Wolverhampton Wanderers

In-form Nottingham Forest travel to Wolves on Monday night, with boss Nuno Espirito Santo keen to ensure they remain focused on the job.

Matheus Cunha is ready for his "next step", having stayed at Wolves in January to help them in their fight for Premier League survival.

The potential flow of players from the big-spending Stamford Bridge club to the Gulf state has raised eyebrows in recent days amid allegations that the move could be a ploy to help it meet Financial Fair Play requirements.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look recent developments and how the Premier League could be affected.

Why are Chelsea offloading players?

The Blues have spent over £600million on players since American businessman Todd Boehly completed his takeover in May last year, including a £106.8million January swoop for World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez. They also splashed out £52million for RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku earlier this week.

Sales of the likes of Timo Werner and Jorginho have offset that expenditure only minimally and with the club having reported a loss of £121million for the 2021-22 season, Financial Fair Play rules which dictate that clubs can only make losses of £105million over three seasons are an issue.

Which players are reportedly involved?

Kante’s departure to the Gulf state may not be the last from Chelsea. Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been linked with switches to Saudi clubs.

They are not alone either – Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is expected to complete a move to Al-Hilal with former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo’s switch to Al-Nassr in January having established a clear pathway.

Why are so many players heading for Saudi Arabia?

The money on offer may have something to do with it. The Middle East state’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, took controlling stakes in four Saudi Pro League clubs – Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr – earlier this month as part of the wider ‘Vision 2030’ plan to diversify the Saudi economy. The country’s rulers also believe a thriving professional sports scene will help drive up grassroots activity levels in the kingdom.

The Saudis have signalled their intention to mount a bid to host the 2030 World Cup, and raising the standard and profile of the domestic league could prove crucial to that mission. PIF has the financial clout to recruit big names to the cause with Karim Benzema having already agreed to join Al-Ittihad.

It is not the first time an emerging league has adopted similar tactics. Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore all played in the North American Soccer League at the end of their respective careers, while China has lured a host of top-flight stars to its Super League in recent years.

Public Investment Fund – that name sounds familiar?

It should. PIF holds an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle United, who have invested in excess of £250million in new signings since the Amanda Staveley-led consortium in which it is the major partner completed its buy-out at St James’ Park in October 2021.

The Magpies surged to a fourth-place finish in last season’s Premier League and secured Champions League football for the first time in 20 years to the delight of a fanbase which has been reinvigorated despite concerted criticism over the source of the club’s new-found wealth.

PIF, whose governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan is Newcastle’s chairman, is also a key player in the controversial merger between the LIV Golf series and the PGA and DP World Tours which has prompted fresh accusations of sportswashing.

Why all the fuss about Chelsea?

This is where it gets interesting. Private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group provided around 60 per cent of the funding for Boehly’s £2.5billion takeover and has underwritten much of the investment since; PIF is an investor with Clearlake. Financial experts have suggested such is the size of Clearlake’s portfolio that while some PIF money may form part of its holding in Chelsea, there is no direct link and therefore no risk of breaching Premier League rules which prohibit ownership of two clubs. However, the perception in some quarters is that any existing relationship between the Blues, the sovereign wealth fund and the four domestic clubs it now controls could allow them to sell on players for inflated fees and thereby reduce their FFP burden.

What has been said about the situation?

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, co-owner of League Two Salford, is unimpressed. Speaking to BBC Sport, Neville said: “The Premier League should put an instant embargo on transfers to Saudi Arabia to ensure the integrity of the game isn’t being damaged. Checks should be made on the appropriateness of the transactions.”

The Cherries took a third-minute lead through Antoine Semenyo, but Luis Diaz levelled before Salah converted the rebound after Neto had repelled his spot-kick.

Summer signing Mac Allister’s dismissal had little impact as Diogo Jota secured the points.

Solly March’s double helped Brighton climb to the top of the table after the 3pm kick-offs following a convincing 4-1 win at Wolves.

Goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan put the Seagulls in charge, and March struck twice before substitute Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for the home side.

Bryan Mbeumo also scored twice to help Brentford to an impressive 3-0 victory at Brentford.

