Erik ten Hag raised eyebrows by starting Marcus Rashford after a week of off-field controversy, but the 26-year-old sent an emphatic message to those doubting his commitment to United’s cause within four-and-a-half minutes by producing a side-footed finish of the highest quality.
The visitors came racing out of the blocks, and Rashford was involved again when they doubled the advantage, finding Luke Shaw on the overlap before Rasmus Højlund bundled in a low cross for his third goal in as many Premier League matches.
Tommy Doyle’s free-kick momentarily gave André Onana something to think about, but the first period was all about the visitors, who could conceivably have gone in at the break six goals up.
Bruno Fernandes and Raphaël Varane both went close, Casemiro spurned a simple near-post opportunity and later saw a header disallowed for offside, while the linesman’s flag also chalked off what would have been Højlund’s second of the evening in a strikingly dominant opening 45 minutes.
The hosts re-emerged rejuvenated, and their improved effort was rewarded with a lifeline when Pedro Neto went down in the box under minimal contact from Casemiro before Pablo Sarabia slotted home the resulting penalty.
That was just the start of a frantic final 25 minutes, with Scott McTominay temporarily restoring United’s two-goal cushion with a free header only 80 seconds into his substitute cameo, and Kilman bringing Wolves back into the equation with a close-range finish.
With the contest reaching a high-octane crescendo in stoppage time, Neto pounced on the break and wrong-footed Onana by firing in at the near post.
But 18-year-old Mainoo had the final word, curling in a finish well beyond his years to spark bedlam among the travelling supporters and send United back up north with three points in the bank.
Wolves stay 11th after losing a fourth consecutive H2H, and although their upcoming triple-header against Chelsea, Brentford, and Tottenham Hotspur is a daunting one, manager Gary O’Neil will take confidence from notching wins over all three of them since November.
United are unbeaten in four matches and up to seventh in the table, with Ten Hag desperate to maintain his side’s momentum against West Ham United next time out.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Rasmus Højlund (Manchester United)
