Wolves v Manchester United: FA Cup third round – live! | Football

12 min: Pereira gives up the ball with absurd ease in the centre circle, allowing Neto to burst down the middle of the park. He lays off to Traore on his right. The winger earns a corner off Williams. Saiss rises highest to meet the corner, but his header’s deflected out out to the left for another corner. From which …

10 min: Vinagre embarks on a fine dribble down the left, but Chong sticks to him well and the Wolves wing-back runs out of room. Vinagre strokes the ball out for a goal kick.

9 min: There is surely no way this match will end goalless. Both teams are full of attacking vim and vigour. The game’s very open, and everyone looks in the mood. The FA Cup, right here!

7 min: United take their turn to counter. James skedaddles down the left and wins a corner. They faff around at the set piece, but United work a second phase of play and Greenwood drops a shoulder down the inside-left channel, working space for a shot just inside the box. He leans back and skies his effort, but that was a crisp run. He’s a real prospect all right.

6 min: Ashley-Seal goes straight up the other end, a direct, no-nonsense run down the inside-left channel. He wins a corner off Maguire. The set piece is easily snaffled by Romero.

5 min: Pereira is clumsily bundled over by Neto, out on the United right. A chance to load the box. Pereira takes it himself, and it’s a ludicrous delivery, mishit and flat, and straight into Ashley-Seal’s coupon, ten yards away. That’s dismal, with the box teeming with scoring potential.

3 min: Doherty launches long from the left-back position. There’s an absurd amount of space between the United centre-backs, and Ashley-Seal nearly latches onto the ball. He’d have been able to zip clear towards goal. Fortunately for United, Romero was out to cover and clear. Fair to say this has been an open start.

2 min: James probes down the left and for a second threatens to burst into the box. Wolves hold their shape and the young winger is forced to turn tail. But this has been a fine front-foot start by United.

1 min: Nearly a sensational start for United, as Chong is afforded way too much space 40 yards from goal. He tries to slip James away down the middle, but his pass is no good. A better ball, and the hosts would have been a goal up within 3o seconds.

A quick burst of Hi Ho Wolverhampton … anywhere you go now baby … and we’re off! The visitors get the ball rolling. Molineux is bouncing. The third round of the FA Cup, right here.

The teams are out! One stunning stadium, two gorgeous kits. Wolves are in their famous old gold, while United have opted to wear their black change shirt, shades of Eric Cantona, Sharp Viewcam, all that. We’ll be off in a minute. One minute later than usual. Here’s the heads up …

A reminder that there are some other ties being played this evening. The incomparable Rob Smyth will keep you up to date with Bournemouth-Luton, Fleetwood-Portsmouth, Leicester-Wigan and Manchester City-Port Vale. He’s been at Clockwatch since the break of dawn, too, pretty much. Rumours that he’s also powering the National Grid via some pedals under his desk have yet to be verified.

Then a cheery Ole Gunnar Solskjaer adds: “We have to learn from our Arsenal performance. We’ve had improvements in the games we have played against Wolves in the last ten months. It’s about performing, turning out. I know when we play to our best, we have the chance to beat anyone. Tahith Chong has been bright lately with the reserves and gets his chance. Anthony Martial is ill, so it’s a matter for Mason Greenwood to take his chance again.”

A relaxed Nuno Espirito Santo speaks to BT Sport. “We must play good, be organised, and compete. Benny Ashley-Seal is ready, I hope he competes well and enjoys the game. Man United are a fantastic team. They are such a huge club, you have to really go for it and compete well.”

Catharsis. Here’s what happened to Wolves after that quarter-final triumph, and how they eventually escaped from the slough of despond.

Bringing things a little more up to date … this is a repeat of last year’s quarter final. Paul Doyle was on hand to witness that one, and here’s his memory-refreshing report.

En route to Molineux, you’ll see this. Memories of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ last FA Cup win. Bill Slater, there, lifting the famous old pot at the famous old Wembley in 1960, after a 3-0 win over injury-depleted Blackburn Rovers. Norman Deeley was Wolves’ two-goal hero in the second half that day. The first had been a nightmare for Rovers: the unfortunate Mick McGrath had opened the scoring by putting through his own net, then Dave Whelan broke his leg. No subs back then. It wasn’t much of a spectacle, and Wolves were pelted with apple cores, orange peel and screwed-up newspaper on their victory lap. Poor Wolves, who had just been pipped to the title by Burnley, getting no respect. The past, kids, another country.

Wolves make four changes to the XI sent out for the defeat at Watford on New Year’s Day. John Ruddy, Max Kilman, Ruben Vinagre, Ruben Neves and under-23 scoring sensation Benny Ashley-Seal take the places of Rui Patricio, Ryan Bennett, Jonny Otto, Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez.

United also ring the changes. Seven, they’ve made, with only Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Daniel James and Nemanja Matic keeping their places after the miserable 2-0 non-event at Arsenal. In come Sergio Romero, Ashley Young, Brandon Williams, Andreas Pereira, Tahith Chong, Juan Mata and Mason Greenwood, as David de Gea, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jesse Lingard, Fred, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford rest up.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ruddy, Doherty, Dendoncker, Coady, Kilman, Vinagre, Saiss, Neves, Traore, Ashley-Seal, Neto.
Subs: Patricio, Bennett, Raul, Otto, Moutinho, Otasowie, Rasmussen.

Manchester United: Romero, Young, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams, Pereira, Matic, Chong, Mata, James, Greenwood.
Subs: Grant, Dalot, Jones, Wan-Bissaka, Fred, Gomes, Rashford.

Manchester United played Wolverhampton Wanderers for the very first time in October 1892. They were trading at the time as Newton Heath, and won the First Division fixture by the whopping scoreline of 10-1. Not a great day at the office for Wolves’ captain and defensive linchpin Harry Allen, though fortunes can change quickly in football, and he ended the season by scoring the winner against Everton in the FA Cup final. Not sure what relevance this has, but having found it out, it seemed silly not to at least mention it.

Wolves have won three more FA Cups since then. They saw off Newcastle United in the 1908 final, beat Leicester City 3-1 in 1949 (having beaten Matt Busby’s holders in the semi) and trounced ten-man Blackburn Rovers in 1960, whereupon they were pelted with rubbish by the crowd, the match having been that boring.

Manchester United have meanwhile gone on to win this grand old competition 12 times. Let’s not list them, we’ll be here all day. Their last victory came in 2016, when popularity’s Jesse Lingard snatched a late extra-time winner against Crystal Palace. The way things have been going for the poor bugger lately, he’d do well to get back on the scoring trail today.

It’s a tough ask for United, mind. They’re an inconsistent rabble, capable at times of jaw-dropping brilliance (away at Manchester City) but also mind-numbing ineptitude (at Arsenal the other day). They lost here at Molineux in this competition last year. And Wolves are in a much happier place on the achievement/expectation spectrum right now, despite losing their last two Premier League games.

Wolves threw away the chance of making their first final since 1960 last season. They’d love to go at least one better this time round. But United will be desperate for a fillip, and a big FA Cup win, followed by a good showing in the first leg of the League Cup semi against neighbours City on Tuesday, could abruptly alter the mood music in the red half of Manchester and turn a difficult season into a much more promising affair. Plenty riding on this, then. It’s on!

Kick off: 5.31pm GMT. Heads up.