Wolves 2-1 Fulham: Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo strike in second-half
Fulham came within inches of ending their 39-year winless league record at Molineux on numerous occasions, but a battling 2-1 win sent Gary O’Neil’s Wolves up to eighth.
The hosts had flying full backs Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo to thank, both defenders netting in the second half after Pedro Neto limped off the field and straight down the tunnel just before the break.
Fulham forced Jose Sa into two huge stops late in the game, but despite a late strike for Alex Iwobi the hosts held on, and have now matched their points tally from 2022-23. What a job O’Neil continues to do.
By half-time, it was hard to see how Fulham were not ahead.
On 24 minutes Harry Wilson somehow missed when one-on-one with Sa, before Tosin Adarabioyo left the bar rattling 10 minutes later from 10 yards out.
Wolves struggled to get Pablo Sarabia and Neto involved early on but still managed to pose some questions.
Ait-Nouri needed no encouragement to fly up the left in attack, and Mario Lemina provided incessant drive through the middle in a commanding performance at both ends.
A frustrating half ended in every Wolves fans’ nightmare - Neto limping straight down the tunnel, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde already off after 11 minutes.
O’Neil displayed his tactical elasticity switching to a back three following the injury to Neto, and within seven second half minutes, his side were ahead.
After a late challenge from Harrison Reed on the edge of the box, Wolves looped the set-piece into the back post, Toti finding Ait-Nouri, and the Algerian defender finding the roof of the net from close range, a fully-deserved strike for the full back.
As well-worked as Ait-Nouri’s goal was, his fellow full-back’s second involved a fair slice of luck.
Joao Gomes back-heeled
Read on m.allfootballapp.com
