Wolves were denied their maiden victory in the Premier League at the death, courtesy of a fantastic João Palhinha strike in the 94th minute that, seemingly, came from nowhere. It’s a bittersweet result for Wolves to say the least. Before kickoff, the majority of supporters would have welcomed a draw on the road against a Champions League opponent. However, given the jarring lack of a threat posed by said opponent in the second half until Palhinha’s goal, the full three points were staring us right in the face, and they were not claimed. Written by Kyle Baldemore.
Player Ratings
Sam Johnstone: 8/10
There was simply nothing Johnstone could have done to stop Palhinha’s goal. It was a fortunate bounce in traffic for the central midfielder, and he placed it perfectly. Johnstone built off his clean sheet earlier in the week against Everton with a solid performance, including a few stunning saves against Mohammed Kudus. He’s done enough to claim the Number One spot for the foreseeable future.
Matt Doherty: 6/10
A mixed bag for this evening’s skipper. Doherty had a great stop in the middle of the first half against a threatening attempt by Destiny Udogie, and he also nearly scored right before halftime when a deflection landed at his foot inside the box. He came off at halftime and handed off the armband to João Gomes. It’s encouraging to see Matt play well in a back-four, as that looks like the best defensive schematic for Wolves moving forward.
Santiago Bueno: 9/10
It’s crazy what a goal can do for a player’s confidence. Santi looked apprehensive in the first half, but was a different animal entirely after he put Wolves ahead with his first Premier League goal for the club in the 54th minute. It was not a pretty goal by any means, but a winless club will take what it can get. Bueno was involved in a number of crucial stops following his strike. Despite the result, the Uruguayan was my Man of the Match, and I can only hope he carries this confidence into future matches.
Ladislav Krejci: 7/10
It wasn’t the attractive effort Krejci delivered in the cup match against Everton, but it was solid nonetheless. Sometimes, a lack of highlights means that the opponent wanted no part of sending the ball into your direction.
Hugo Bueno: 6.5/10
It was admirable, but Hugo’s performance against Kudus in the first half prompted Vitor Pereira to call upon reinforcements at the break, in the form of Jackson Tchatchoua. To his credit, he put in a full shift and asked the question on the wing from an offensive standpoint.
Andre: 7/10
Another solid performance by arguably Wolves’ most consistent player. The second half in particular showcased Andre’s tenacity as a defender, as he was the first to the ball on multiple occasions. We should hope that he is not dropped again, unless it’s for fitness reasons.
João Gomes: 5/10
Always a threat to pick up a booking, it was a bit surprising to see the man who claimed Doherty’s captain’s armband to be removed just 18 minutes into the second half, despite the yellow card looming over him. Gomes was seen gesticulating his displeasure at the decision, and it remains to be seen if it was a tactical decision or not. Either way, it was an unremarkable day for a player capable of better.
Marshall Munetsi: 6.5/10
We got the good and bad of 90 minutes of Munetsi today. The good: drawing an early yellow card against a quality player in Xavi Simons, and running his heart out until the final whistle. The bad: a careless challenge on Palhinha near the box that, with a harsher official, may have resulted in a negative VAR review.
Hwang Hee-Chan: 4/10
There were multiple giveaways in the first half that led to Hwang’s substitution at half-time. His replacement was markedly better. I appreciate what he’s done for the club in his time here, but there is little reason to justify Hwang’s spot in the club, much less the starting XI.
Jhon Arias: 7/10
Some of the first half corners were ugly. Like, really ugly. Arias made up for it in the second half, as his difficult delivery pinballed inside the box onto Santi Bueno’s foot for the opening goal. He’s still finding his footing, but this is hopefully a jumping off point for one of the more prominent signings of the summer window for Wolves.
Jørgen Strand Larsen: 5/10
There were a few long balls early on in the match that JSL was able to cheekily deflect into the run of play, but they ultimately came to nothing. He was subbed off after 83 fairly uneventful minutes.
Substitutes
Jackson Tchatchoua: 8.5/10
I’m not going to compare him to Adama Traore, but man. What an impact off the bench Tchatchoua made when looking at his speed compared to Hwang’s. He had a major role in locking up Kudus in the second half.
Emmanuel Agbadou: 5.5/10
All in all, another pedestrian performance for Agbadou after a promising debut half-season with the club. Nothing egregious, but nothing inspiring either.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde: 6.5/10
JR offered an injection of energy right off the bat, goading Lucas Bergvall into a cynical challenge that resulted in a yellow card. He was active all over the pitch in his 30-ish minutes.
Tolu Arokodare: 5.5/10
His main contribution was an impressive play late in regulation where he earned a corner in a 2v1 situation. I’m not sure how it would work, but if we can figure out how to keep Tolu and Jørgen on the pitch at the same time, I’m all for it.
Toti Gomes: N/A
Toti came on in the 92nd minute to be an extra defender for preserving a 1-0 lead on the road. We conceded immediately. I understand it’s not directly on Toti, but the club’s top choice to wear the armband should ostensibly improve the chances of getting a result rather than impair the chances of getting a result.
