Wolves 2 Bournemouth 0 – Report and pictures

Wolves took an early lead when Diogo Jota's cross-shot was pounced on by Jimenez for his fifth goal of the season, but Jota went off injured just before half-time afetr clashing with Steve Cook when running through on goal.

His replacement Helder Costa wasted a glorious chance just before the hour mark, before Bournemouth hit the bar through a Junior Stanislas free kick.

Nuno's team withstood some late pressure before substitute Cavaleiro sealed it on the break in added time.

Analysis

John Richards scored twice the last time Wolves won three on the trot in the top flight.

Raul Jimenez is extremely unlikely to get anywhere King John's phenomenal Wolves goalscoring tally, but boy is he making a big impact for them this season, writes Tim Spiers at Molineux.

That's five goals and five assists for the Mexican before we've even reached the halfway point of the campaign. If he gets to 10 goals and 10 assists then that £30million option fee next summer won't sound too outlandish, far from it.

It was March 1980 when Richards' brace helped Wolves to a 3-1 win over Coventry for a third consecutive win. They've played 304 games at this level since then and not managed the feat again, until now.

Wolves finished sixth that season. They're now up to seventh having jumped three places in one fell swoop, leapfrogging the Cherries as well as Everton and Leicester who both lost.

The way they're going – and with the clear improvements they can still make – you wouldn't bet against them repeating that great 1979/80 team and finishing in the upper echelons of the division.

A top-half finish should certainly now be their minimum aim, given the position they're in and the quality they possess.

As at Newcastle they weren't at their best here, but defended well to keep a first clean sheet since early October.

They're playing different formations, utilising different players and finding different ways to win football matches. For the teams around them, that's ominious.

Match report

Nuno made four changes to the team that beat Newcastle last weekend.

In came Morgan Gibbs-White, Raul Jimenez, Joao Moutinho and the returning Jonny Castro Otto, back two weeks earlier than expected from a knee injury.

The unfortunate Ruben Vinagre and Romain Saiss both dropped to the bench, as did Adama Traore and Helder Costa, as Nuno rejigged his formation back to the 3-4-1-2 he enlisted against Chelsea.

There was a boost for Wolves with Bournemouth unable to field new England striker Callum Wilson from the start owing to injury.

But the Cherries didn't look too weakened by the absence of their star striker, producing some enterprising football in what was an even first half.

The sides swapped chances early on, with Gibbs-White and Jota getting in each other's way from Matt Doherty's cut-back before a combination of Conor Coady and Rui Patricio did well to block Josh King who was in on goal having beaten the offside trap.

Wolves soon began to settle into their stride through and it was the in-form Jota who inspired their opening goal on 12 minutes.

The Portuguese forward intercepted a slack Bournemouth pass and dribbled towards the box, taking on Jordan Ibe before his cross-shot was turned in by Jimenez for his fifth goal of the season.

That warmed people up inside a freezing Molineux and might have been the signal for Wolves to take control, but it remained at even game with Bournemouth attacking at pace and finding gaps in the Wolves third.

Junior Stanislas ballooned over the bar from a good position and then Ryan Fraser used his electrifying pace to get the better of Coady, but his low cross was unrewarded.

Both sides weremaking defensive errors and Patricio was guilty when he sent a clearance vertically into orbit, but Wolves dealt with the threat, while at the other end a superb cross from Gibbs-White from a short corner was hoofed clear by the nervous Cherries.

Then on the stroke of half time came a big moment in the game. Gibbs-White controlled and played to Jimenez who released Jota through on goal with a gorgeous curved pass – Jota was vying with Steve Cook who forcefully shoulder-barged him to the floor just outside the penalty area. Wolves loudly appealed for a foul and a red card, but referee Simon Hooper was unmoved.

That was the end of the afternoon for Jota who hobbled off. He was arguably Wolves' best player in the first half and it was a bitter blow.

