December 23, 2024

Wolves 2-3 West Brom: Premier League – as it happened

Wolves #Wolves

9.48am EST 09:48

Right-o, my MBM friends, that is your lot. Paul Doyle was at Molineux, and his verdict has landed. You know what to do: clickity click! Thanks for reading this live blog. Stay safe, everyone.

Matheus Pereira’s two penalties give West Brom vital win over Wolves

9.48am EST 09:48

Nuno’s reaction. “We did not do a good game. It’s disappointing because it meant a lot for our fans. We didn’t do what we should do. Our restart in the second half was very bad. We conceded goals that made our task very hard. We tried to control the game, be more aggressive, but we didn’t do it. We knew they would do things on throw-ins, long balls and set pieces, and didn’t defend well.” He then explained that Coady’s withdrawal was indeed tactical. “A simple decision.”

9.42am EST 09:42

Big Sam speaks! “The vast majority of that performance was excellent. The plan and the tactics. It’s the best I’ve seen us in possession since I’ve been here. Our defending at two set pieces put us on the back foot, but the lads were excellent in the second half, their heads could have gone down, but they came bouncing back. And they defended well at the end. It’s a good performance and even better for us in the position we’re in, and that we beat our local rivals. Hopefully we’ll gain some confidence for West Ham on Tuesday. I’m only asking the players to improve their fitness, technique and gameplay by one percent. When you add it up, it becomes significant.” He then stresses the need for better new players, who will, his argument goes, raise standards, earn everyone win bonuses, keep the team in the Premier League, and secure new contracts. He’s on a roll, and in a celebratory mood. Wine for his men!

9.27am EST 09:27

Those three massive points bring West Bromwich Albion back to life. They’re still second bottom of the Premier League, but they’ve got 11 points now, just one behind Fulham and three behind Brighton. Fulham have two matches in hand, but Brighton don’t. All of a sudden, the Baggies don’t look so much of a lost cause. Fireman Sam, at your service. Wolves on the other hand … well, they’ll not be panicking yet, but that’s now six defeats in their last nine. They’re comfortable enough at the minute in 14th spot, on 22 points, but can’t keep going on like this. A little bit of pressure building on Nuno. They’re really missing Raul Jimenez.

West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce and assistant coach Sammy Lee celebrate their win. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/Pool/Reuters

Updated at 9.30am EST

9.23am EST 09:23

FULL TIME: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 West Bromwich Albion

Sam Allardyce has his first win as West Brom manager! It’s well deserved after a fine battling display. His team – and they were a team today – cavort in joy. A massive smile plays across the big man’s face. A huge three points in the battle against relegation!

West Bromwich Albion players celebrate after the final whistle goes. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Pool/Reuters

Updated at 9.31am EST

9.20am EST 09:20

90 min +3: On the touchline, Big Sam masticates ferociously. Nuno by contrast looks extremely pensive.

9.20am EST 09:20

90 min +2: Livermore is forced to knock a long speculative ball behind for a corner. The superb and ever-heroic Bartley clears. He’s been West Brom’s man of the match, surely, though Glenn Hoddle on BT Sport has given it to Pereira. A justifiable shout, to be fair.

9.18am EST 09:18

90 min +1: The first of four added minutes goes by without incident.

9.17am EST 09:17

90 min: Silva turns Ajayi in the box, some cute skill. He opts to go over a leg that’s withdrawn. No contact, and the referee has no option but to show a yellow.

9.16am EST 09:16

89 min: Wolves are seeing plenty of the ball, but they’re doing very little with it. West Brom currently look as comfortable as a team can be in these circumstances.

9.14am EST 09:14

87 min: Ait-Nouri cuts in from the left and sends a wild shot high into the stand. West Brom are keeping Wolves at arm’s length … just about.

9.14am EST 09:14

86 min: Neto floats a free kick in from the left. Boly can’t get a header on target. The ball’s half cleared. Semedo races in and pearls a shot goalwards from the edge of the box. Bartley extends a leg to make a brave and quite brilliant block.

9.12am EST 09:12

85 min: Neto has a bash from 30 yards. No need to get so desperate quite yet. It’s easily blocked and cleared.

9.11am EST 09:11

83 min: West Brom send on Furlong for Pereira, clearly opting to batten down the hatches in the hope of seeing this one out.

9.09am EST 09:09

82 min: A spinning ball drops to Cutrone, just inside the West Brom box. Cutrone shapes like Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, but gets the contact all wrong, the ball belted into the turf and ballooning over the bar.

