That’s it for tonight’s blog. Thanks for your company and emails - goodnight!
It almost kicked off after the final whistle between Jesse Lingard and Pedro Neto. I’m not sure why, but the players on both sides charged over to separate them. Michael Oliver was nearby and didn’t dish out any more cards.
Full time: Wolves 2-3 West Ham
Peep peep! West Ham move up to fourth in the table after a wildly entertaining match at Molineux. They stormed into a 3-0 lead in a scintillating first half, but had a big scare when Wolves pulled it back to 3-2.
90+3 min Lingard is booked for timewasting, and risks another yellow card secdnds later when he kicks the ball away. Michael Oliver lets him off.
90+2 min Diop makes a good block from Traore’s long-range shot. West Ham break and Lingard kills a bit more time by winning a throw-in off Coady.
90+1 min Soucek is booked for fouling some fellow in gold.
90+1 min Four minutes of added time.
90 min Noble buys West Ham a bit of time by drawing a foul from Neves. Wolves have brought on Ki-Jana Hoever for Ait-Nouri.
88 min Wolves are running out of time. They had more attacking momentum at 3-1 down than they have had since making it 3-2.
85 min Neves is booked for standing on Lingard’s foot.
83 min West Ham aren’t really bothering to attack now. It’s human nature, I suppose, but they’ll be secreting regret should Wolves equalise.
81 min There’s a break in play while Tomas Soucek receives treatment. West Ham have used all their subs, but he looks okay to continue.
78 min West Ham make their final change, with Said Benrahma replacing Pablo Fornals.
77 min Dawson’s panicky clearance runs to Pedro Neto, who hammers a snapshot over the bar from 16 yards.
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76 min West Ham have switched to a back five since Johnson came on, which makes sense but is also inviting a bit of pressure. Apart from Soucek’s disallowed goal, they haven’t really threatened in the second half.
74 min It’s hard to understand how this game has changed, such was West Ham’s dominance for most of the first half.
72 min Another Wolves change: Vitinha comes on to replace Willian Jose.
70 min Dendoncker misses a good chance to equalise! Pedro Neto’s cross from the left ricocheted towards the edge of the area, where Dendoncker ran onto the ball and spanked it over the bar.
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Wolves are right back in it. Pedro Neto, in the centre circle, clipped a gorgeous pass over the West Ham defence to find Fabio Silva in the inside-right channel. He cushioned the ball perfectly on the run and then, from a tight angle, slid a low shot across Fabianski. That’s a terrific goal.
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GOAL! Wolves 2-3 West Ham (Fabio Silva 68)
Well I never!
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67 min A West Ham change: Ben Johnson replaces Arthur Masuaku.
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66 min Neves dummies to shoot and instead angles a pass into Neto on the edge of the D. He runs round the ball but cracks a first-time shot well wide.
65 min Ait-Nouri runs 40 yards before being fouled by Noble. The free-kick is around 28 yards from goal, and Ruben Neves will take it...
61 min Pedro Neto scoots down the right, then cuts inside Cresswell and hits a rising drive that is patted down by Fabianski. It was a pretty comfortable save.
NO GOAL! Bowen’s shot was pushed away by Rui Patricio and the ball hit the arm of Soucek before he put it into the empty net.
59 min: Soucek has a goal disallowed for handball. VAR will check it. VAR loves to check things.
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55 min Dendoncker drives not far wide from 22 yards. Fabianski had it covered through.
55 min Traore is back on the left now. I have no idea what formation Wolves are playing.
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55 min Saying which, Bowen has missed a good chance to make it 4-1. Cresswell put in a delicious cross from the left, and Bowen flicked a header just wide from eight yards. He should have scored.
53 min It’s been a relatively quiet start to the second half. This often happens after a high-scoring first half, when coaches get hold of their teams at half-time and politely ask them to STOP PLAYING SILLY BUGGERS.
50 min The next goal is always important at 3-1, but it’s even more so today because West Ham lost a 3-0 lead in their last game.
49 min “Matt Dony, we are Tangled Up in Claret and Blue tonight,” says Pete Higginson. “I must admit - I got the prediction a bit wrong but That’s Life (introducing a Sinatra element in tribute to Bob’s Triplicate covers album). Can we come back to win 4-3? The answer is Blowin’ in the Wolverhampton Wind.”
Nobody ever does this with Climie Fisher songs.
48 min A cross falls kindly for Willian Jose, but he is weirdly hesitant and West Ham clear the danger.
47 min Wolves are still playing 4-2-3-1, but the pieces have moved: Willian Jose leftish, Traore right, Neto behind Fabio Silva.
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46 min Peep peep!
Wolves have made a half-time substitution: Fabio Silva is on for Daniel Podence.
