Ben Fisher was at St Mary’s for us today. I’ll leave you with his match report - cheerio!
Meanwhile
Full time: Southampton 0-1 Wolves
Peep peep! A delightful solo goal from Raul Jimenez, his first since that horrific injury at Arsenal last season, gives Wolves an important victory at St Mary’s. It was a bit of a smash and grab, not that they’ll care, and their defence kept Southampton at arm’s length for most of the game.
90+6 min That would have been a second assist for Sa, which can’t have happened to too many goalkeepers.
90+5 min Jimenez almost gets another goal from a Jose Sa goalkick! He was too strong for Romeu, who fell over, but his shot was blocked at the near post by McCarthy.
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90+4 min Southampton are huffing and puffing to no great effect. They started the second half really well but Jimenez’s goal seemed to drain them of belief.
90+2 min Free-kick to Southampton the right wing. Ward-Prowse overhits it slightly and Bednarek can only head it out of play.
90 min There will be six minutes of added time.
88 min Djenepo’s cross is headed away by Coady, who has been rock-solid in the Wolves defence.
87 min Wolves are holding on to their lead very comfortably. Bruno Lage makes a double change nonetheless: Ruben Neves and Ki-Jana Hoever replace Hwang and Semedo.
85 min “I’ve been wondering since the Ings transfer, where would goals come for Saints this term?” says Admir Pajic. “They lack a 10-goal striker, never mind a 20-goal one they sold/had to sell. Armstrong isn’t exactly a Shearer in making and scoring odd wonder-goal doesn’t make Adams a great scorer either.”
It’s a fair point. I quite like Armstrong, though, and once he settles I think he’ll get 10-12 league goals. They need a bit more from the attacking midfielders like Redmond, Walcott and Armstrong.
83 min Djenepo’s errant cross-shot hits Saiss and goes behind for a corner. There’s a break in play while Semedo receives treatment.
82 min This would be a poor result for Southampton, but I don’t think they’re far away. Livramento is a joy and Adam Armstrong looks a decent player. He just needs a goal.
81 min Salisu’s cutback is steered across goal by Armstrong towards Long, whose shot is deflected wide.
78 min Southampton have had more possession and four times as many shots at goal as Wolves. Maybe they are missing Danny Ings a bit more than I realised.
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75 min Marcal’s dangerous cross is headed over his own bar by Long.
74 min Walker-Peters overruns the ball and ploughs through Semedo, a poor tackle that should have brought a yellow card. It didn’t, and now Walker-Peters has been replaced by Shane Long.
72 min Lots of Southampton pressure, but they are still struggling to create clear chances. Wolves are very comfortable defending deep and playing on the break.
70 min Wolves make a change: Adama Traore replaces Daniel Podence, who had a quiet game.
70 min Ward-Prowse’s free-kick from a long way out on the left is comfortably saved by Sa.
🐺 𝙅𝙄𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙀𝙕 𝙄𝙎 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 🐺
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 26, 2021
🗣 "That is sensational... He's got no right to score from there! Outstanding strength, balance, skill and finish!"
Wolves take the lead over Southampton 🔥
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68 min Walker-Peters has a shot blocked by Moutinho. Southampton are starting to look a bit desperate.
66 min Another dangerous cross from the delightful Livramento is headed away by Semedo.
64 min Southampton bring on the Albanian striker Armando Broja and Moussa Djenepo for Che Adams and Nathan Redmond.
63 min Southampton almost equalise straight from the kick off. Romeu plays a crisp pass into Adams, who cuts inside but shoots straight at Sa from the edge of the area.
62 min Jimenez charged over to the Wolves fans, punching the air in delight. After all he’s been through, that was a spine-tingling moment.
This is the feelgood moment of the season so far. Jose Sa booted a long clearance towards Jimenez, who was all on his own in the Southampton half. He wrestled Bednarek off the ball, wrongfooted Salisu on the edge of the area, dummied the recovering Bednarek and calmly stroked the ball past McCarthy. It’s a glorious individual goal, his first since that shocking injury at Arsenal. The composure was just outstanding.
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GOAL! Southampton 0-1 Wolves (Jimenez 61)
Oh yes yes yes: what a wonderful goal from Raul Jimenez!
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61 min After another fine run from Livramento, Elyounoussi’s long-range shot is unintentionally blocked by Adams.
58 min It’s all happening now. Jimenez turns Bednarek in the area, but leaves the ball behind. Moments lateren he drives a dangerous low cross into the six-yard box that is scrambled away by a combination of Bednarek and McCarthy.
56 min: Excellent double save from Sa! It’s all Southampton now. Elyounoussi’s deflected shot is pushed away by Sa, who springs to his feet to block Adams’ follow up. The second one wouldn’t have counted, as Adams was fractionally offside, but Sa didn’t know that. It was a really good save.
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55 min: Good save from Sa! Armstrong scurries down the left, then cuts inside on the edge of the area and picks out a good pass to Livramento on the far side. He controls the ball on the run and drives a low shot from 12 yards that is kicked behind by Sa.
54 min “Every Wolves MBM I read and every game I watch the commentators/announcers always seem to talk about Traore in terms reserved for superstars,” says Brad Wilson. “Yet he rarely starts and while his speed is impressive his production seems less so. Am I missing something?”
I suppose the excitement is because, in the parlance of our time, he has a very high ceiling. At his best he is devastating, even if we don’t see it too often.
52 min Wolves take the corner short and work it to Hwang on the edge of the area. He turns smartly and has a shot blocked, as does Dendoncker with the follow up.