Yoane Wissa opened the scoring and after defender Tim Ream had been sent off for a second bookable offence, Mbeumo converted the resulting penalty before adding a second in stoppage time.

Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Cucurella were among the scorers as Chelsea got back to winning ways in the Premier League.

Wolves made it two wins from two under new boss Vitor Pereira, as Bruno Fernandes saw red for Manchester United at Molineux.

Caicedo, 21, has been one of the breakout stars of the Premier League season, starting 18 of Brighton's 19 league fixtures to help his side up to sixth.

The talented central midfielder has already earned 28 caps for Ecuador and collected valuable experience at the Qatar World Cup, where he scored against Senegal in the group stage.

Brighton have rejected some serious bids already this month, and while they have reportedly set Caicedo's price at nine figures, Arsenal are prepared to test how much money they are willing to turn down.

 

TOP STORY – ARSENAL PREPARE BUMPER BID FOR BRIGHTON TALENT

According to Fichajes, Arsenal are determined to add reinforcements before the end of January, and they will see if £75m is enough to pry Caicedo away from Brighton.

Metro had previously reported Brighton would hold out for a fee in the range of £100m, having already batted away a £50m approach from Chelsea.

Fichajes believes Arsenal are willing to outspend Chelsea in the pursuit of Caicedo, which has them in the driver's seat if Brighton are willing to budge before the transfer window closes.

 

ROUND-UP

– According to the Daily Telegraph, Chelseaand Liverpoolwill both pursue 24-year-old Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes, who is expected to cost £55m.

– 90min is reporting Tottenhamare confident they will complete their move for 23-year-old Sporting right-back Pedro Porro in the coming days after negotiations over his release clause.

– 90min adds Sportingwill target 22-year-old Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey as Porro's replacement, although Lyonare also interested in the Seagulls defender.

– Everton have lowered their asking price for Anthony Gordon to £40m plus add-ons after their initial £60m valuation put off Newcastle United, per the Telegraph.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Inter will demand £35m (€40m) for 26-year-old right-back Denzel Dumfries, who is a target of Chelsea, Newcastleand Manchester United.

A lack of silverware is believed to be behind Kane's alleged urge to move on, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea the leading suitors.

In the post-COVID world where club finances have been hit hard, some clubs are getting creative.

TOP STORY - CHELSEA'S PLAYER-PLUS-CASH SWAP DEAL

Chelseaare launching a player-plus-cash swap deal to land Kanefrom Tottenhaminvolving goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and forward Tammy Abraham, claims ESPN.

Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris is expected to leave the club, hence the lure of Kepa who has been back-up to Edouard Mendy, while Abraham, who is not a regular starter for the Blues, could help to fill the void left by Kane.

Kane is contracted with Tottenham for another three seasons and Spurs are believed to want a transfer fee of £150 million, so the addition of players would drop that figure down to an affordable level.

ROUND-UP

- The Guardian reports that Sergio Aguero has agreed to a two-year deal with Barcelona, with his departure from Manchester City this off-season already confirmed.

- Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac will leave the Gunners, with Schalke 04 and Laziocircling for the Bosnian's signature, reports Football London.

- Fernandinhowas set to exit Manchester City, but The Times claims he will renew with the club on a one-year deal.

- The manager merry-go-round is in full swing, with The Mirror claiming that Wolves are looking at ex-Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, while The Sun reports that Tottenhamwill try to convince Brendan Rodgers to join the club if Leicester City fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.

United boss Erik ten Hag is weighing up his goalkeeping options, having stuck with long-term number one David de Gea since taking over.

Reports have emerged that United and De Gea are set for talks on his future, with the 31-year-old's deal to expire in 2023.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD EYE COSTA AS DE GEA REPLACEMENT

Manchester United's goalkeeper situation is in flux, with the club interested in Porto custodian Diogo Costa, according to Metro.

United have sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old goalkeeper, who has seven caps for Portugal.

The Red Devils are looking for De Gea's successor, with the Spaniard seemingly not suiting Ten Hag's possession-based style.

United also have 25-year-old England international Dean Henderson out on loan at Nottingham Forest.

