Wolves are back to winning ways at Molineux! Adam Armstrong finally remembered where the goal was; Watford continued their impression of a side that would rather be anywhere else, and we somehow turned a comfortable afternoon into another episode of How to Make Supporting Wolves Unnecessarily Stressful.
Armstrong’s 35th-minute strike proved enough to secure all three points, marking his 450th EFL appearance with a much-needed goal. Wolves dominated large parts of the game, created plenty of chances and restricted Watford to very little. Naturally, we only scored once. Because why win 3-0 when you can spend the final 15 minutes wondering whether your weekend will be ruined by a speculative shot from 30 yards? Anyway Here’s our player ratings.
José Sá – 6/10
Had little for most of the afternoon, but produced an important save to deny Edo Kayembe from distance. Kept a clean sheet, which is always nice. Hopefully, he enjoyed the opportunity to practise his stretching exercises, because Watford certainly weren’t giving him much else to worry about.
Kieran Trippier – 7/10
One of the better performers. His crossing caused Watford problems all afternoon, and his delivery was crucial to Armstrong’s goal. It’s amazing what happens when a Wolves player puts a decent ball into the box. Perhaps we should try it more often. A good performance from the experienced full-back.
Yerson Mosquera – 6/10
A steady afternoon for Mosquera, who helped keep Watford quiet. Admittedly, the visitors looked about as threatening as a damp paper towel for much of the game, but he did what was required. No major mistakes, no unnecessary drama and a clean sheet. We’ll take that.
Ladislav Krejčí – 7/10
Solid defensively and nearly doubled Wolves’ lead with a thunderous header that forced an excellent save from Ravaglia. At this point, we might need to start playing our centre-backs up front if the actual forwards can’t be trusted to score more than once. A strong back line, with a little attacking threat thrown in for good measure.
Hugo Bueno – 6/10
Got forward regularly but offered little in the way of a decisive attacking contribution. His free-kick sailed over the bar, continuing Wolves’ long-standing commitment to making set pieces look like an elaborate waste of everyone’s time.
André – 6/10
Worked hard in midfield and helped Wolves control the game. His second-half effort from 30 yards flew over the bar. A functional performance, although we’d quite like to see a little more quality when it matters.
Marshall Munetsi – 5/10
Oh, Marshall.
Said delivered an inviting cross in the first half, Munetsi slid in, and the ball somehow ended up wide when it looked easier to score than miss. It was the sort of miss that makes you wonder whether he’s ever kicked a ball in his life. He worked hard, but Wolves cannot afford to waste chances like that, particularly when they have a habit of making one-goal leads feel like a life-threatening condition.
Jordan James – 6/10
Showed plenty of energy and came close with a long-range effort that narrowly cleared the angle of the goal. Unfortunately, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and Wolves were still left with just the one goal.
He put in a reasonable shift before being substituted in the 78th minute. The crowd’s reaction suggested they weren’t particularly thrilled with the decision, but then again, Molineux hasn’t exactly been a hotbed of unconditional managerial support lately.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 6/10
A quiet afternoon. Wolves had plenty of possession, but Bellegarde struggled to turn it into anything particularly threatening. There were moments when he looked capable of making something happen, followed by quiet spells. We need more creativity and more urgency.
Rafiki Saïd – 6/10
One of Wolves’ livelier players in the first half. He tested Ravaglia with a header and produced the cross that Munetsi somehow failed to convert. There were encouraging moments, but not quite enough end product to earn a higher rating. Replaced by Mateus Mané in the second half. At least he gave us something to watch other than the clock.
Adam Armstrong – 8/10
After a frustrating spell in front of goal, Armstrong finally found the net in the 35th minute, reacting quickest after his initial effort struck the post. It wasn’t pretty, but neither is most of our football, so it felt entirely appropriate. One goal, three points and a little reminder that he can actually finish. Lovely stuff.
Substitutes
Mateus Mané – 7/10
Replaced Said in the 61st minute and immediately brought some much-needed energy to the attack. His direct running helped create a chance for James, and he looked willing to take responsibility rather than simply pass the ball to someone else and hope for the best. A bright cameo. More of this, please.
Tommy Doyle – 5/10
Came on alongside Chirewa in the 78th minute and saw a shot blocked as well as picking up a booking the second he hit the pitch.
Tawanda Chirewa – 5/10
Had little time to influence the game, with Wolves more concerned about protecting their lead than adding to it. It’s difficult to judge a player on such a short cameo, but being brought on to replace the matchwinner in a game that wasn’t remotely safe was never going to win Peixoto many new fans.
Toti Gomes – N/A
Introduced in stoppage time to help see out the win. Not enough time to do anything particularly noteworthy, unless you count successfully existing on a football pitch for a couple of minutes.
Sean Neave – N/A
Also introduced late on. Too little time to make a meaningful impact, but at least he got a few minutes on the pitch.
Wolves deserved the win, and there were plenty of positives. Armstrong finally scored, Trippier delivered some quality crosses, and the defence secured a clean sheet. However, let’s not get carried away. Watford arrived having struggled badly on their travels, yet we somehow made the final stages feel like a Championship play-off final.
Wolves dominated for long periods, created enough chances to win comfortably and still couldn’t find that all-important second goal. The substitutions added another layer of frustration, particularly when Armstrong was withdrawn with the game still in the balance. But three points are three points. After the Portsmouth disappointment, we’ll happily take the win and move on.