52 min Wolves win a corner down the right, to be taken by Moutinho...
49 min Southampton have started the second half strongly. Adams and Armstrong combine neatly to find Ward-Prowse, arriving late in the area, but he is crowded out by defenders.
46 min Peep peep! Southampton begin the second half. No changes on either side.
Half-time reading
Half time: Southampton 0-0 Wolves
Peep peep! No goals and no clear chances, despite the best intentions of both teams. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
45 min One minute of added time.
44 min Lots of Southampton pressure as half-time approaches. Walker-Peters and Livramento, the full-backs, are having plenty of the ball.
41 min Jose Sa takes too long on the ball and is challenged, possibly fouled, by Adams. He can only clear the ball as far as Romeu, 30 yards from goal. After a couple of quick passes, Armstrong batters a shot from the edge of the D that is patted down by Sa and grabbed at the second attempt.
40 min: Redmond has a goal disallowed for offside! It was beautifully taken, a flicked half-volley on the turn that went in off the underside of the bar, but replays confirm hr was offside.
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40 min The enterprising Livramento crosses dangerously to the near post, where Coady does very well to get in front of Adams.
38 min Hwang is harshly penalised for a challenge on Livramento, 25 yards from goal on the right wing. Ward-Prowse’s free-kick is headed away as far as Romeu, who blooters a volley into outer space.
36 min A good spell for Southampton, albeit without creating any clear chances.
33 min Podence has a great chance to put Hwang through on goal but drags the pass behind him. “The first half in a nutshell,” says the Sky commentator Don Goodman.
31 min It’s been an error-strewn match, though in fairness most of the mistakes have been forced by the aggressive pressing of both teams.
29 min After good play from Armstrong, Adams shoots straight at Jose Sa from the left side of the area. That was a tame effort.
28 min Romeu stands on the ball, 25 yards from goal, and is robbed by Jimenez. He makes a beeline for the penalty area but is unusually indecisive upon reaching it, which allows a couple of Southampton to get back and clear the danger.
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27 min Jimenez goes down holding his jaw after a collision with Bednarek. It was an accident, and he seems fine.
26 min That Semedo effort after 44 seconds is the only shot on target so far.
24 min Bednarek’s clearance hits Walker-Peters and falls for Podence on the right of the area. His early cross almost falls for Jimenez, but doesn’t, and that’s all there is to it.
22 min Redmond teases Semedo on the left and curls a lovely inswinging cross that drifts across the six-yard box and out for a goalkick.
18 min Armstrong has a shot on the turn well blocked by Moutinho, though it wouldn’t have counted as Adams was offside in the build-up.
17 min Wolves move the ball stylishly from left to right, where Semedo hares into space. He gets to the edge of the area and gives the ball to Podence, who tries a fancy dummy and loses it.
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13 min Armstrong slaloms promisingly into the area but holds onto the ball too long and is dispossessed. Not much is happening, despite some bright passing from both sides.
8 min Armstrong’s cross shot finds its way to Elyounoussi on the far side of the area. His cross is blocked, again by Saiss I think.
7 min There’s a nice pace to the game, and a cracking atmosphere at St Mary’s. The two may be connected.
5 min Kilman plays a dodgy square ball, straight to Elyounoussi 25 yards from goal. He gets it out of his feet and swishes a shot that is blocked by a Wolves defender, Saiss I think.
3 min Elyounoussi and Marcal both need treatment after a weighty collision. They’re fine.
1 min Wolves almost take the lead after 44 seconds. They won the ball high up the field, allowing Jimenez to play in the marauding Semedo to his right. Semedo’s shot was well struck but too close to McCarthy, who pushed it behind for a corner. Good save.
1 min Wolves kick off from left to right. Even though there isn’t a colour clash, they are wearing their new away strip. The tonal greys and black with the flecks of wolves gold throughout the pattern is modern and aggressive and fits the team, playing style and club. Southampton are in the usual.
The players stroll onto the field. It’s a beautiful, sunny day in Southampton, pushing 20 degrees.
Team news
Southampton make one change from last weekend’s draw at the Etihad. Jack Stephens, who suffered a bad knee injury in that game, is replaced by Mohammad Salisu.
Bruno Lage has dropped Adama Traore, Ruben Neves and Trincao in response to that defeat at home to Brentford. Leander Dendoncker, Daniel Podence and Hwang Hee-chan come in.
Southampton (4-4-2) McCarthy; Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Elyounoussi, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Redmond; Adams, Armstrong.
Substitutes: Forster, Lyanco, Perraud, Valery, Djenepo, Tella, Diallo, Long, Broja.
Wolves (3-4-3) Sa; Kilman, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Moutinho, Dendoncker, Marcal; Podence, Hwang, Jimenez.
Substitutes: Moulden, Ruddy, Hoever, Boly, Neves, Cundle, Trincao, Traore, Fabio Silva.
Referee Andy Madley.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Southampton v Wolves at St Mary’s, a match that both teams hope will kickstart their season. Southampton are yet to win in the Premier League, though they have drawn the last four, two of them against the Manchester clubs, and are coping without Danny Ings better than many of us expected.
Wolves, despite some encouraging performances, have lost four of their five games while scoring only two goals. The first three defeats, to Leicester, Spurs and Manchester United, were unfortunate, but they were wretched at home to Brentford last weekend. If they want to finish in the top half, they need Raul Jimenez to get back to his best. He’s still looking for his first goal since that horrific injury at Arsenal last year. Wolves’ season won’t really begin until he scores it.
Kick off 2pm.
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