Manchester United moved into the Premier League's top four as they ended 2022 with a 1-0 win at Wolves thanks to Marcus Rashford's late winner.
The England forward had been dropped to the bench following an unknown breach of discipline, but after being brought off the bench, he scored the opener with less than 15 minutes to go.
United arrived at Molineux to face a very different side to the one which looked resigned to relegation prior to the break for the World Cup. Under their new manager and off the back of two wins in a week, Wolves were quick to the tackle and looked primed to counter at any point.
Their stout first-half defensive display was almost undone though when Nelson Semedo played in Alejandro Garnacho only for his shot to be saved. Rashford was brought on at the break and it was his individual skill which broke the resistance of Wolves, who remain in the bottom three.
As for United, their good form means - temporarily at least - they move above Tottenham to occupy the final Champions League berth. Here are some of the things you may have missed from the lunchtime kick-off in the Midlands:
Ten Hag's telling Rashford U-turn
When the team news dropped and Marcus Rashford wasn’t in the side there was a genuine sense of shock. Few players have embodied the positive impact of Ten Hag like the England international.
Even since the World Cup, Rashford has arguably been United’s best and most consistent performer. But this is a different Manchester United, with a ruler happy to do so with an iron fist.
Make no mistake, the decision to omit the forward for an “internal disciplinary” breach sent a message to the dressing room that regardless of stature, the line must be towed. However, with United struggling to create chances of their own, it only took around 25 minutes for Rashford to be instructed to warm up.
And there was clearly no sulking after his public telling off, working hard and kicking every ball, making it quite clear to his boss that his head was firmly in the game. The fact he was then brought on at half-time confirmed that this was more a ticking-off than a full breakdown. It will be a lesson learned by every player in the squad. Ten Hag's celebration for Rashford's goal went even further to show there will be no hard feelings.
What could have been
In another world Julen Lopetegui may have ended up in the away dugout. If reports are to be believed, the Spaniard was firmly in the mix for the top job at Old Trafford after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked.
Instead, United opted for Ralf Rangnick to take the reins for the remainder of the season, before turning to Ten Hag in the summer. And the two coaches could hardly have more contrasting styles on the touchline.
While Ten Hag is happy to spend periods sitting down, Lopetegui - famed for preaching discipline and hard work - was constantly prowling and gesticulating. It took less than 20 minutes before he needed to ditch his coat for a jumper, so much for adjusting to his first British winter.
A very different away end
When United visited Molineux last season, there was a huge cardboard cutout of Cristiano Ronaldo in the packed out away end. His move had only just been completed on that sunny August afternoon and few would have predicted just how spectacularly it would collapse.
A year-and-a-half later and the chants previously reserved for the iconic, almost messianic Ronaldo have been given to youngster Alejandro Garnacho. The shirts previously emblazoned with his name now have the current crop of United stars.
Wolves supporters were quick to poke fun at their Premier League rivals just minutes into the game, singing “Ronaldo’s right, you’re f****** s****”.
Wolves fume over Casemiro
Lopetegui was full of praise for Casemiro, having managed him at both Porto and Real Madrid. But any allegiance towards his former player was thrown out of the window, the second the match got underway.
The Spaniard furiously protested for the midfielder to be booked in the first half, following a rather clumsy-looking bodycheck on Ruben Neves. And that frustration was only compounded when he was actually given a yellow for a cynical foul on Daniel Podence.
Following the foul, Lopetegui sprinted to the fourth official and put two fingers up, just to make clear he felt the Brazilian should have been given his marching orders.
Ten Hag's on-field general
Casemiro may have only been at United for a few months, but his importance to Manchester United and Erik ten Hag can't be overstated. The veteran midfielder is the conduit between manager and players, constantly being summoned to the touchline during breaks in play.
In one such break, Ten Hag called Casemiro fifty yards - tactics board in hand - to give instructions to then relay to his team-mates. Bruno Fernandes remains the player with the captain's armband, but the 30-year-old is skipper in all-but name.
Every overhaul of a team starts with a signing to shift the culture and spread the message of the manager. Albeit still early days, Casemiro appears to be the perfect one for this one.