Right, here’s your full time report via Ben Fisher at Molineux. That signals the end of this evening’s minute-by-minute. Thanks for joining us. It was a really enjoyable game, and it’s always a pleasure to bring you the live updates.
Scroll down for all the gory details. Until next time!
Matheus Cunha has got his breath back and been talking to the TV cameras after that one.
“I don’t think it’s all on him,” he said on criticism of Gary O’Neil. “The whole group has a lot of responsibility. We need to keep going. When you are a football player, you need to give your energy to the things you can manage.”
On Wolves’ winless run: “It’s so hard not to think about this because I don’t think our performances are like having 10 games without a win. We need to keep smiling and keep working and the results will keep coming. This position is hard. It’s like I always say, we have a lot of positives in the group. We need to believe.”
The official explanation from the PGMOL lads.
#WOLCRY – 90+6’
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) November 2, 2024
The referee’s call of no goal was checked and confirmed by VAR as Sa was considered to be in control of the ball, which was between his hand and the ground.
The silver lining is they’ve drawn their past two games 2-2 in battling fashion, coming from behind. Will it be enough to save O’Neil?
Worries for Wolves 😬#BBCFootball #WOLCRY pic.twitter.com/c50RYNov2f
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) November 2, 2024
The post-match discussion probably shouldn’t surround VAR after such a eye-catching game of football, but you can bet Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace will voice a few complaints after that Mateta non-goal at the death.
Thoughts welcome? I thought the officials probably got it right.
FT: Wolves 2-2 Crystal Palace
Aaaaand breathe.
The final whistle brings an exhausting 90 minutes of Premier League football to a close. A point apiece, a whole heap of entertainment, but very little satisfaction for either side in the end. Wolves remain winless this season; Palace have just the one victory.
97 min: The question was whether Jose Sa had two hands on the ball at any stage before the challenge came in, which resulted in Mateta getting the ball. He did. Just.
Mateta has the ball in the Wolves net but the referee has blown his whistle for a foul.
Now then. Will VAR take a look at this? Of course it will …
Updated
95 min: An almighty cheer greets the awarding of a Wolves corner, which comes after Lemina’s shot is deflected.
Joao Gomes gets the broadcasters’ player of the match award.
94 min: A point will satisfy neither manager and neither fanbase but it would be a fair result, in truth.
There’s still time for someone …
92 min: Wolves are throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Palace here. They certainly don’t lack for effort – and right now they look the more likely to grab a winner.
Seven(!) minutes of stoppage time are signalled, as Henderson holds another header from Strand Larsen.
89 min: Guedes is booked for diving on the edge of the Palace box and accepts it willingly. It was, indeed, a dive.
Can we please have plenty of added time here? This has been tremendous fun.
87 min: A nice bit of play from Bellegarde cutting in from the left results in a shot for Guedes, who picked up a good lay-off from Larsen. Saved.
86 min: Some semblance of composure and shape has returned to this game. Calm before the storm?
84 min: Glasner has blinked first. He’s bringing on a defender. Boooo. Nathaniel Clyne replaces the luckless Nketiah.
Goals:
Marc Guehi grabs the equaliser for Crystal Palace ⚡😨 pic.twitter.com/7EdMw6IKQY
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 2, 2024
"Molinuex has ERUPTED" 😨
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 2, 2024
What a pass, what a goal! 🐺 pic.twitter.com/NtRC8h62cd
82 min: This game is good evidence of why the Premier League is known as the most competitive and most entertaining league in the world, but not always the best league in the world.
81 min: Nketiah was played through there, in acres of space, but got his pass to Sarr wrong at the vital moment. Palace were pretty much one pass away from being 3-2 up.
80 min: Hughes does finally pick up a yellow card… he could have got one a while back. Actually, Glasner is going to replace the midfielder. On comes Cheick Doucoure.
79 min: No more predictions from me. This could end up any score.
GOAL! Wolves 2-2 Crystal Palace (Guehi, 77)
Told you it wouldn’t stay at 2-1. Guehi ghosts in and scores!
Munoz wins the header from a Palace corner, flicks it on and Guehi evades his man to tap home at close range. RIP defending.
