Wolves 11th premier league game of the 2022/23 campaign ended in a narrow defeat in the capital at the hands of Patrick Viera’s Crystal Palace. Hugo Bueno was the stand out performer on his full league debut for Steve Davis’ side who once again looked short of ideas in front of the opposition goal. Adama Traore opened the scoring in the 31st minute thanks to a brilliant cross from Bueno but a fragile-looking Wolves conceded early in the second half and subsequently failed to secure any points on the road.
Jose Sa
Somewhat wayward with his distribution, Sa made a few simple saves but was powerless to save either of Palace’s second half goals. Playing through his injury cannot be easy, however the Wolves keeper is still struggling pick up the rich vein of form he was in throughout last season.
6
Nelson Semedo
Semedo started the game well against Palace and had a robust first half. However, defensive frailties crept in from the outset of the second 45 minutes as he was at fault for both goals that Wolves conceded.
5
Nathan Collins
Collins struggled in his first game back after his recent suspension, the Irishman looked slow in possession and struggled defensively to deal with Palace’s attack, particularly in the second half. However, Collins did find himself with a chance towards the latter stages of the game but could only poke the ball wide from a few yards out.
4
Max Kilman
Max was the better of Wolves two centre halves but still showed signs of weakness, particularly in the second half. He covered space well within the Wolves back line but showed little progression with the ball.
5.5
Hugo Bueno
The 20 year-old Spaniard had a stellar debut for Wolves, he looked tidy in possession and dealt with his defensive duties well. The full-back played with composure beyond his years and provided an excellent assist for Wolves only goal of the game.
8
Ruben Neves
The Portuguese midfielder put in another strong performance for Wolves, showing the passion and fight that is needed with the captain’s armband. Neves covered a lot of defensive work throughout the 90 minutes, but also rattled the post with a free-kick and forced Guaita into a good save with a well-struck effort in the second half.
7
Matheus Nunes
Playing in a more advanced role than the other two central midfielders, Nunes struggled to get into the game at times but did show flashes of promise in the transition. Subbed off rather prematurely in the second half due to concerns over a head injury, Nunes didn’t get to impact the game as much as a player of his quality would’ve liked to.
6.5
Boubacar Traore
On his first full debut, Traore battled hard in the heart of the Wolves midfield. The loanee won the ball back on a number of occasions but struggled to retain the ball at times. Traore gave away a number of free kicks in the first half and subsequently received a yellow card.
6
Adama Traore
The main attacking threat for Wolves in the first half, Adama scored his much-deserved first league goal of the season with a bullet header from Bueno’s cross. Traore was subbed off 13 minutes into the second half, preventing him from creating any further attacking opportunities for Wolves. After returning from his loan last season, Traore is quickly adapting back to life in the Premier League and is becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.
7.5
Daniel Podence
Podence struggled to impose himself on the game during the first half, having a minimal contribution to the team. Daniel was more involved during the second half, however he gave the ball away much too easily on a number of occasions and provided little attacking threat.
5
Diego Costa
Despite his best efforts, Costa failed to make a significant impression on the game. An early chance saw Costa one-on-one with the Palace keeper, however he failed to find the back of the net. The rest of the game left Costa with little chances to feed off and he was subbed off in the 75th minute.
5
Substitutes:
Goncalo Guedes (Replaced Adama Traore 58′)
After coming off the bench, Guedes failed to impress the travelling Wolves fans as his lack of quality in the final third shone through, failing to retain possession on a number of occasions.
5
Joao Moutinho (Replaced Boubacar Traore 58′)
After not being named in the starting XI, Moutinho put in a solid perform in the centre of the park for Wolves, retaining possession and offering a solid level of composure, although struggling to progress the ball further up the field at times.
6
Joe Hodge (Replaced Matheus Nunes 58′)
Hodge showed some of the passion and desire that Wolves were lacking previously, however his isolation in the number 10 role meant he struggled to impact the game heavily during his time on the field.
6
Hwang Hee Chan (Replaced Diego Costa 75′)
Hwang only managed a handful of touches after taking to the field and had very little impact from the bench.
5