How many more chances will Gary O’Neil get to earn that elusive first league win of the season? Wolves, who deservedly trailed to Trevoh Chalobah’s opener, contrived to squander a second-half lead after two goals in five minutes from Jørgen Strand Larsen and João Gomes had turned the tables on Crystal Palace. Perhaps Wolves were guilty of thinking the hard work was done.
For long spells Wolves played like a team down on their luck and given they sacked their set-piece coach last month, it was not a great look for O’Neil that both Palace goals came from dead balls, Marc Guéhi eluding his marker, the substitute Gonçalo Guedes, at a corner to earn a point. Wolves have conceded a league-high nine goals from set pieces. Wolves are too easy to score against full stop; they also top the charts for goals conceded this season. The numbers make bleak reading. Wolves last beat a current top-flight team in March, when they overcame Fulham, and last kept a league clean sheet in February.
In the end – unusually – O’Neil was grateful for the VAR, who backed up the referee Anthony Taylor’s decision to disallow Jean-Philippe Mateta’s 96th-minute strike for a foul on José Sá. The Wolves goalkeeper knew he was in a race with Daniel Muñoz for the loose ball after Mario Lemina slid in to prevent a Mateta cross from reaching Muñoz. Sá attempted to smother with both hands, Muñoz hung his right boot into the mix, the ball bobbled free and Mateta wellied into an empty net. The Palace bench ran wild. The PGMOL clarified that the decision stuck because the officials considered Sá to be in control of the ball.
Critically, though, O’Neil may have lost the support of the locals. Sections of the home crowd jeered his triple substitution soon after Ismaïla Sarr squandered a second chance to double Palace’s lead. Asked if he has the support of the hierarchy, the Wolves head coach replied: “I’m not sure, I’m just going to carry on and do my job, I enjoy working with the group. We need to be better. All of it ends up being my responsibility, which I’m happy to take. The criticism around the subs, the criticism around goals can land on my doorstep, no problem.”
Wolves remain bottom and things look increasingly ominous. If O’Neil survives until next Saturday’s visit of Southampton, who picked up their first win against Everton on Saturday, it feels as if that game will be defining. By this point of the season, even the infamous Derby team relegated with a paltry 11 points had six to their name. After a brutal run of fixtures to start the season, this game always felt the obvious place for a pick-me-up, even more so with Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton sidelined after sustaining injuries in Palace’s Carabao Cup victory at Aston Villa in midweek. Oliver Glasner knew it. “‘Oh Palace is coming, many injuries, they played three days before at Villa,’” said the Palace manager. “‘Come on guys, it’s time to take the win.’”
After Palace missed a couple of early chances, one in comedic fashion when Chalobah recorded a swing and a miss three yards out before Mateta blasted the rebound at his teammate, Wolves eventually roused. Pablo Sarabia was twice thwarted by Dean Henderson, the Palace goalkeeper not buying his dummy the first time around and taking his second effort flush in the face.
Wolves had been listless, Palace adventurous and the visitors got their reward on the hour. Palace played a short free-kick and Will Hughes sent a cross into the box. Strand Larsen headed it on but Sá had made strides to claim the ball and so Wolves presented Chalobah with a chance at the back post, the goal gaping. Chalobah chested the ball and thrashed in from a tight angle.
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Matheus Cunha salvaged a point at Brighton and produced their leveller here. The Brazilian brought a Santiago Bueno pass under his spell, shifted the ball out of his feet and freed Strand Larsen to do the rest, the Norwegian slipping his finish through the legs of Henderson.
Wolves then flipped this game on its head, Gomes sidefooting low into the corner at the end of a slick move. Lemina pirouetted clear of Daichi Kamada, Cunha drove forward and Guedes squared for Gomes. Unfortunately for O’Neil, it was not the last act. The fans are alarmed. “The place is not going to feel like a bed of roses and smiley,” he said. “We’re in a scrap and we’re struggling to win matches.”