Updated
A great email comes in from Andy Flintoff (not that one).
Unfortunately for Wolves fans, there’s no catchy tune that fits the chant ‘Maybe you do know what you’re doing’.
Updated
76 min: Palace are still cutting open the Wolves defence. Sarr has another chance but shoots straight at … Sa.
I’ll be shocked if this ends 2-1. It’s just so alarmingly open at both ends.
75 min: Maybe Gary O’Neil did know what he was doing with those changes? He was derided by the Wolves supporters, but the game has turned on its head.
74 min: Tell you what, Mario Lemina has made the world of difference in midfield. He’s some player when he wants to be.
GOAL! Wolves 2-1 Crystal Palace (J.Gomes, 72)
Incredible from Wolves. Joao Gomes!
Once again Palace are wide open in midfield but credit to the home side for putting a neat attacking sequence together. It’s cut back nicely from the right for Gomes to slot it into the bottom right corner.
Updated
71 min: There’s so much going on now in this game, it’s hard to keep up. Mitchell sees a shot blocked from the left, then Kamada bundles it wide.
It’s like a basketball game.
This was the Wolves’ goal. The space in the Palace midfield is frightening, but it was fine play from Cunha.
Wolves turn defence into attack and Jørgen Strand Larsen gets the equaliser! ⚖ pic.twitter.com/clUNaiFyFT
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 2, 2024
69 min: Game on now!
Wolves have been pretty listless since the break but that goal could be the shot in the arm they need. The noise level has ratcheted up a notch at Molineux.
GOAL! Wolves 1-1 Crystal Palace (Strand Larsen, 67)
Where’s that come from? Strand Larsen has levelled it up!
Palace were seemingly growing in confidence and looking odds-on for 2-0 but Chalobah lets Cunha get the better of him; he squares for the Norwegian to slot home.
Updated
65 min: It’s de ja vu. Wolves make another mistake in possession at the back and Sarr should do much better with the finish, curling well wide when he had time.
Boos from the home supporters. They’re furious with what they’re seeing.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” chant the Wolves fans. Seems they don’t agree with those changes.
63 min: Wolves are taking off Doyle, Sarabia and Toti Gomes.
Lemina, Guedes and Bellegarde are all introduced.
62 min: The Palace fans have found their voices and their team could have scored two in a matter of minutes. Nketiah forges a way down the left and Sarr blazes over from 12 yards. Big chance for 2-0.
GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Crystal Palace (Chalobah, 60)
Sa makes a mess of coming to punch a cross from Hughes and Chalobah fires home!
There was some major miscommunication in the Wolves defence, with Strand Larsen heading it into space when Sa was coming to collect. Chalobah made a mess of a finish in the first half but that was superbly executed.
Updated
58 min: Sarabia is guilty of switching off and finds himself offside to stop an excellent Wolves chance on the counter in its tracks. The home fans are running out of patience.
56 min: It all suddenly gets very stretched but there’s more wastefulness: first Ait-Nouri and then Sarr at the other end. Sigh.
54 min: ‘Shoot!’ cry the crowd as the ball drops from the Wolverhampton night sky for Doyle, but it’s a tough volley from distance and his shot is scuffed.
53 min: Semedo has been on his bike up and down the right all evening. Wolves need to find him more often if they want to threaten the Palace danger zone.
Updated
An email from Joe Pearson answering my xG query from earlier:
Opta doesn’t register Chalobah’s effort at all, but gives Mateta 0.236 for his. Overall, it’s 1.12 Palace, 0.12 Wolves. Looks like Opta is crediting Guehi 0.012 for the header, though.
50 min: Henderson needs a minute. He took that flush in the face, really brave goalkeeping.
48 min: Sarabia v Henderson round two in another 1v1 and it’s the Palace goalkeeper who wins the battle once again. Henderson makes himself big and Sarabia takes his time (again) before firing straight into the goalkeeper. He took that one in the chops.
Updated
47 min: Wolves want a penalty for a shove by Lacroix on Strand Larsen. You’ve seen them given but it won’t be overturned by VAR.
46 min: Hughes wastes no time after the restart in sliding in heftily on Strand Larsen and he’s fortunate not to be booked. Free-kick Wolves.
