Bournemouth 0 Wolves 1 - Report

The Cherries were in great form heading into the match, but after Illia Zabarnyi was shown a straight red card just after the half-hour mark, the momentum shifted into Wolves' favour.

Matheus Cunha's goal nine minutes before the break was the game's all-important strike as Vitor Pereira's side moved five points clear of 18th-placed Ipswich with a 1-0 win.  

Report

Pereira made three changes to the Wolves team which lost 2-1 at Anfield last weekend.

The injured Emmanuel Agbadou was replaced by Santi Bueno. Marshall Munetsi made his first Wolves start, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde came back into the side. 

For the hosts, James Hill and Marcus Tavernier came into the XI at the expense of David Brooks and Tyler Adams.

The game's first big chance fell the way of Wolves' skipper Nelson Semedo. He got past a couple of Bournemouth defenders on the right, and his left-footed shot from distance cannoned into the post. 

The rebound fell to Bellegarde, and Kepa brilliantly saved his effort. 

The Cherries had most of the ball in the opening exchanges, but Wolves did offer a threat, and Kepa was called into action once more when he saved Cunha's shot from distance. 

Justin Kluivert, who scored a hat-trick of penalties when the teams met earlier in the season, forced Jose Sa into an important save when he was slipped in. 

But after the half-hour mark, the complexion of the game changed.

First, Zabarnyi was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Rayan Ait-Nouri. The defender was shown a yellow at first but was given his marching orders by Michael Salisbury after a VAR review. 

Four minutes later, Wolves led when Cunha scored. Semedo's clip into the box was missed by the Cherries' defence, and the number 10 calmly finished it beyond Kepa. 

Joao Gomes picked up a yellow card for a late challenge at the end of the first period, so Pereira decided to withdraw him at the break - Jorgen Strand Larsen came on for his first appearance since the end of January. 

Despite playing with 10 men, Andoni Iraola's team threatened after the break without creating a clear-cut chance of note. 

And Wolves should have doubled their advantage just after the hour mark. Bellegarde played in Munetsi, but he missed from six yards out - it was a sitter. 

With 20 minutes to go in the match, Nasser Djiga came on for his Wolves debut for Bueno. 

The home side huffed and puffed but did not force Sa into a save in the second period - but it was Wolves' slender lead that made it feel so tense inside the stadium. But they held on to record a valuable three points. 

Teams

Bournemouth: Bournemouth: Kepa, Huijsen, Kerkez, Cook, Christie (Adams 60), Ouattara (Jebbison 88), Tavernier, Kluivert, Hill (Brooks 60), Semenyo, Zabarnyi.

Subs: Dennis, Evanilson, Sinisterra, Soler, Winterburn.

Wolves: Sa, Semedo, Doherty, Bueno (Djiga 72), T Gomes, Ait-Nouri (Lima 79), Andre, J Gomes (Larsen 45), Bellegarde (Sarabia 79), Munetsi, Cunha (Doyle 88). 

Subs: Johnstone, Traore, Forbs, Pond.