Wolves 2-1 Fulham: Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo strike in second-half to boost European hopes of Gary O’Neil’s men… with Alex Iwobi grabbing late consolation for visitors

Rayan Ait-Nouri fired the ball in after Toti Gomes' pullback to give Wolves the lead
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  • Ait-Nouri shot the ball in before Semedo’s deflected shot made it 2-0
  • Iwobi pulled one back in stoppage time with a clever improvised finish
  • What is going on?! Why should players take over from the fans after losing? – Listen to the It all starts podcast
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Fulham came within inches of ending a 39-year winless league record at Molineux on several occasions, but a fighting 2-1 win sent Gary O’Neil’s Wolves into eighth place.

The hosts had flying backs Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo to thank, both defenders scoring in the second half after Pedro Neto limped off the pitch and headed straight into the tunnel just before half-time.

Fulham forced Jose Sa into two big stops late in the match but despite a late strike from Alex Iwobi, the hosts held firm and have now equaled their 2022-2023 points tally. What a job O’Neil continues to do.

By half-time it was difficult to understand that Fulham were not ahead.

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On 24 minutes, Harry Wilson somehow missed when he was one-on-one with Sa, before Tosin Adarabioyo rattled off the bar from ten yards out ten minutes later.

Rayan Ait-Nouri fired the ball in after Toti Gomes’ pullback to give Wolves the lead

Nelson Semedo's shot took a big deflection off Tom Cairney and beat Fulham keeper Bernd Leno

Nelson Semedo’s shot took a big deflection off Tom Cairney and beat Fulham keeper Bernd Leno

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi pulled one back in stoppage time with a clever improvised finish

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi pulled one back in stoppage time with a clever improvised finish

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Wolves struggled to get Pablo Sarabia and Neto involved early on, but still managed to ask some questions.

CONTEST FACTS

WOLVES (4-2-3-1): Sat 6.5; Semedo 7.5, Kilman 6.5, Bueno 6.5, Ait-Nouri 8; Gomes 7, Lemina 7.5; Sarabia 6, Bellegarde 6 (Doyle 11′), Neto 6.5 (Toti 45+1′); Fraser 6.5 (Doherty 77′)

subtitles: Traore Lemina, Bueno, Doyle, Gomes, Bentley, Chirewa, Chiwome

Goal: Ait-Nouri 52′, Semedo 67′

Booked: Semedo, Bueno

Manager: Gary O’Neil 7.5

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno 6; Castagne 6 (Broja 79′), Tosin 6.5, Bassey 6, Robinson 6; Reed 7 (Cairney 61′), Lukic 6.5 (Palhinha 69′); Wilson 6.5 (Traore 69′), Pereira 6 (Willian 61′), Iwobi 7; Muniz 6

subtitles: Rodak, Tete, Ream, De Cordova-Reid

Goal: Iwobi 90+8

Booked: Reed, Palhinha

Manager: Marco Silva 6.5

Referee: Tony Harrington5.5

Ait-Nouri needed no encouragement to fly down the left in attack, and Mario Lemina provided a relentless drive through the middle in an impressive performance from both ends.

A frustrating half ended in every Wolves fan’s nightmare with Neto limping straight through the tunnel, while Jean-Ricner Bellegarde exited the game after just eleven minutes.

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O’Neil showed his tactical elasticity by switching to a back three after Neto’s injury, and within seven second half minutes his side were ahead.

After a late challenge from Harrison Reed on the edge of the penalty area, Wolves put the set-piece into the back post, Toti found Ait-Nouri and the Algerian defender found the roof of the net from close range, a fully deserved strike. for the entire back.

As good as Ait-Nouri’s goal was, his fellow full-back’s second came with quite a bit of luck.

Joao Gomes got his heels into Semedo’s path for the defender to sidestep from the edge of the box, a diving Leno outwitted by a poor deflection as Wolves doubled the lead.

Fulham fought back and forced a fantastic double save from Sa with 10 minutes on the clock before Iwobi bundled the ball home from close range in added time to score a goal that the visitors deserved for their collective late push, but the hosts held on. to keep their unlikely European impulse alive

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