ROUND-UP

– O Jogo claims former Olympiacos manager Pedro Martins could be the latest Portuguese coach to take over at Wolves, following Bruno Lage's dismissal on Sunday. The Telegraph reports that under-fire Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui may be considered and Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has also been discussed.

– Juventus and Real Madrid will rival Liverpool in the race to sign Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans from Leicester City, claims Calciomercato.

– LaLiga pair Sevilla and Valencia are both interested in Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, reports Todofichajes.

– Tottenham and Juventus target Nicolo Zaniolo is set to pen a new deal with Roma, re-committing on a €4million per-year deal until 2027, according to Calciomercato.

– Everton's Venezuela international striker Salomon Rondon has interest from UAE club Sharjah FC but is likely to stay with the Toffees, reports Liverpool Echo.

Los Blancos, along with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, were keen on the former Borussia Dortmund forward.

Ultimately, the Norwegian decided to join Manchester City, starting on fire with 14 goals in 10 games in all competitions, but Madrid are keeping an eye on him.

TOP STORY – MADRID PLANNING LONG-TERM MOVES FOR CITY DUO

Spanish giants Real Madrid are plotting moves to sign Manchester City pair Joao Cancelo and Erling Haaland, reports AS.

Madrid will attempt to sign the 28-year-old Portuguese full-back in mid-2023, with Cancelo contracted until 2027, although the report claims he will cost around €40-50million (£35-44m).

The Spanish champions are planning a swoop for Haaland but not until 2024, with Karim Benzema in the twilight of his career.

Haaland reportedly has a termination clause in his City contract worth €180m (£158m) up until 2024.

ROUND-UP

– The Daily Star reports that Manchester United and David De Gea are set for key talks on his future, with the goalkeeper's contract expiring in mid-2023. United hold an option to extend his stay.

– Manchester United may struggle in their bid to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, with the Villans to turn down any offer for him in January, claims Football Insider.

– Barcelona are keen to sign Wolves 25-year-old midfielder Ruben Neves as a long-term replacement for 34-year-old Sergio Busquets, reports Sport. Neves will be the Blaugrana's top target at the end of this season.

– Gerard Pique is not interested in joining Atletico Madrid in January, claims Sport. The defender has fallen out of favour at Barcelona, but he is determined to fight for his spot.

– Calciomercato claims that Chelsea are interested in Inter wing-back Denzel Dumfries. The Italian club may be willing to part with the Dutchman for approximately £44m.

– Colombian forward Luis Muriel is ready to leave Atalanta, with a move to Fiorentina on the cards, according to Calciomercato.

– PSV striker Cody Gakpo is likely to have more offers in January with Manchester United, Southampton and Everton all still interested, claims Football Transfers.

– Thomas Tuchel is Real Madrid 's preferred replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, according to El Nacional. The Italian has told the club he does not intend to manage Madrid beyond this season.

The Napoli striker is valued at around €80million by the Serie A leaders.

Manchester United are understood to be interested in Osimhen.

TOP STORY – REAL TO RIVAL MAN UTD FOR OSIMHEN

The race for Napoli forward Osimhen is heating up with Real Madrid joining United in pursuit of his signature, according to Calciomercato.

Osimhen's Napoli contract does not expire until 2025 but both clubs are ready to flex their muscles and move for him in the off-season transfer window.

The 23-year-old forward's stock has risen dramatically since Napoli signed him for €70m from Lille in 2020.

ROUND-UP

- Inter are lining up a move for Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram as they prepare for Lautaro Martinez to be prized away amid interest from Manchester City, claims The Sun.

- Nicolo Schira claims that Milan have agreed personal terms with Lille defender and Newcastle United target Sven Botman, who has been lured by a five-year deal.

- Barcelona are set to join the race for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who has interest from Arsenal and Manchester United, reports the Mail.

- The Express claims that Aston Villa are interested in manager Steven Gerrard's ex-Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez along with Milan's Franck Kessie .

- Teenage England international Jude Bellingham has opted to remain with Borussia Dortmund for one more season, claims Bild.

