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 Jorgen 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 first 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. In the end – unusually – O’Neil was grateful for 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. Critically, though, O’Neil may have lost the support of the locals.
Wolves kicked off bottom of the pile after Southampton’s first win of the season and the historical statistics were ominous too. Every Premier League team that has taken fewer than three points from their first 10 matches has gone on to be relegated. By this stage of the season, even the infamous Derby team that were relegated with a paltry 11 points had six to their name. O’Neil has remained upbeat but, after navigating a tough fixture list in which they faced seven of the current top nine, this game always felt the obvious place for a pick-me-up. Even more so given Palace, who named two goalkeepers on a youthful substitutes bench, were without Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton because of injuries aggravated in their impressive midweek Carabao Cup victory at Aston Villa.
An early Palace chance, which culminated in the Wolves centre-back Craig Dawson making a desperate block, did nothing for the jitters among the home support. Wolves required a relaxer but Will Hughes seized on a loose pass by Pablo Sarabia and Ismaïla Sarr, played in by Daichi Kamada, streamed forward, Palace now 3 v 3. Hughes arrived into the box for the cutback and sent a first-time effort at goal. Sá dived, Dawson threw his body in the way. If that created a nervousness in the Wolves defence, it was nothing compared to what ensued soon after the half-hour. Guéhi headed the ball across goal from a short-corner routine and Chalaboh, unmarked three yards out, tried to hook a shot goalwards. Chalaboh attempted a right-foot effort but instead the ball hit his standing left leg. Mateta then blasted the rebound goalwards, but it cannoned into Chalobah. Mateta could only smile in disbelief.
Mateta caused Wolves problems but the hosts eventually grew into a low-rent game. Matheus Cunha sent a first-time shot wide and then turned provider, laying the ball on for Sarabia with a cute bouncing pass. Sarabia attempted to trick Dean Henderson but the Palace goalkeeper did not buy his dummy and instead pawed the ball to safety with his left glove. Sarabia looked to the skies, the visiting Palace support sang Henderson’s name. Henderson was again in the way when Sarabia was through one on one three minutes after the break, again played in by Cunha. Sarabia opted for power and rattled a shot goalwards, which smacked Henderson square in the face.
Wolves had been listless, Palace adventurous and the visitors got their reward on the hour. Kamada played a free-kick short to Hughes, whose left-foot cross flew into the box. Strand Larsen headed it on but Sá had also made strides to attack 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, a fine finish. Wolves went to pieces, Sarr blasting over two minutes later. O’Neil made a triple substitution but struggled to stem the bleeding. Sarr then curled another effort wide.
Cunha salvaged a point at Brighton last time out and produced their leveller here. The Brazilian chested a diagonal pass by Santiago Bueno, shifted the ball out of his feet with his next touch and then freed Strand Larsen to his right to do the rest, the Norwegian slipping his finish through the legs of Henderson.
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Suddenly, lift off. Wolves then flipped this game on its head, Gomes side-footing low into the corner at the end of a slick team move. The substitute Mario Lemina pirouetted clear of Kamada, Cunha drove forward and Guedes, another sub, squared for Gomes. Unfortunately for O’Neil, it was not the last act.
