Miguel Almiron came off the bench to score the winner to help Newcastle produce one of the narrow football scores of the weekend in the Premier League. Nine of the previous 15 encounters between these two teams had finished in a 1-1 draw, and it appeared to be heading in that direction again after Wolves replacement Hee-Chan Hwang canceled out Alexander Isak’s first-half opener with 20 minutes remaining. But, with Wolves clinging to a point, substitute Almiron – sent on to replace Callum Wilson – performed a neat one-two with Joe Willock before his effort deflected past Jose Sa. Nevertheless, there was a VAR dispute before that, as Nick Pope was spared a potential penalty and red card after colliding with Raul Jimenez in the first half.
Both teams had struggled for goals entering this game, but they began confidently, despite creating no clear-cut chances in a hectic first 20 minutes. Pope deflected Joao Moutinho’s free-kick before Kieran Trippier’s own set-piece from the edge of the area went straight into the Wolves wall. Then came the contentious time. Pope handled Dan Burn’s back pass a little too confidently, allowing Jimenez to slip in front of him and stride toward the goal. There was a tangle of legs as the Wolves striker attempted to move past the Newcastle goalkeeper, but referee Madley waved down the visitors’ penalty demands. The official’s decision was found to be free of evident flaws by VAR.
Newcastle took the lead six minutes later, compounding the Wolves’ difficulties. Trippier’s free-kick delivery from the wide right found Isak at the front post, and the Swedish striker finished with a fantastic glancing header into the far corner. Wolves, possibly injured as a result of the alleged injustice, struggled to keep up with the high-flying Magpies. Willock headed wide just seconds after Isak’s opener, and Bruno Guimaraes hit the crossbar from close range after Burn cleared Trippier’s deep corner.
Wolves almost struck the woodwork themselves, with Daniel Podence darting inside from the left and rasping a shot into Pope’s near post. Wolves improved significantly after the break, with Ruben Neves shooting over from distance – before half-time substitute Pedro Neto stung Pope’s fingers with a fizzing free-kick. Jose Sa saved another free-kick from Trippier, and Neves blasted over from within the box when the ball sat up sweetly for him at the opposite end. Wolves manager Lopetegui then made three substitutions, including the insertion of Hwang, who scored 57 seconds later.
The South Korean striker broke into the Newcastle area, and as Trippier attempted to clear from Jimenez’s feet, the right-back slipped over, with Pope also looking for the ball. Hwang’s task was simple: tap home into an empty net. But it was Almiron, who came on shortly after Hwang, who had the last laugh, as his swift interchange with Willock saw him enter the right side of the box with a clear sight of goal. Nobody in St James’ Park expected the net to bulge as soon as the strike left his boot.
“It’s not about what I think. True, we made a massive error in Liverpool a few weeks ago, and today, for me, it was a penalty. Nevertheless, the VAR cannot assist the referee in this circumstance, and I am unable to comment further,” Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui said. “The decision was unlucky for us. We haven’t had a penalty since I arrived. But we have to keep working; I don’t want to focus solely on the referee. Because our team and I both have the stuff to work on. I’m not pleased with how we ended the game. We lost to a very talented team, but we deserved more in the second half. The relegation battle will continue till the final game. We will face many strong teams and must be prepared. So we must focus on the next one and continue to try to correct the mistakes.”
“Our first-half performance was outstanding. Alex [Isak] netted a huge goal for us. A one-goal lead in the second half is always dangerous, and it should have been more at halftime,” Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said. “To be honest, the Wolves returned to the game, and we know they have extremely good players. Nonetheless, having the character to achieve that winning aim is a pleasant feeling for us. With the recent run that was a true test of character for us, the game is 1-1. But we needed to reorganize and find another level.”
For more football scores, click here
