Wolves 1 Fulham 2 - Report

Ryan Sessegnon gave the visitors the lead within 58 seconds to stun Molineux, before Joao Gomes lashed home the equaliser.

Rodrigo Muniz restored the lead less than two minutes into the second half to give Wolves another uphill battle.

But they could not respond, to the frustration of the home fans, as they fell to defeat and wasted a huge opportunity.

Analysis

Vitor Pereira named an unchanged starting XI following the win over Bournemouth at the weekend.

17-year-old Mateus Mane was named on a first team bench for the first time, as Carlos Forbs was not included.

Hwang Hee-chan, Emmanuel Agbadou, Rodrigo Gomes and Goncalo Guedes all missed out through injury.

Marco Silva made five changes following Fulham’s loss to Crystal Palace.

Former Wolves striker Raul Jimenez dropped to the bench, while Adama Traore started out wide and Emile Smith Rowe was unavailable due to injury.

Wolves started the fixture in good form with some positive momentum behind them, but found themselves 1-0 down within 58 seconds.

Joachim Andersen played a long ball to Muniz, who held the ball up under pressure from Santi Bueno and fed Andreas Pereira. He spotted Ryan Sessegnon, who ran into acres of space after Nelson Semedo inexplicably pressed Pereira, and the wing-back slotted into the bottom corner.

Wolves were struggling to impose themselves and Fulham were battering the hosts with long balls - targeting Bueno’s weaknesses, while Muniz was making himself a nuisance.

But Pereira’s side came close with shots from Matt Doherty and Andre.

An excellent cross from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde caused plenty of problems as Semedo and Marshall Munetsi threw themselves at it, before it landed to J.Gomes, who fired over the bar from a tight angle.

Moments later, the midfielder redeemed himself as he levelled for Wolves. Rayan Ait-Nouri and Bellegarde combined beautifully down the left and the latter’s cross was missed by Semedo before falling to J.Gomes, who smashed it into the roof of the net.

Molineux was rocking but the visitors rallied as Adama had a shot saved before Muniz reached Sessegnon’s cutback, but his low shot was superbly blocked by Bueno.

The Wolves defender then let himself down with a silly late tackle on Pereira, which rightly got him booked.

Fulham wasted a good counter-attacking opportunity through Adama and Pereira before the teams entered the half-time break drawing 1-1.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first as Fulham took the lead within less than two minutes.

Adama picked the ball up in midfield, had time to turn and play a pass beyond Bueno for Muniz. Jose Sa rushed out and the striker lifted it over him.

Matheus Cunha had a couple half chances to get Wolves back in the game, but the hosts were causing Fulham few problems as the game hit a lull.

Wolves had plenty of the ball but lacked the intensity to do much with it, with 15 minutes left of normal time.

Pereira switched to a back four in search of an equaliser, as the home crowd willed Wolves forward.

It should have been 3-1 when substitute Jimenez beat the offside trap and only had Sa to beat, but the goalkeeper made a strong save.

The London club then countered again and Tommy Doyle’s block denied Pereira added a third.

Frustration built as seven minutes of added time were announced, but Wolves looked unlikely to snatch a point.

Jimenez came close again when Fulham capitalised on a Doyle mistake in midfield and charged forward, but the Mexican fired wide on the turn.

Ait-Nouri had a huge chance in the 97th minute as he turned and shot in the box, but Timothy Castagne made an impressive block, as Wolves limped to a damaging defeat.

Key Moments

GOAL 1 Sessegnon gives Fulham a quick start

GOAL 18 J.Gomes smashes the ball into the roof of the net

GOAL 47 Muniz chips Fulham into the lead 

Teams

Wolves: Sa, Semedo, Doherty, Bueno (Sarabia, 77), Toti, Ait-Nouri, Andre (Doyle, 77), J.Gomes, Bellegarde (Larsen, 65), Munetsi, Cunha.

Subs not used: Johnstone, Djiga, Pond, Lima, Traore, Mane.

Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Diop, Andersen, Cuenca (Bassey, 76), Sessegnon (Robinson, 71), Lukic (Iwobi, 67), Berge, Pereira, Muniz (Jimenez, 71), Adama (Willian, 67).

Subs not used: Benda, Reed, Cairney, King.