Patrick Cutrone of Wolverhampton Wanderers shoots towards the goal. Photograph: Nigel Keene/ProSports/Shutterstock

Updated at 9.16am EST

9.08am EST 09:08

81 min: Wolves win their tenth corner of the match. West Brom haven’t had one. Button punches it clear.

9.07am EST 09:07

80 min: Some scrappy nonsense as a few challenges fly in. There’s still time for this Black Country derby to get dark.

9.06am EST 09:06

79 min: Cutrone comes on for Moutinho. “Big Sam for England!” cries Simon McMahon. “It’s coming home!”

9.04am EST 09:04

77 min: Neto powers his way down the left and digs out a fine cross. Traore can’t get a header on target. Wolves are having some joy down the flanks, but nothing’s quite happening for them in the middle.

9.03am EST 09:03

75 min: Quick quiz: did BT Sport’s Peter Walton agree with Michael Oliver’s refusal to show Dendoncker a red card, or not? No need to respond, I know you know the answer.

9.01am EST 09:01

73 min: Dendoncker is booked for high-kicking Snodgrass on the noggin. You’ve seen reds flashed for that sort of thing, but the Wolves midfielder gets away with one.

Updated at 9.01am EST

9.00am EST 09:00

72 min: Silva has another dig, this time from 25 yards out. He drags his shot wide left, harmlessly so. Full marks to the 18-year-old striker for keeping going.

8.59am EST 08:59

71 min: The Traore jets are showcased yet again. A barnstorming run down the right. His cutback should be converted by Silva, but the young striker wafts at the ball, six yards out, and the visitors clear. Traore cocks his head back in disappointment. He could have done no more.

8.57am EST 08:57

70 min: Grosicki, who has been very decent this afternoon on his first Premier League start of the season, makes way for Robson-Kanu.

8.57am EST 08:57

69 min: Saiss wins a header from the second corner but it flies harmlessly wide right. Big Sam will be pleased with the way his defenders are battling this afternoon, and indeed the manner in which the whole team are fighting. It’s Anfield revisited, but with added attacking panache.

8.55am EST 08:55

68 min: Gibbs-White’s first significant contribution is to skip down the left and earn a corner. Boly rises highest, yet again, and his header looks destined for the top left. But Bartley deflects out for another corner. What a block!

Wolves’ Willy Boly bangs a header goalwards. Photograph: Nigel Keene/ProSports/Shutterstock

Updated at 9.20am EST

8.54am EST 08:54

66 min: Wolves steady the ship a little with some calm possession in the middle of the park. One step at a time.

8.52am EST 08:52

64 min: An eyebrow-raising sub for Wolves, as Ait-Nouri comes on for the captain Coady, who doesn’t appear to be carrying an injury. It’s the first time Coady has been hooked as a Wolves player.

8.51am EST 08:51

63 min: Neto whips a stunning cross through the six-yard box from the left. Neither Silva nor Traore can latch onto it. Any touch and it would have been in. It’s heartbreaking that Molineux isn’t packed for this back-and-forth spectacular.

8.49am EST 08:49

61 min: Wolves are all over the shop right now, stunned at recent developments. Pereira finds Robinson on the penalty spot with a floater from the left. Robinson gives Coady the slip and dribbles a shot across Rui Patricio and inches wide of the left-hand post. Not sure the keeper had that covered. Worrying times for Wolves.

8.48am EST 08:48

59 min: Snodgrass pulls back from the right. Sawyers drags wide left. Nuno has seen enough, and withdraws Neves, sending on Gibbs-White in his place.

8.46am EST 08:46

57 min: Coady is fuming. There wasn’t much in that challenge on Robinson, and he’s arguing the toss with the referee. A futile debate.

8.44am EST 08:44

GOAL! Wolves 2-3 West Brom (Pereira 56 pen)

Pereira lashes his second spot kick of the afternoon into the right-hand side of the goal, sending Rui Patricio the wrong way again. What a turnaround!

Matheus Pereira slams home his second penalty of the game to give West Bromwich Albion the lead. Photograph: Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images

Updated at 8.59am EST

8.43am EST 08:43

Penalty for West Brom!

55 min: This is given, though! Grosicki rolls a pass down the inside left. Robinson, his back to goal again, tries to spin Coady and goes over. It’s the slightest of touches, but he’s clipped him. Penalty!

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Conor Coady fouls Callum Robinson and a penalty is awarded to West Bromwich Albion. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/Pool/Reuters

Updated at 8.59am EST

8.42am EST 08:42

54 min: Semedo waltzes down the inside-right channel, a glorious run that draws three defenders. He’s about to break into the box when Bartley steps across him. It should be a foul, but inexplicably it’s not given. The referee will have assumed he wasn’t going to reach the ball he’d just poked into space, I guess.

