Image copyright: Getty Images
2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 1
Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Old Trafford
Manchester, England
Monday, 14 August 2023
Kick-off is at 21h00
Manchester United will be hoping to make a better start than a year ago when they kick off the new
Premiership season against Wolves at Old Trafford on Monday, August 14.
Erik ten Hag's tenure started poorly after the Reds Devils suffered back-to-back defeats against Brighton (2-1) and Brentford (4-0) in August 2022.
However, the Dutchman began to work his magic at the Theatre of Dreams and United would go through the rest of the campaign unbeaten at home to finish third in the table and secure UEFA Champions League football.
Ten Hag subsequently lost a key component of his team after David de Gea ended a 12-year association with the club when he left on a free transfer in July, although Andre Onana has since been brought in from Inter Milan.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Julen Lopetegui pulled off miracles at Wolves, having taken over the reins from Bruno Lage in November with the club rock-bottom in the standings and guiding them to 13th place despite the situation looking dire at Christmas.
Lopetegui picked up nine wins from 23 games as the Black Country outfit finished seven points above the relegation zone, having secured their top-flight status with three matches to spare.
Marcus Rashford will be looking to hit the ground running in 2023-24, having enjoyed his most productive season in a United shirt when he hit the 30-goal mark. The England striker's form tapered off in the final two months, but he's been hard at work in pre-season to get back to the level that saw him score in nine consecutive home games.
Image copyright: Getty Images
Boubacar Traore has some sizeable shoes to fill at Molineux after Ruben Neves departed for Saudi Arabia in July. The Mali international initially joined Wolves on a season-long loan from Metz in September 2022 before making his switch permanent last month. He featured 10 times in the Premier League last term, but is expected to play a bigger role in 2023-24.
Ten Hag praised United's never-say-die attitude as they came from behind against both Lens and Athletic Bilbao to salvage a result in their final two pre-season outings.
"In one weekend, two times we are losing but you see this team have character and that's what you need in a season as well," he told MUTV.
"Sometimes you are down and then you have to show resilience and especially in such moments you need determination. We have shown that this weekend, it was a good weekend for us."
Matheus Cunha is looking forward to his first full season with Wolves and feels their preparations went well after going unbeaten in four games during pre-season.
"The pre-season is very important because it's my first pre-season in the Premier League and the Premier League, for me and for many people in the world, is the best league in the world, so it's hard and you have to be physical a little bit more than the other leagues," Cunha said.
"But I'm very happy in pre-season and my focus is fully on the team and I hope I can do a lot of things for Wolves this season."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Man United - 4
Wolves - 1
Draws - 0
Matchday 1 fixtures:
Friday, August 11
21h00: Burnley v Manchester City
Saturday, August 12
13h30: Arsenal v Nottingham Forest
16h00: Bournemouth v West Ham United
16h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Luton Town
16h00: Everton v Fulham
16h00: Sheffield United v Crystal Palace
18h30: Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Sunday, August 13
15h00: Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
17h30: Chelsea v Liverpool
Monday, August 14
21h00: Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Bet on the EPL with Betway
Feel the exhilirating thrill of the game when you take a chance and bet on soccer with Betway. Betway brings you all the football action from major leagues and tournaments around the world.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions download the
Betway App and start playing on the go!