There wasn't time for Costa to enter the fray until the second half. In a rarity this season Wolves led at the break for only the second time – and unusually they created few chances but were clinical with the one they created. Wolves also only had 37 per cent possession of the ball.

The rain worsened at the start of the second half with the swirling wind generating atrocious conditions.

Neves hit a deflected shot wide, Jimenez had a promising effort blocked and ex-Wolves man Andrew Surman sent a low effort past the post as the two sides continued to trade blows.

Then the lively Gibbs-White released Jota with a perfect pass down the right – he raced inside and into the box but slashed a right-footed shot horribly wide at the near post, to the loud frustration of all those inside Molineux as several players put their head in their hands.

On came Wilson for Bournemouth, replacing Jordan Ibe and that was the cue for the visitors to ramp up the pressure.

They were inches from equalising when Stanislas bent a vicious 20-yard free kick onto the top of the crossbar, before Patricio did well to get behind a powerfully-struck Jefferson Lerma shot from range.

Wolves weren't defending with authority and the Cherries continued to trouble them with crosses and efforts from range. Wilson hit a goalbound effort on the turn which was blocked and Wolves failed to properly clear their lines on a number of occasions.

Nuno called for Saiss who replaced the incessantly positive and impressive, yet, again, Gibbs-White as he looked to install some control into Wolves' play.

Moutinho was now the more advanced of a midfield three but Wolves were generally sat deeper and inviting pressure.

They then began, wisely, to advance and give Bournemouth some questions to answer, with Doherty and Moutinho streaming forward as they looked to create that elusive chance.

Costa worked an angle to test keeper Begovic from the left of the box, before Cook fired across goal and harmlessly wide at the other end as the clock approached 90.

It was a nervy end to the game with Bournemouth chucking it into the box – but in added time Wolves sealed the win when substitute Ivan Cavaleiro broke, exchanged passes with Costa and found himself clean through with only the keeper to beat. He did so with aplomb and Molineux went potty as Wolves deservedly won a third game on the spin.

Key moments

12 - GOAL!!! Jimenez gives Wolves an early lead! A misplaced pass from Cherries wing-back Daniels falls to Jota, who skips past Ake and guides the ball to the far post, where Jimenez taps home for his fifth goal of the season.

44 - Wolves almost carve the Cherries open. Gibbs-White lays it off to Jimenez, and he releases Jota with an outside-the-foot through-ball. The Portuguese attacker is bundled over by Cook and sustains an injury. No foul awarded though.

58 - Big opportunity to make it 2-0. Costa latches onto a superb pass from Gibbs-White. He has acres of space to run into - and he breaks into the area but gets the effort all wrong, blasting wide of the near post.

63 - The crossbar denies the Cherries from grabbing an equaliser. Stanislas tries his luck from a free-kick 30 yards out and rattles the woodwork. He got the power he would have been looking for, but not quite the accuracy.

90+4 - GOAL!!! Wolves put the game to bed deep into added-on time. Cavaleiro beats the offside trap, getting on the end of fellow substitute Costa's pass. He then dribbles 40 yards and holds his nerve, slotting past the onrushing Begovic.

Teams

Wolves (3-4-1-2): Patricio; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, Neves, Moutinho, Otto; Gibbs-White (Saiss, 75); Jimenez (Cavaleiro, 89), Jota (Costa, 46)

Subs not used: Ruddy (gk), Dendoncker, Vinagre, Traore

Goals: Jimenez (12) Cavaleiro (90+4)

Bournemouth (4-3-3): Begovic, Cook, Ake, Mings (Rico, 35); Ibe (Wilson, 58), Lerma, Daniels; Stanislas (Mousset, 80), King, Fraser

Subs not used: Boruc (gk), Pugh, Brooks, Defoe

Attendance: 30,997 (1,785 Bournemouth fans)

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)

League position

7th (25 points from 17 matches)

Next up

Wolves host Liverpool at Molineux on Friday night, kick off 7.45pm.