Wolves 0-2 Brighton: Missed Chances and Costly Errors Seal Defeat

A chance for the team to push themselves up the table against our bogey side, who have not won for 5 games. These are the teams we will be around next season if we invest well and aspire to compete with, strange I know.

One change to the side who lost narrowly to Man City last week, Guedes in, Bellegarde on the bench.

We start the game well and on the front foot but it was a worrying start for Joao Gomes who came off worst in a 1st minute tackle. He had some treatment but thankfully he came back on the pitch soon after. I don’t think he was 100% fit after that but he did put in his usual efforts during a good 15 minute spell for us. The flowing football seemed to be going well with Wolves creating some half chances that just wouldn’t drop right.

Cunha won a free kick and curled a lovely ball into the box but Guedes could not finish, he really didn’t figure much after that. Cunha was linking up well with Rayan Ait Nouri and causing a few problems down the left in the first quarter of an hour. One jinking run ended with Cunha firing well over the bar, when a cross would have been better.

The passing then began to get sloppy and Brighton started to dictate the play, attempting to break the lines and get in behind Semedo and Ait Nouri, the pressure began to build and unfortunately Jose Sa was adding to the nerves by reverting to the old tippy tappy stuff at the back.

Indeed, it was one of those moments that Brighton seized on and led to them breaking into our box, squaring the ball across the 6 yard area for Danny Welbeck to score……but alas VAR chalked it off!!!

Phew, a warning, that we didn’t heed though as another short ball to Cunha caused him to lose the ball to a Brighton player who galloped into the box and it was Cunha who brought him down. This time it’s a penalty, no check, yellow card for Cunha and Wellbeck slotted it away into the bottom corner.

What the heck were we doing try to play out from the back like that? Brighton had a high press and we were beating their defenders on the counter attacks, why do it.

The second half started very tamely and there was still no real impetus to our play, we got a few corners but Cunha couldn’t get it past the first man.

The first real chance in the second half that we had was through some great play from Ait Nouri and Cunha, who linked up with a one two, only for the keeper to push Cunha’s shot out wide.

Vitor Periera decided he had had enough on 59 minutes and made 4 subs, Joao Gomes, Cunha, Guedes and Doherty coming off, Rodrigo Gomes, Sarabia, Bellegarde and Larsen coming on. This did influence our attacks and aggression in attack, Ait Nouri again getting in behind his defender only for his square ball to Larsen flicked away by the keeper.

Bellegarde had an effort just over but that was as much as we could muster as Brighton were finding the holes in between the midfield and defence, Andre in particular had to work hard in that midfield which was being overrun at times.

Brighton were fast on the counter attack, defending their lead well and catching us out with a sucker punch on 85 minutes. Our passing was adrift and they broke the lines to get in behind and Gruda dinked it over the onrushing Sa. Two nil. Game over and cue the mass exodus from the home supporters as the Seagulls chirped themselves to the final whistle.

We got what we deserved today  after not taking our early chances, the team weren’t at it today and a week’s rest should have been plenty of time to recover, get pumped up and give their all. Disappointing and the last 7 games have been very different to today, it shows Fosun and Jeff Shi that we need more quality in the summer. There will be no pints tonight for Vitor but I’m sure he will be analysing this limp display at times over his cocoa.

 

Man of the Match, it was difficult today but for me it’s Rayan Ait Nouri, he was at the heart of our chances missed today.