Brighton vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction as Gunners extend lead at the top

Former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has officially signed for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.

The 37-year-old was a free agent after he was released from his Old Trafford contract in November and has signed a two-and-a-half year deal reportedly worth $75m per season. Ronaldo left Manchester United after giving a series of interviews criticising the club, where he had lost his place in the team under Erik ten Hag.

Al Nassr, who are nine-time winners of the Saudi Pro League, announced the deal as “history in the making”.

Ronaldo said: “I’m thrilled for a new experience in a different league and a different country, the vision that Al Nassr has is very inspiring.”

Wolves won their most recent Premier League meeting with Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in January. They last won consecutive league games against them between September 1979 and August 1980.

But, ManUtd could win on three consecutive league visits to Molineux for the first time. The Red Devils scored nine goals across two Premier League encounters in 2011/12 but they have netted just nine in total in the 11 matches between the sides since.

Manchester United’s future may lie in their forward line’s past. They have long thought as much. It is just that they had picked the wrong part of their past. There was the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nostalgia project and the attempt to turn back time with Cristiano Ronaldo. Suffice to say that neither ended well. But, in the post-Ronaldo era, their attack is now based around two men who debuted five managers ago under Louis van Gaal.

At 25 and 27, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are young to be described as part of United’s history. If some had their way after last season was the poorest of each’s career, they could have been consigned to the ranks of the Old Trafford old boys. Instead, Erik ten Hag has instead made each central; literally in the case of Martial who, while injuries had restricted his appearances, had seemed his first-choice striker since the summer, and figuratively for Rashford, who now feels the dominant figure in the attack.

Each scored in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. It will take more than a home victory over relegation candidates to anoint them a double act who will remain automatic choices for years; not when Martial’s frame can be fragile, when Ten Hag wants another forward, when United are bound to enter into a footballing arms race for an attacker at some stage.

Wolves will be confident after snatching victory at Goodison Park in midweek but the Red Devils are also riding high after a big win over Nottingham Forest and that added cutting edge in attack, thanks to a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford, should be enough to edge this one.

Wolves 1-2 Manchester United.

The match kicks off tonight, Saturday 31st December, at 12:30pm GMT.

Wolves vs Man Utd will be shown live on UK TV through BT Sport 1 and Ultimate. Coverage begins from 11:30am GMT. Customers can stream the game live online via the BT Sport app and website.

Wolves XI: Sa; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Nunes, Neves, Moutinho; Hwang, Costa, Guedes

Man Utd XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Fernandes, Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Martial, Rashford

Chiquinho, Pedro Neto and Sasa Kalajdzic remain sidelined through injury, but Wolves could receive a boost with the return of Boubacar Toure and Jonny Castro.

Daniel Podence is a doubt with a leg problem picked up against Everton, with Goncalo Guedes poised to deputise if he cannot start.

Erik ten Hag has doubts over Victor Lindelof and Scott McTominay due to illness, while Diogo Dalot is dealing with a hamstring issue and both Axel Tuanzebe and Jadon Sancho continue to work back from injury.

Harry Maguire overcame illness to come on as a substitute for Raphael Varane against Forest and could now contend for a starting berth, with the England defender or the returning Lisandro Martinez linking up with the French centre-back, despite Luke Shaw impressing in relief midweek.

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of New Year’s Eve Premier League football. In the early kick Wolves play host to Manchester United with both sides hunting down victories for vastly different reasons.

The hosts hope to use the confidence built up from their 2-1 victory over Everton to shock Man Utd this afternoon and move themselves out of the relegation zone whilst Erik ten Hag’s men will jump ahead of Tottenham if they are victorious at Molineux.

Later on the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, are in action as they travel to Brighton in what should be a tough test for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

We’ll have all the action, build-up and team news right here so stick around. Kick off for the early match is at 12.30pm and the line-ups will be out soon.