Harry Maguire believes Manchester United are showing greater determination to keep themselves in games this season.
United were made to fight hard for their 1-0 victory over Wolves on Tuesday night, leaving it late to clinch the three points through Marcus Rashford’s stoppage time strike.
The victory lifts United up to second in the Premier League table and has prompted talk that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side can challenge Liverpool for the league crown.
Reflecting on the Wolves game, United skipper Maguire reckons the late goal showed his teammates are now displaying more fighting spirit.
“I think last year in games like this we would push and then we’d concede a sloppy goal at the other end and we would have to go and chase the game,” Maguire told United’s official website.
“We’d end up losing or drawing the game and giving ourselves too much to do.”
Maguire admitted United weren’t at their best against Wolves, but is seeing positive signs in recent performances. United are unbeaten in nine league games now.
“Every win is a big win,” he added. “We’ve got great away form this year, so it’s important we come here and start winning games at Old Trafford and making it hard for teams to come here and play.
Manchester United left it late to beat Wolves 1-0 in the Premier League, thanks to Marcus Rashford’s late goal
United now move into second spot in the Premier League table, now on an unbeaten run of nine league matches, after a 2-2 draw with Leicester on Boxing Day.
United’s first game of 2021 is at home to Aston Villa.
MEN Sport will bring you all the build-up to and reaction from every United match. You can have it all delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter. Just put your email address in the sign-up box at the top of this article, or simply follow this link. It’s free and only takes a few seconds.
“It wasn’t our best performance. The intensity wasn’t really there in our football, in our attacking play but these games you have got to dig in, keep the game at 0-0 and make sure you don’t concede.
“It is important to keep the game at 0-0 and in our team you always have that talent at the top end of the pitch that something might change and Marcus twisted and turned and got a slice of luck.
“But if anyone was going to win the game it was always going to be us.”
