So Nuno Espírito Santo waved farewell to Wolves after four years, with a win ratio better than Stan Cullis’s and a defeat that summed up this disappointing final season. But the departing manager was left in no doubt as to the affection in which he will always be held here as Molineux, home to a crowd for the first time in 442 days, serenaded him with a full range of appreciative songs.

Goals from Anthony Elanga and Juan Mata, Manchester United players at opposite ends of their careers, ensured Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team became only the third club in top-flight history to remain unbeaten away from home for the entire league season, joining Preston North End (1888/89) and Arsenal (2001/02 and 2003/4).

Solskjær confirmed “he does not expect” his captain Harry Maguire will recover from ankle-ligament damage in time for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Villarreal in Gdansk but, having made 10 changes, he was “very proud” his young second string could claim a first win over Nuno at Molineux.

On the final whistle, Nuno went round the pitch to hug each of his players then followed them in a stately lap of honour before giving his traditional fist pump to the South Bank and walking through his players’ guard of honour.

Wolves may have finished 13th this season but, after successive top-seven finishes, a Championship title and runs to the FA Cup semi-final and the Europa League quarters, this has been a memorable era for Wolves. Nuno’s 47.7% win ratio surpasses the 47.1% Wolves managed as they won three league titles in the 1950s hey-day under Cullis.

Nuno kept a smile on his face as he gave Conor Coady, his captain, a paternal kiss but there were tears in Rúben Neves’ eyes as the Portugal playmaker, on whom Nuno anchored this team, gave his post-match interview.

If Jeff Shi, the Wolves chairman, does go for another manager from Jorge Mendes’s stable, it is to be hoped Bruno Lage or whoever comes in can keep such talented players and forge such a bond. “It was a special day for all of us,” Nuno said. “It was joy. [We’ve had] very special moments that will stay for ever in our memory.”

Asked whether he had actually been dismissed, as Wolves instigated the discussion that led to his departure, Nuno replied: “There was never one decision we did not make together. There was always dialogue, always respect.”

The home side had equalised through Nélson Semedo’s first goal since last summer’s £27m move from Barcelona but when Adama Traoré, in blistering form as he showed why Wolves are so keen to tie him down to a new contract, had to go off injured inside half an hour, the team’s lack of attacking penetration with key players out injured was laid bare; they dominated possession without creating another chance of note.

Raúl Jiménez addressed the 4,000 crowd at half-time, as he looks forward to returning to action next season after he fractured his skull at Arsenal six months ago, a night when Wolves went sixth. They won 50% of their games with the Mexican leading the line, compared with half that without him.

Elanga, on his second Premier League start, opened the scoring. Daniel James, receiving Alex Telles’s pass down the left wing, dispatched a superb cross for the 19-year-old Swede to head home an emphatic first senior goal.

It was from down the inside-right channel vacated by Traoré’s withdrawal that Wolves conjured their goal. João Moutinho laid the ball off for Leander Dendoncker to play a first-time pass for Fabio Silva, accelerating into the area, to square just inside for Semedo to turn in.

United went ahead in first-half stoppage time.

Donny van de Beek felt Romain Saïss make contact as he ran across goal and took the option to go down. Mata, now 33, converted the penalty with elan for his first Premier League goal of the season.

James should have made the game safe when he was sent clear 13 minutes into the second half but he dinked a weak shot wide. This was the first time Wolves had lost three successive Premier League games under Nuno but their fans still gave him a rousing send-off.