8.39am EST 08:39

GOAL! Wolves 2-2 West Brom (Ajayi 52)

West Brom show for the first time in the second half, and how! Snodgrass works his way down the right and earns a throw. The ball’s flung into the mixer. Bartley wins the first header. Ajayi, the hero of Anfield, loops a second over Rui Patricio and into the top left!

West Bromwich Albion’s Semi Ajayi scores their second goal. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/Pool/Reuters Ajayi celebrates his goal. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/Pool/PA

Updated at 9.14am EST

8.38am EST 08:38

51 min: The free kick’s fizzed in low by Neto. Silva traps and sets up Saiss, who shoots straight at Button. None of it matters, because the ball had hit Silva’s hand, and the whistle goes.

8.37am EST 08:37

50 min: It’s all Wolves since the restart. Neto dribbles down the left and is dragged to the floor by O’Shea. A free kick, and a chance to load the box again.

8.35am EST 08:35

48 min: Traore flicks on Moutinho’s corner. There’s a melee on the edge of the six-yard box. Dendoncker tees up Silva, whose sidefoot is deflected out for another corner, this time on the right. Boly, at the heart of everything this afternoon, meets the second corner, but his header is always sailing wide left. A highly decent start to the half by the hosts.

8.34am EST 08:34

47 min: Silva makes like Traore, turning on the afterburners and zipping into the box down the left. For a second it looks as though he’s worked space to shoot, but has to settle for a corner.

8.32am EST 08:32

Wolves get the second half underway. No half-time changes. On the touchline, Big Sam redefines morose. “Poor Sam,” writes Mary Waltz. “He resembles a cow chewing his cud who suddenly comes to the realization that yes, they do plan on cutting me up and cooking me to eat.”

8.21am EST 08:21

Half-time entertainment. Other Premier League matches are available this weekend. Our panel of experts run the rule over them here!

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

8.19am EST 08:19

HALF TIME: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 West Bromwich Albion

That’s the end of a very eventful, highly entertaining first half. West Brom looked lively, and could have been two up before they were hit by a Wolves double whammy. Both teams have contributed to a fine 45 minutes of football. More please! The Black Country derby is back, after a nine-year hiatus, and not a moment too soon.

8.16am EST 08:16

45 min +1: Snodgrass loops long from the right. Gibbs volleys from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. He pulls his effort across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

8.15am EST 08:15

45 min: Snodgrass makes his way past Saiss on the right, but can’t find anyone with his low cross. West Brom have played well, and will wonder how they’re losing.

8.14am EST 08:14

GOAL! Wolves 2-1 West Brom (Boly 43)

Moutinho’s corner drops at the near post and instigates a quick game of pinball. The ball pings to Boly’s feet, six yards out. Boly opens his body and slams into the bottom left! Boly has given away a penalty, set one up with a backheel, and scored one himself. What a return to action for the Wolves defender!

Willy Boly (second left) gives the home side the lead. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Pool/AP Protocols? What protocols? Photograph: Sam Bagnall/tAMA/Getty Images

Updated at 8.31am EST

8.12am EST 08:12

42 min: Traore turns on the jets again, then takes it up a notch from there! It’s an unstoppable run. He reaches the byline but his cutback is blocked out for a corner. And from that …

8.11am EST 08:11

40 min: That goal came slightly against the run of play, after a decent period for West Brom. The scoreline seems pretty much right over the piece, though.

8.10am EST 08:10

GOAL! Wolves 1-1 West Brom (Silva 38)

This is a lovely goal! Neto’s free kick isn’t up to much, and half-cleared by West Brom. Saiss hoicks it back into the mixer from the right. The ball hits Silva on the shoulder and breaks to Boly, who backheels down the inside left, returning it to Silva. Silva opens his body and steers a delightful sidefoot across Button and into the bottom right. What a finish!

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Fabio Silva (right) shoots … Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images The ball goes under Baggies’ keeper David Button and the visitors have the lead. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/Pool/Reuters

Updated at 9.28am EST

8.08am EST 08:08

37 min: Snodgrass clips Neto down the left, and this is a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the side of the West Brom area. Neto gets up and takes himself, and …

8.07am EST 08:07

36 min: Ajayi is booked for a cynical tug on Dendoncker, who was threatening to launch a Wolves attack. One suspects Big Sam will be happy enough with that, too.

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