Second half: A crucial 45 (to 50) minutes in the seasons of Wolves and Crystal Palace commences. You’d have to think at least one of them will score a goal at some point.
This was without doubt the moment of the half. Look away now Trevor Chalobah.
"How did it not go in?!" 😳
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 2, 2024
Trevoh Chalobah and Jean-Phillipe Mateta fluff their lines in the penalty area! 👇 pic.twitter.com/63LmG7bA08
HALF TIME
Goalless at the break. Bring us goals.
44 min: As the first half draws to a close, I can tell you it’s been a tale of wasted opportunities from both sides. Palace have certainly shaded it but you’d hope the second half offers more in the way of quality.
42 min: Wolves are having a semi-decent spell before the break here. But their final ball… well, it’s been abysmal.
40 min: Dean Henderson does his job when required for Crystal Palace. Sarabia will be kicking himself though… he took far too long with the 1v1 and the former Man United keeper smothered it.
39 min: Cunha is absolutely furious he hasn’t been given a free-kick for a tug on his shirt by Kamada. Wolves will try and build an attack regardless but they can’t play through the Palace lines at the moment. More grumbles.
37 min: Another good cross finds a Palace player in the box and this time it’s Munoz on the six-yard line missing the target. Another criminal miss, really.
36 min: The home faithful are getting restless. Matheus Cunha has been profligate with the ball in forward areas, and there’s some frustration being directed at Strand Larsen. He’s not been involved enough – and he’s been flagged offside on the occasions he has got involved.
34 min: Would love to know the xG of those two Crystal Palace chances. One of them ought to have gone in. Glasner will be tearing his hair out.
32 min: How on earth has that not gone in?
Guehi’s header finds Trevor Chalobah on the six-yard line but he takes a massive air-shot with the goal at his mercy – it then rebounds to Mateta whose effort smashes off Chalobah and flies wide. Goodness me.
31 min: Palace have upped the ante a little and it’s largely down to Mateta, who is dropping deep to link the play, allowing the likes of Nketiah to run into the space beyond him. Will Hughes is having a decent game in midfield too.
30 min: Nearly an inch-perfect ball by Cunha. Larsen stretches out a leg to try and reach it but can’t get there. Nice idea.
28 min: Mateta gets a chance to run through the centre, holding off the Wolves challenges superbly as he goes. Unfortunately for Palace, Nketiah doesn’t quite connect with his shot after receiving the lay-off to the left. Sa saves easily.
The keeper then comes out well to collect Munoz’s cross from the right.
25 min: You can fully understand, watching this, why these two sides boast just one Premier League victory between them. There’s effort by the bucket-load but close to zero finesse.
I suspect the first goal this evening will be absolutely vital.
23 min: Some dicey play around the back from Wolves has supporters’ hearts in mouths but they get away with it (just). They’re lacking a bit of composure on the ball in general tonight.
21 min: Almost quarter of the game has passed and it’s Rayan Aït-Nouri 0-0 Crystal Palace.
19 min: Aït-Nouri botches another promising opening for Wolves. He was trying to find Larsen in the middle but Palace got bodies back, so it’s a corner.
Guess who then smashes it over from the corner? Aït-Nouri. He’s been heavily involved so far, but it’s not all been great.
17 min: Nketiah races through the middle once more and tries to buy a foul… Anthony Taylor the referee isn’t having it.
Neither side are keeping the ball particularly well.
Updated
15 min: Great defending by Lacroix to quash a Wolves counter-attack but there are groans from the home supporters after that. It really was a wasted opportunity by Aït-Nouri, running into trouble.
Palace are gradually becoming the dominant side in this contest.
12 min: Palace win their first two corners of the game. They’ve got some height in their team tonight.
11 min: Nketiah is the latest to get his final ball wrong, but the former Arsenal man is looking dangerous as Palace’s high pressing and quick attacks causes a number of concerns for the home side. Wolves have retreated somewhat after their early burst.
8 min: The pace of this game is lightning – and surely unsustainable. Both teams are flying harum-scarum into challenges but both are fluffing their lines when it comes to finishing chances. Aït-Nouri drags a decent effort wide with his unfavoured right foot.
