Wolverhampton Wanderers Drop Vital Points

Wolverhampton Wanderers Drop Vital Points in Their Champions League Hunt

This result was surprising, as Brighton have been out-of-form for a while, and Wolves were expected to get a dominant win. However, neither side played well, only recording one shot in each half. In the first half, Brighton’s Davy Propper shot from distance, barely troubling Rui Patricio. In the second half Wolves’ Raul Jimenez also had a shot, but again it was unimpressive, and right at the keeper, Matt Ryan. The only other notable moment of the game was Leander Dendoncker‘s shot which almost won Wolves the game at the whistle, but it sailed over the crossbar.

This game did not at all reflect the two teams’ positions on the table. Both looked like uninspired sides, but Wolves are fighting for a Champions League spot, while Brighton are fighting relegation. Brighton have still not won yet in 2020.

Missed Opportunity?

Wolves did not look like the same side that pulled off a double over Manchester City earlier this season. This should have been a routine game, but instead, it turned into a sloppy draw. Wolves have played 47 games this season, but manager Nuno has denied that this game was the result of fatigue.

If Wolves had pulled off the expected result and won, they would’ve gone fourth and into the Champions League spots. They just missed their opportunity. If Manchester City lose their appeal and are banned from European competition, fifth may be enough.

Adama Traore Gives Another Great Performance

They looked brighter when Adama Traore came on in the second half. He had a hand in their only effort on target. Wolves started to look inspired toward the end of the game, trying to push for a winner, helped by the play of Traore, but they were not able to finish and the game ended in a draw. Traore has shone for Wolves this season, putting up many man of the match performances, and playing a key role in their Champions League push.

Manager Reactions

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno: “We didn’t perform so well, like we wanted. It was a tough game against a very good team. They were organised, but so were we. It was a game of not too many chances. It’s about where we came from. We started three years ago and we keep on building, trying always to sustain the level of performance. I think today we didn’t, and we have to improve for the next one.”

Brighton manager Graham Potter: “It was important for us to keep a clean sheet. We took part in a game against a team with a lot of dangerous players, but we restricted them to not too many clear-cut chances. We did well. Defensively we’re really pleased. It was a collective effort. With the quality they have they can put you in dangerous places. We took part in the game. We tried to play and attack when we could. We had opportunities but it wasn’t to be. We move forward really positively with a clean sheet – we hadn’t had one for a while. All the games in this league are quite brutal. We just need to keep working, fighting and preparing for the next game.”

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