Where to even start with this one?
Missing some key players and failing to get a work permit for Alexander Isak in time, Newcastle went into this game looking very weakened in the midfield and forward areas and, as has been the case all season, had very little on the bench that could change the tide of a game, so with all of that taken into account, taking a point from a bogey ground like Molineux isn’t such a bad thing.
What is bad, however, is how lost we look without Bruno and Wilson. Thankfully the Wilson thing has been addressed with Isak incoming, but we desperately need another midfielder of Bruno’s quality to plug that gap. Longstaff is absolutely not the answer.
It was a game that Newcastle dominated and yet never looked like scoring in. Of course we likely would have scored from the blatant penalty that wasn’t given by the referee or VAR despite the clear-as-day shirt pull on Longstaff in the box. That’s a rule that really needs clarifying. If it would have been a free-kick outside of the box, which it absolutely would have, then it should be a penalty, and yet the ref ignored it and VAR gave it a cursory glance.
Apparently not a penalty
Despite Newcastle’s dominance, it was Wolves who took the lead with a sweetly hit effort from Ruben Neves from outside of the box on 38 minutes. The ball travelled through the advancing Willock’s legs and beyond Nick Pope into the corner of the net. Pope could have done nothing about it, and Willock was probably just unlucky.
The second half was more of the same from the Magpies as they dominated possession and hit Wolves with wave after wave of attack, but with absolutely nothing to show for it at the end. Jose Sa barely had an actual save to make all game until Eddie Howe changed things around, hooking Chris Wood and leaving Allan Saint-Maximin up front.
Wolves had the ball in the net again midway through the second half only for VAR to rule it out after Ryan Fraser was bundled to the ground in the build-up. Frankly, how the referee missed it is beyond me, but thankfully he saw sense after being told to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
Who Was Your MOTM Against Wolves?
Almiron
Saint-Maximin
Trippier
Other
It took until the 90th minute for the Wolves back line to be breached and what a way to breach it. Substitute Murphy ran to the byline and teed up to fire in a cross which was blocked and subsequently cleared by Hwang Hee Chan, however, the clearance only went as far as Allan Saint-Maximin who hit the sweetest volley is likely to ever hit in his career and sent the ball flying past Jose Sa.
The fourth official held up the board for eight minutes of stoppage time and that signalled the start of an end-to-end rally which saw Saint-Maximin have another fierce shot saved by Sa and Elliot Anderson hit the bar. Then on 98 minutes, Newcastle picked up a free-kick right on the edge of the box which Trippier deemed too close for him to hit so left it to Schar who, as we know, has a decent strike on him, but the Swiss international pulled it wide of the mark and the referee blew for full-time.
It wasn’t pleasant, it was pretty frustrating at times but it is another point and it means we remain unbeaten this season. Wolves’ winless streak continues as they now find themselves without a win in eleven games.
Man of the match is a tough one, but I’m probably going to go with Miguel Almiron. His running was relentless and he did look quite dangerous before Howe replaced him with Ryan Fraser. If someone could tell Miggy he’s allowed to use his right foot in future, he might actually get more goals.
HOWE MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT EDDIE?