Wolves played host to 17th-place Crystal Palace at Molineux in a must-win match at the bottom of the Premier League table.
As has been the tale of Wolves campaign so far, the hosts were dreadful throughout the first half and the visitors were unfortunate not to take the lead on multiple occasions.
Gary O’Neil’s men struggled to get any real patterns of play going but when they did, they were wasteful in the final third, as Pablo Sarabia missed a golden chance to score when his indecision saw Dean Henderson smother the ball.
Boos then rung around Molineux when Palace took the lead in the 60th minute. A mix-up between Jose Sa and Jorgen Strand Larsen saw Trevoh Chalobah strike a wonderful half-volley into the net.
O’Neil knew he had to make some changes after conceding, and he did so by bringing on Goncalo Guedes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Mario Lemina for Toti Gomes, Pablo Sarabia and Tommy Doyle.
Those substitutions gave Wolves the impetus to get back into the game and Matheus Cunha was instrumental.
Santi Bueno’s searching ball found Cunha. He chested it down and slid the ball across to Strand Larsen, who made no mistake with his finish.
Substitute Guedes then slid the ball across Gomes for the equaliser, with the Brazilian sweeping the ball superbly past Henderson.
Wolves didn’t hold onto a precious three points for long, though, as Marc Guehi equalised in the 77th minute, denying the Wanderers their first win.
Here’s how the players rated.
Wolves player ratings vs Crystal Palace
Jose Sa – 5
Sa was involved in a lack of communication for the goal Trevoh Chalobah scored. The Portuguese shot-stopper came out to claim the ball but Jorgen Strand Larsen had already headed the ball into the path of Chalobah, who struck a superb strike past a crowd of bodies.
Santi Bueno – 6
Produced a brilliant diagonal ball into Cunha for the Wolves equaliser, as he chested the ball down and played the ball into Strand Larsen. That was his most important contribution of the game.
Craig Dawson – 7
Dawson was a rock at the back for Wolves. The veteran made a vital block early in the first half to deny Hughes and marshalled his defence superbly. He’s arguably one of O’Neil’s most important players.
Toti Gomes – 5
Didn’t play particularly badly throughout the game but it was O’Neil’s decision to substitute him that paid off as part of a triple change in the second half.
Nelson Semedo – 6
Semedo looked threatening when he received the ball on multiple occasions and made a vital interception to prevent Palace from scoring their third of the game late on.
Joao Gomes – 8
Wolves fans have grown accustomed to the dogged and determined performances of Joao Gomes, and that was on show in this match. He put in his usual tough-tackling display and then drove Wolves forward in the second half, scoring when they needed it most by placing the ball beautifully past Henderson.
Tommy Doyle – 4
Doyle was excellent in the draw at Brighton however, similar can’t be said about his display against Palace. He struggled to get on the ball and pull the strings like he usually does while without it, he was pretty non-existent.
Rayan Ait-Nouri – 5
Ait-Nouri has been one of Wolves’ brightest performers this term but he didn’t have his best game against Crystal Palace.
The 23-year-old got himself into some promising positions in attack however, his final ball consistently let him down. It was typified in the first half when the Wanderers carved out a four-on-one situation but Ait-Nouri failed to pick out any of his teammates and was instead tackled.
Pablo Sarabia – 5
Sarabia made his first start in the league this term after impressing in the second half against Brighton. The Spaniard started on the right and was wasteful in the final third, spurning his side’s best two chances of the game.
Matheus Cunha – 8
If Wolves are to survive in the Premier League, it’s become clear that they’re reliant on Matheus Cunha, and that was evident against Palace.
Most of what the hosts did positively in the final third came through the Brazilian, who picked out some exquisite passes to free his teammates, including the one for Strand Larsen’s equaliser. Instrumental in both goals Wolves scored.
Jorgen Strand Larsen – 7
Was rarely in the game and struggled to lead the line up against the Palace defence. But like any good striker, remained patient that his chance would eventually come and he took it with a smart finish past Henderson.
Substitutes
Goncalo Guedes – 7
Changed the game for Wolves when he came off the bench for Sarabia and assisted Gomes for his goal.
Mario Lemina – 6
Added a bit of organisation to the Wolves midfield after replacing Doyle. Their engine room was all over the shop before the captain was introduced.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 6
Replaced Toti as Wolves changed formation to a four-man defence but didn’t really impact the game as much as he would have liked.
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