“Given that there is no option to buy in Lingard’s loan deal with West Ham, what do you think the future holds for him next season?” asks David Wall. “As a youth product I’m sure he’d love to return to Old Trafford, but not to sit on Desolation Row (aka the bench). Do you think Solskjaer will welcome him back, giving Shelter from the Storm, or will he have to leave Old Trafford like a Rolling Stone?”
It’s tricky, isn’t it. In this form he’s a huge asset, one that Manchester United could use now, never mind next season. But he has played like this for only a couple of periods in his career. I suspect Lingard’s future will depend on what they do with Donny van de Beek.
“Your description of Lingard’s involvement in West Ham’s second goal (‘lobbed infield for Masuaku’) could be the understatement of the season,” says Brad Mcmillan. “In my opinion, his careful touch to keep the ball in while running at pace towards the corner, and the delicate dink over the charging defender’s foot to create danger from nothing, were wonderful to watch - arguably better than his contributions for the first and third goals.”
You’re right, but so much was happening that my fingers couldn’t keep up, never mind my brain. I’m not certain Lingard was intending to find Masuaku (I’d need to see it again, and see above), but the original bit of skill reminded me of that famous Dimitar Berbatov assist against West Ham.
Half-time reading
Half time: Wolves 1-3 West Ham
Peep peep! The smart money was on a 0-0 draw in this game; happily, the smart money now belongs to the bookies. We’ve had four goals, two of them involving outrageous 60-yard solo runs from Jesse Lingard and Adama Traore, and both sides have also hit the woodwork. See you in 10 minutes for more of this moreish madness.
45+1 min “I can never decide if Nuno is a good manager or not,” says Niall Mullen. “Oftentimes Wolves seem less than the sum of their parts. But his beard is so luxuriant and his voice is so calming that I want to believe.”
He’s a much better manager when Raul Jimenez is available, I’ll tell you that for nothing, and it won’t be in a soothing voice either.
45 min There will be three minutes of added time. Can we make it three days?
Adama Traore made the goal with a stunning surge down the left wing. He ran 60 yards, beating Coufal (twice) and Noble, then lifted a left-footed cross into the middle. Dendoncker arrived late to thump an accomplished header into the bottom corner.
GOAL! Wolves 1-3 West Ham (Dendoncker 44)
Hello!
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41 min: Pedro Neto misses an open goal! What a surreal first half this has been. Podence’s low cross from the right was met by Willian Jose, whose scruffy close-range shot was pawed away by Fabianski. The ball rebounded to Pedro Neto, who somehow poked it wide from six yards. He went with his left foot when, even allowing for his one-footedness, it would have been much easier to use the right.
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That was another devastating counter-attack. Lingard scurried 40 yards at a backpedalling defence, no frills whatsoever, and forced a through pass towards Bowen. He took it on the run and smashed a shot past Rui Patricio at the near post. It was poor defending from Wolves, who had five men back against West Ham’s two, and Patricio probably should have done better as well. As if West Ham will care: for the second game in a row, they are 3-0 up.
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GOAL! Wolves 0-3 West Ham (Bowen 38)
Jarrod Bowen has scored within two minutes of coming on!
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37 min Traore, in the D, rattles a snapshot that is confidently held by the falling Fabianski.
36 min Jarrod Bowen comes on to replace Michail Antonio, an unlike-for-unlike substitution. There is nobody else like Antonio.
35 min “Hi Rob,” says Gary Naylor. “Five years ago at Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final, I recall being struck by Jesse Lingard’s running style - he really floats over the ground. He’s not the most gifted of footballers, but an athlete of uncommon grace and balance (if that’s not damning him with faint praise). It’s no surprise that a bit of confidence does wonders for him.”
He’s a hard player to get a handle on, for observers and defenders. When he’s bad, he’s desperate; but when he’s good, he’s a ghostly menace.
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33 min Antonio was injured during that barnstorming solo run, and it looks like he’s coming off. That’s such a shame because he was playing spectacularly.
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31 min Antonio looks unstoppable tonight. He wriggles away from two defenders on the right, keeping possession even after falling over, then turns Saiss inside out before smashing the ball into the side netting from a very tight angle.
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29 min “What’s that, Pete Higginson?” says Matt Dony. “Bob Dylan references, you say? Well, if you insist. There certainly seems to have been a Changing of the Lingards this season, from rubbish to brilliant. He’s attacking like a Hurricane. Must have been a difficult few seasons for him, but he obviously saw the chance to go to West Ham, and thought ‘I Shall Be Free’. Strange how these things can just work out sometimes, like a Simple Twist Of Fate.”
Didn’t he write a song called Dignity?
27 min Pedro Neto, near the penalty spot, heads miles wide from Podence’s cross. Wolves look fairly bright going forward, but their finishing leaves plenty to be desired.