- Kicker claims that Roma have joined the pursuit for Stuttgart's Sasa Kalajdzic along with Tottenham, West Ham, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig .

- West Ham are interested in Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo, according to The Mirror, while Celtic are also tracking him.

The rapid winger was of interest to Tottenham in the off-season, when they were coached by former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Though Nuno's spell at Spurs was short-lived, it appears Antonio Conte is also an admirer of Traore.

TOP STORY: SPURS TO MAKE TRAORE MOVE?

Tottenham are looking for reinforcements this month, as they aim to provide Antonio Conte with the resources he needs to push for Champions League qualification. However, they were dealt a blow this week when Conte confirmed Son Heung-min is set to miss the rest of January with a muscular injury.

With Son out, Sky Sports believes Tottenham will reignite their interest in Traore, a player they wanted to sign before the season started.

The report also states that Spurs may bring in Traore to provide competition for both an attacking role and right wing-back duties in Conte's preferred 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 shape.

ROUND-UP

- According to Fichajes, two Premier League clubs are interested in signing Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite .

- Sky Sports reports that Aston Villa wish to sign Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma this month.

- The same outlet has also claimed that Real Madrid's Gareth Bale may consider a move to the Championship, with Swansea City or Cardiff City mooted as possible destinations.

- Fabrizio Romano has said that Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is unlikely to join Arsenal in January.

- According to the presenter Oriol Domenech on TV3, Barca president Joan Laporta has been telling people close to him that he is very confident of signing Erling Haaland later this year.

- Manchester United are preparing a bid for PSG forward Mauro Icardi, should Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani leave the club, L'Equipe reports.

- Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Juventushave received several offers for midfielder Arthur, who could leave this month.

The Belgian striker revealed his regret at leaving Inter for Chelsea in August.

Lukaku was subsequently dropped by coach Thomas Tuchel for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

TOP STORY – LUKAKU COULD MAKE STUNNING SWITCH TO SPURS

La Gazzetta Dello Sport claims that unsettled Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku could make a cross-city switch to Tottenham to re-unite with Antonio Conte.

Lukaku and Conte worked together at Inter where they won the Serie A title last term.

The striker revealed his frustrations at Chelsea over the weekend, with Tuchel offering no guarantees about his future.

ROUND-UP

- Erling Haaland will not leave Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window, reports Fabrizio Romano. Haaland has not decided his next destination yet, despite rumours of a pre-agreement with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

- Ara claims Barcelona will offer Ousmane Dembele to Manchester United as part of a swap deal for want-away forward Anthony Martial.

- Tottenham and West Ham United  are both keen to sign Wolves' Adama Traore, claims the Telegraph. Wolves want £20million for the Spanish forward.

- Olympiakos' Guinea international midfielder Aguibou Camara is attracting interest from Milan and Liverpool, claims Calciomercato.

Dominic Solanke gave the home support hope of a first win of the season when he handed his side the lead in the first half on ex-Cherries boss Gary O’Neil’s first trip back to his former side.

It was all square two minutes after the break thanks to Matheus Cunha before the afternoon further unraveled for the hosts when Lewis Cook was sent off for a headbutt on Hwang Hee-chan .

Bournemouth had their chances and managed to keep things level until deep into the second period, but the late drama left the Cherries mired in an abysmal start to their campaign.

While O’Neil insisted his first trip back to Bournemouth was strictly business, one could forgive any deja vu he might have experienced standing in the opposite dugout, now managing the team he faced as a first-time Premier League manager last season.

This time it was a Cherries player, not a manager, who marked his Premier League debut with Andoni Iraola handing now-fit summer signing Alex Scott a start.

Both keepers were tested early, the hosts working the ball to David Brooks, who forced Jose Sa into a simple save with a rolling effort from the right.

A flurry of activity at the other end of the pitch soon saw Pedro Neto – making his 100th Premier League appearance – smash an effort off the crossbar, Cunha denied by Cherries keeper Neto, and Hwang – in the hunt for his seventh goal in nine games – nod wide.

With the unrelenting back-and-forth nature of the period still sustained it felt like a goal was imminent, and it soon came via another well-linked sequence beginning with Brooks finding Philip Billing.