6 min: It’s a triple chance for Palace and somehow they’ve not scored. The second one fell to Hughes, which was the cleanest hit, but Dawson got his body in the way.
5 min: Looks like Palace aren’t afraid of taking the direct route either. Sarr will be an outlet for the visitors down the right flank – he had the beating of Toti just now. Cunha has taken a knock for Wolves after a meaty ol’ Guehi challenge. He left too much in there.
3 min: Talk about physical football… Wolves have been all about diagonal balls and towering headers in the opening few minutes. They’re bang up for it.
2 min: Wolves have flown out of the blocks with some slick stuff, buoyed by a boisterous home crowd. Everyone around this place knows they have to win tonight.
An early free-kick is floated onto Larsen’s head and it all gets scrappy. Palace don’t clear it properly and it’s a corner.
KICK OFF
Let’s go!
The players come out of the tunnel and we’re good to go in the west midlands. The music is dramatic and the lights are bright.
After Southampton and Ipswich both picked up points in the earlier games, the best position Wolves would be able to climb to today would be 18th; while Palace – currently 17th – would jump a place above Everton to 16th.
If Wolves do win, of course, it would leave Ipswich as the Premier League’s only winless side after 10 games.
Updated
Some of the afternoon reports have landed. Get stuck in.
It will be fascinating to see how Palace fare without two of their most talented players, Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton. Ismaïla Sarr was an exciting signing in the summer and should be good to watch in what looks like a mobile and speedy front line for the Eagles tonight. Daichi Kamada is a neat and tidy replacement for Wharton and should bring some bite alongside the tigerish Will Hughes.
It’s also interesting that Wolves have opted not to bring Mario Lemina straight back into the starting lineup after injury. Presumably that’s a fitness thing, as he’s usually a key player for Gary O’Neil. I’d politely suggest Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha need to step up with goals and assists to get the hosts going today.
Some more Saturday football reading for you. Jonathan Wilson on Arsenal. *Grabs popcorn*
There’s been much talk about 3-4-3s in the past week with Rúben Amorim set to bring that system to Manchester United as part of his tactical revolution. The 3-4-3 is nothing new, of course, Antonio Conte and Chelsea won the Premier League using it a good eight seasons ago.
And it looks like we’ve got two teams using 3-4-3, or variants thereof, in this evening’s clash. Both Wolves and Palace will play up to a focal point/target man striker, with two attacking midfielders/inside forwards playing in and around them. The benefit of such a system is that it lends itself to the ‘box’ midfield that managers like, while retaining some width and defensive solidity (that’s the idea anyway).
There’s plenty happening in the 3pm kick-offs, in case it’s escaped your attention. You can follow the games as they reach their denouements here.
Team news
Wolves: Sá; Bueno, Dawson, T.Gomes; Semedo, Doyle, J.Gomes, Aït-Nouri; Sarabia, Cunha, Strand Larsen.
Subs: Bentley, Doherty, Lemina, André, R.Gomes, Forbs, Bellegarde, Guedes, Pond.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Kamada, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Nketiah, Mateta.
Subs: Matthews, Turner, Schlupp, Clyne, Doucouré, Umeh-Chibueze, Devenny, Kporha, Agbinone.
Updated
Preamble
Few at the start of the season would have predicted Wolves would be 19th and Crystal Palace 17th after nine games of this 2024/25 campaign – with just one victory between them. Wanderers have had their boardroom struggles, sure, but looked like they were going somewhere last season under Gary O’Neil. And Palace claimed 19 points from a possible 21 at the end of last term – a run that included a 3-1 win in Wolverhampton – and generated some serious momentum under Oliver Glasner.
This feels like a pretty big game at Molineux with both sides spotting seen some green shoots in the past week. Wolves could be buoyed by their comeback at Brighton last weekend, surging back from 2-0 down to clinch a spirited point, while Palace won at Villa in the Carabao Cup to give Glasner some welcome relief.
In terms of team news, Mario Lemina is expected to be fit for the home side, while Sam Johnstone is available to come back in goal – although José Sá could be preferred. Palace are without key duo Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze, which creates further headaches for Glasner.
Kick off is at 5.30pm (GMT). Stay tuned for all the latest.
