Wolves were hoping to build some momentum under new head coach Rob Edwards, yet the game ended in frustration again as Crystal Palace won 2-0. Wolves lacked any cutting edge and were punished for defensive mistakes by a deflected opener from Daniel Muñoz and a quick second from Yéremi Pino. With just 46% possession and one shot on target, Wolves simply couldn’t force themselves back into the game. Here are our player ratings. Written by Luke Fletcher.
Sam Johnstone: 5/10
He was called into action a few times and made a few decent saves, with not much he could have done about the second goal, but the long wait for a clean sheet continues.
Jackson Tchatchoua: 5/10
Didn’t really influence the game, and his one weapon, which is his pace, just wasn’t used enough. Didn’t get himself into enough space to deliver quality crosses in the final third.
Emmanuel Agbadou: 6/10
Probably Wolves’ most dominant defender today. He won a lot of his aerial battles and stood firm under pressure. Ultimately, there was little he could have done to prevent Palace’s two goals.
Ladislav Krejčí: 6/10
Solid enough performance. He didn’t make significant errors, although he should have put his chance away in the first half following João Gomes’ free kick. He was withdrawn when Wolves needed to commit more forwards.
Toti Gomes: 5/10
A mixed game for the skipper, he lost several individual duels and was exposed at times, but also made some key interventions and kept his discipline reasonably well.
David Møller Wolfe: 5.5/10
Looked lively going forward, getting into promising wide areas and delivering some dangerous crosses. He came close to assisting when Jhon Arias failed to make the most of one of his deliveries.
João Gomes: 6/10
Put in his trademark effort and energy. He battled hard in midfield but lacked the decisive pass or breakthrough to influence the game meaningfully.
André: 6.5/10
A reliable presence in midfield, he was calm in possession, had a high pass completion rate, and worked hard in duels. He helped Wolves maintain structure, even when things got difficult.
Marshall Munetsi: 4.5/10
More active than in some previous games, but struggled to make a decisive difference in the attacking phase. He lacked creativity going forward.
Tolu Arokodare: 5/10
Did well linking up with Strand Larsen and defended intelligently from the front, especially against Palace’s long throws. But struggled due to the lack of attacking support.
Jørgen Strand Larsen: 5/10
Looked to drop in and bring others into play, but service was rare, and he struggled to exert any kind of influence.
Substitutes
Hwang Hee-chan: 4/10
Gave the ball away cheaply relatively soon after coming on, which led to Palace’s second. Later, he set up Møller-Wolfe for a cross, but Arias couldn’t convert.
Jean Ricner-Bellegarde: 6/10
Brought energy and presence when he entered. Looked sharper than some of the other attacking options off the bench.
Jhon Arias: 4.5/10
Missed a good chance after a decent cross from Møller-Wolfe. He should’ve done better with that opportunity.
Hugo Bueno: N/A
Didn’t get enough time to make any impact on the game.
In the end, this was another frustrating afternoon for Wolves, who once again showed encouraging spells but lacked the cutting edge and concentration needed to take something from the game. The second half initially suggested they might push on and find a breakthrough. Still, Crystal Palace were more clinical in the decisive moments, with Muñoz’s opener and Pino’s ruthless finish proving the difference.
Despite some solid individual displays, particularly from Agbadou and André, Wolves didn’t create enough high-quality chances, registering just a single shot on target. The lack of service to the forwards and the inability to respond after going behind remain concerns that Rob Edwards’ side must address quickly.
With tough fixtures ahead, Wolves will need a stronger collective performance if they’re to turn competitive moments into results.
