thundered an effort over.
Wolves were providing more than a helping hand with some sloppy defending and poor distribution from the back. Sa’s clearance then bounced off Hojlund and went just inches wide, which incurred some frustrated groans from the home supporters. United saw two goals correctly ruled out for offside via Hojlund and then Casemiro to end an opening 45 minutes which United totally controlled.
But it was a different story in the second half. Wolves had tested Andre Onana with a Matheus Cunha near-post flick and then a Tommy Doyle free-kick in the opening 45, and after the break it was Martinez who bailed out the keeper by clearing Kilman’s header off the line. Dawson then forced Onana to claw the ball out after 58 minutes.
This suddenly had a different feeling to it and Wolves got back into the game in the 70th minute after Pablo Sarabia netted from the spot after a dubious penalty was awarded for Casemiro’s slight touch on Pedro Neto inside the area.
But as Wolves pushed to draw back on level terms, United grabbed a third goal of the night, against the run of play. McTominay was introduced off the bench in the 74th minute, replacing Casemiro who was living dangerously on a booking, and 83 seconds later the Scotland international had restored United’s two-goal lead with a header from a corner.
Yet United just can't help but insert a bit of drama into games, and Kilman poked a scruffy goal beyond Onana soon after to set up a nervy finish for the visitors at Molineux.
A porous middle has been United's Achilles heel all season and in the sixth minute of injury-time Wolves looked to have nicked a point as they surged through the centre, with Neto cutting in on his left foot and arcing the ball beyond Onana.
United were shell shocked, but this game had one last twist as Mainoo managed to to drive into the box and curl his shot into the bottom corner, sparking delirium on the United bench. The ran to the teenager to celebrate after the full-time whistle - not a bad time for a first Premier League goal.
Here's how we rated United's players after a remarkable game at Molineux...
1. Andre Onana- 5
Made good stops to keep out Doyle and Cunha as he returned to the team. Could possibly have done better to keep out Neto's goal.
2. Diogo Dalot- 6
Did excellently in the build up to Hojlund's goal as he controlled and drove into the space. It was a solid showing from the defender going forward.
3. Raphael Varane- 5
Made some important contributions at the back but was pulled out of position for the move that resulted in the penalty being awarded. He also allowed Neto to cut inside for his goal.
4. Lisandro Martinez- 8
Made some vital challenges and he injected the aggression that United have lacked this season.