Key events
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 …
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:
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.
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’.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