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25 min It’s worth repeating that, if it stays like this, West Ham will be in the Champions League places with eight games to go - above Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool. After 30 games last year they were 17th, and 56 points behind Liverpool.
22 min Neto’s chipped cross is met by Podence, whose looping header skims the top of the bar. That was a decent effort. At the other end, Antonio misses an excellent headed chance from Coufal’s cross. He mistimed his jump and ended up heading the ball across the face of goal rather than towards it.
21 min Wolves appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Dawson challenges Traore in the area. It was a risky challenge, but VAR isn’t interested.
19 min West Ham lost a three-goal lead against Arsenal in their last game, so they won’t be taking owt for granted just yet.
18 min Neto’s outswinging corner is headed over at the far post by Neto. That was a decent chance for Wolves.
It’s been another blistering start from West Ham, who have already scored two and hit the post. The move for the second goal started when Cresswell drove a long pass down the left wing to Lingard. He lobbed it infield towards Masuaku, who charged into the area and cut the ball back towards the near post. Fornals, in far too much space, opened his body to spin a precise first-time shot into the far corner.
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GOAL! Wolves 0-2 West Ham (Fornals 14)
Pablo Fornals makes it two!
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12 min Lingard’s low shot from the edge of the area is comfortably saved by Rui Patricio. He is playing with so much confidence; in fact, this is the best he’s played since a purple patch in the winter of 2017-18.
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11 min “Sitting here a mile from Molineux and still celebrating (with a Laphroaig) a win on the Irish Grand National this afternoon,” says Pete Higginson. “Took 125-1 £2 ew on ‘Freewheelin’ Dylan’ and pocketed £310! Like the look of the team tonight and fancy a corresponding 3-1 win, with Traore to bag a brace.”
You’ve already got the 1 in the bank.
10 min Diop is booked for a foul on Traore.
7 min It’s been a brilliant start to the game, and Ait-Nouri almost equalises with a cross-shot that flashes just past the far post.
Lingard was 10 yards inside his own half when he received a short pass from Coufal. He turned and ran straight at the heart of a backpedalling Wolves defence, with Dendoncker in his slipstream, and was not even challenged until he reached the edge of the penalty area. Antonio made a superb off-the-ball run from left to right that dragged Coady out of position, and Lingard used him by not using him: he veered to the left, away from Saiss, and lifted the ball calmly over Rui Patricio.
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GOAL! Wolves 0-1 West Ham (Lingard 6)
Jesse Lingard scores a glorious individual goal!
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4 min Dawson is booked for a cynical foul on Pedro Neto.
4 min: Antonio hits the post! Blimey, what an effort from Michail Antonio. He stormed past two Wolves defenders and swished a drive towards goal from 25 yards. Rui Patricio, diving to his right, did very well to claw it onto the near post.
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2 min Willian Jose misses a good chance to give Wolves an early lead. He received Podence’s driven cross on the edge of the area with his back to goal, and created the opportunity for himself with a smart turn away from Dawson. The finish was less impressive, dragged wide of the near post.
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2 min Both teams have started in a 4-2-3-1 formation, since you asked.
1 min Peep peep! West Ham kick off from left to right.
Willy Boly has tested positive for Covid-19, Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed. Jonny is also out for the rest of the season with a knee injury that requires surgery.
West Ham’s Champions/Europa League rivals Everton dropped two points in the early game, with Michy Batshuayi scoring a late equaliser for Crystal Palace.
Pre-match reading
Team news
Wolves (4-2-3-1) Rui Patricio; Semedo, Coady, Saiss, Ait-Nouri; Dendoncker, Neves; Traore, Podence, Neto; Willian Jose.
Substitutes: Ruddy, Hoever, Silva, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Kilman, Otasowie, Richards, Marques.
West Ham (4-2-3-1) Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell; Noble, Soucek; Fornals, Lingard, Masuaku; Antonio.
Substitutes: Martin, Trott, Balbuena, Alves, Fredericks, Johnson, Benrahma, Bowen, Odubeko.
Referee Michael Oliver.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Wolves v West Ham from Molineux. West Ham have stolen Wolves’ identity this season, assuming their role replacing them as miserly, streetwise Big Six-botherers. West Ham are right in contention for a Champions League place, and if they win tonight they will jump from seventh to fourth. But the news that Declan Rice is out for a while with a knee injury is a big blow to their hopes of hearing some ersatz Handel at the London Stadium next season.
Wolves know all about the perils of losing a star player. They have struggled since Raul Jimenez’s sickening injury at the Emirates in November, winning only five out of 20 league games. They sit in 14th, with nothing much to play for, though a kind run-in offers hope of a happy ending: their next five games are against teams in the bottom six. There’s a time when West Ham at home would have looked like an easy fixture too. Not this season.
Kick off 8.15pm.
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