Manchester United 4-1 Wolves: Nani & Wayne Rooney hit doubles as hosts make perfect response to Champions League exit

Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game

Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets!

Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25

Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200

Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20!

Ferguson made four changes to the side that suffered defeat against Basel in Switzerland. Jonny Evans started in place of the injured Nemanja Vidic, who will seemingly face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

In midfield, Michael Carrick replaced Ryan Giggs in the centre of the park with Valencia introduced out wide in place of Ashley Young. Danny Welbeck stepped in for Park Ji-Sung and partnered Rooney up top.

Karl Henry returned after suspension for the visitors with Mick McCarthy opting for a 4-4-2 formation, whilst Fletcher joined Kevin Doyle up front as Roger Johnson returned to the centre of defence.

United quickly began to assert their control over the game having been woken up by an early effort from Fletcher that missed the target.

A wide gap between the Wolves defence and midfield was effectively exploited by Rooney but the England international looked like a man lacking confidence. Carrick’s through ball gave him an opportunity to the left of Wayne Hennessey but the Welsh goalkeeper saved well.

One man currently enjoying a rich vein of form is Nani and he slammed a low shot in from the edge of the box to give the home side a 17th minute lead. The wideman starred against Basel and was prominent again here, cutting in from the left past two Wolves players to set himself up for the opener.

              United front | The Red Devils bounced back from their troubles in midweek

Wolves came from behind to beat United last season but there looked to be little chance of a repeat here. Rooney, whose barren spell prior to this match had stretched to eight league games, has never gone nine Premier League matches without a goal, and he ensured that record continued with a precise finish from 18 yards after 27 minutes.

Hennessey was called into action again a short time later, just doing enough to get a fingertip to a Rooney effort which deflected off Johnson towards the far corner.

The visitors started the second half as they did the first, and were on top at Old Trafford for the opening exchanges of the second 45, though this time they were to take advantage. Jarvis sped down the left and evaded Chris Smalling before standing up a cross for Fletcher, who powerfully rose above Patrice Evra to halve United's lead.

United, once again, belatedly sprung into life and a cross from the wonderfully energetic Phil Jones just beat the toes of Rooney and Welbeck.

It was Jones who would instigate the move that restored United’s two-goal lead, the 19-year old releasing Valencia down the right wing before the Ecuadorian picked out Nani in the box, who tapped in past Hennessey.

The goal seemed only to re-energise Ferguson’s team as they continued to pour forward. Evans spurned a glorious chance after some abject Wolves defending from a corner, the Irishman instead handling in front of a half-open goal, before Valencia drilled narrowly wide after a positive run.

Valencia, who grew into the game as it went on, was arguably even more impressive than Nani and he set up United’s fourth. Cruising into space down the right-hand side he pulled a cross back for Rooney to convert for his second of the match.

Ferguson was confident enough to introduce 19-year old Zeki Fryers at left-back with just under 25 minutes to go. The young defender is the first player to play for United in the Premier League who was not born before the leagues incarnation back in August 1992.

Substitute Federico Macheda was denied by Hennessey in the late stages of the game but it mattered little as United moved back to within two points of league leaders Manchester City with the sort of positive response they urgently needed.