Jorgen Strand Larsen’s first-half goal may be the marker that delivers another Premier League season to Wolves, as Vitor Pereira watched his team blank West Ham United 1-0 at the Molineux on Tuesday.
WATCH – Wolves vs West Ham full match replay
An energized Pereira pumped up the crowd late in the win, as Wolves pulled 12 points clear of the bottom three and five points behind 16th-place West Ham.
Vitor Pereira delivers the goods
The Portuguese boss said Wolves were not a relegation side when he was hired and honestly their push to safety took longer than he suggested it would, but here they are and Vitor Pereira may have just found himself in a solid position with a club that has some real talent. Pereira’s fire may eventually burn through the team — the passionate bosses sometimes burn out rather than fade away — but his belief never left this team, a group that has mostly followed Pereira’s lead through the trying times. The fact that they picked up points from three bottom-half sides without Matheus Cunha shows a confidence and even faith in what’s being constructed at the Molineux. It’s something Graham Potter will be looking to replicate after another loss — that could’ve been a draw on a more clinical day for Tomas Soucek in his West Ham tenure.
Wolves vs West Ham player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
Wolves vs West Ham player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Wolves vs West Ham player ratings (from fotmob.com)
More to come...
How to watch Wolves vs West Ham live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 2:45pm ET Tuesday (April 1)
Venue: Molineux — Wolverhampton
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live online via NBC.com
Wolves vs West Ham final score: 1-0
Jorgen Strand Larsen 21'
Wolves vs West Ham live updates — By Nick Mendola
Another big miss, then Wolves subs
Fullkrug makes a great play to cue up Tomas Soucek, but the man who has popped up in so many big moments for West Ham wastes a point-blank chance to tie it up.
Boubacar Traore enters for Bellegarde a few minutes after Santi Bueno subbed on for Rayan Ait-Nouri.
So close!
Emerson Palmieri butchers a chance to make an instant impact.
Niclas Fullkrug nods a Lucas Paqueta cross off the bar, and Emerson arrives for the loose ball only to scythe a volley wide of the near post.
Two more West Ham subs
Ward-Prowse and Scarles exit for Tomas Soucek and Emerson Palmieri.
Wolves still lead 1-0, 77'.
Bellegarde curls wide
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde works a 1-2 with Strand Larsen outside the 18 and lets fly with a high curling effort that misses the right corner a bit high and a bit wide.
Still 1-0 Wolves, 55'.
Triple West Ham sub at the break
Graham Potter wants to shake things up, plugging Niclas Fullkrug, Edson Alvarez, and Carlos Soler into the game for Ferguson, Cresswell, and Luis Guilherme.
Halftime — Wolves 1-0 West Ham United
Wolves probably had the loudest chances of the half including the goal, but West Ham are certainly in this.
Shots are 5-5, and the Irons have held 46% of the ball and produced 0.54 xG.
Young Evan Ferguson has not been involved much up top, and West Ham have mostly been quiet in front of their back three.
Marshall Munetsi has an assist and has been such a good January addition. Joao Gomes also shining for Wolves.
Jorgen Strand Larsen goal! Wolves 1-0 West Ham (21st minute)
His 10th goal of the Premier League season is a deflected beauty!
Alphonso Areola had made one good save on Wolves in the first quarter-hour but this one was a bigger ask.
Strand Larsen got on the ball from maybe 22 yards and hit a low shot that bounded off a West Ham defender to make it 1-0.
Despite the unintended bounce, it looked plenty good going through traffic and past Areola.
Wolves lineup
Sa, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti Gomes, Semedo, Joao Gomes, Andre, Ait-Nouri, Munetsi, Bellegarde, Strand Larsen.
West Ham lineup
Areola, Cresswell, Mavropanos, Kilman, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Guilherme, Bowen, Ferguson.
Wolves vs West Ham preview — By Joe Prince-Wright
Vitor Pereira’s side battled to a hard-fought 2-1 win at struggling Southampton before the international break as Jorgen Strand Larsen stepped up with two goals in a huge win. That gave Wolves some valuable breathing space above the relegation zone and it would now take an almighty collapse and a huge upturn in form from Leicester and Ipswich for them to be relegated. Wolves are nine points clear of the drop zone with nine games to go, but Cunha’s recent comments about wanting to move on this summer are a blow.
West Ham sit just one place above Wolves but are eight points ahead of them and Graham Potter’s focus is on picking up some wins between now and the end of the season. Potter has just three wins in nine Premier League games in charge of the Hammers and they conceded a last-gasp goal to draw 1-1 at Everton before the break. They won’t go down but West Ham have to show a bit more creativity and composure between now and the end of May.
Wolves team news, focus
Strand Larsen is the talisman in attack with Cunha out, while Bellegarde and Munetsi have done a great job supporting him in recent games. Wolves are settled defensively and wing backs Semedo and Ait Nouri are so important to how they play.
OUT: Matheus Cunha (suspension), Yerson Mosquera (knee), Enso Medina (knee), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Leon Chiwone (knee - out for season)
West Ham team news, focus
The Hammers are without so many key attacking players but Jarrod Bowen continues to step up when needed and now Niclas Fullkrug is fit to be in the squad as he and Evan Ferguson will scrap for minutes in the central role. Potter is building a solid base but West Ham fans want to see a bit more creativity from their team with the pressure off in the final months of the season.
OUT: Michail Antonio (DETAILS), Crysencio Summerville (hamstring)
Wolves vs West Ham prediction
This is going to be tight and there really isn’t much between these teams. Go for a West Ham win due to their extra bit of quality. Wolves 1-2 West Ham.