The Denmark international slipped the ball to Solanke, who opened the scoring with a backheeled finish from six yards out, the 1-0 advantage standing at the break despite both sides threatening.

Wolves were level less than two minutes after the restart when Cunha fired past a diving Neto and soon it all began to unravel for the hosts, who were down to 10 men after Cook went in for a headbutt on Hwang and was shown a straight red after a VAR review.

The mood in the stadium, bursting with hope after Solanke’s opener, quickly soured as the officials broke up the ensuing fracas, though spirits somewhat lifted when substitute Ryan Christie was able to break loose and force Sa into a low save.

The hosts were given a boost when Neto squandered a late chance by firing his effort over the crossbar.

The Cherries sparked back to life after Dango Ouattara battled to win the ball deep inside Wolves’ half and had chances through Joe Rothwell and Billing, but after deftly defending deep into the second half, saw a potential point slip away when Hwang played through Kalajdzic, who side-footed in the winner.

The Toffees dominated this Premier League match – having 15 shots – but remain goalless and pointless in the 270 minutes they have played so far this season as the visitors scored with their only effort on target in the 87th minute.

Fans streaming out of Goodison had seen it all before as recently as a fortnight ago when a similar performance against Fulham also saw them lose 1-0 as they endured their worst start to a season since 1990-91.

But the supporters in old gold did not care as they headed back down the M6 celebrating their first win of the campaign – secured by a player making only his third appearance after rupturing his ACL in his first match last season – and their third in succession at Goodison Park for the first time.

The defender kept Erling Haaland quiet as Wolves earned a battling 2-1 win at Molineux on Saturday.

Hwang Hee-chan struck a second-half winner after Julian Alvarez had cancelled out Ruben Dias’ early own goal.

O’Neil had come in for early criticism from supporters, especially after Tuesday’s 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat at Ipswich, but Dawson insisted the manager deserved all the plaudits from Saturday.

He said: “A lot of credit has to go to the manager for getting us so organised, with the game plan, and getting us fully prepared for the match, which he has done for every single game. That win goes down to the manager.

“It was a massive win and it was great to see this place bouncing.

“It’s clear at times we were man to man and the players stuck to that task brilliantly and stuck to the game plan for the full duration of the game, which is great for the lads.

“It was all about concentration and keeping focused and credit to the manager for preparing us, getting us organised, and today we stuck to the plan and managed to get the victory.”

Defeat ended City’s flawless start to the Premier League season but they remain top, a point ahead of Tottenham and Arsenal – with a trip to the Emirates Stadium to come on Sunday.

“We’re all a bit disappointed now of course. We should have done more I guess,” midfielder Oscar Bobb told the club’s official site.

“We pushed for it and unfortunately didn’t get it. Leipzig (in the Champions League on Wednesday) is next, a big game ahead and then Arsenal. We’re only thinking forward.

“It’s not the greatest feeling, losing. I just want to keep pushing for more.

“It gives us the chance to prove that we’re still the best team, so we’re looking forward to it.”

The striker scored his third goal in four games since returning from his eight-month ban for breaching betting rules in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Wolves.

Christian Norgaard’s first-half header put the Bees on course for their first Premier League away win since October, moving them up to 14th.

This week, Frank said Toney – who has one cap – is likely to be sold in the summer but he also feels his star man deserves another chance with England ahead of Euro 2024.

He said: “I know what Ivan can bring and I think it’s something different England don’t have.

“Ivan played a fine game, not a top game but the strikers need to score goals.

“He scored again when he had to and he played with illness, he was ill Thursday, Friday and today.

“It shows everything about his mentality. He is unique.

“He has always been committed for the team, for the club and his team-mates.

“Who knows what is going to happen in the summer? What Ivan is very good at is being in the moment, right now, here, ready. That’s what he is focusing on.

“It would be great if he keeps going. He has all the qualities for it. We know we will create chances for him and big chances.”

Brentford should have won by more after wasting several first-half openings, with Neal Maupay the main culprit.

First, he allowed Jose Sa to save with just the goalkeeper to beat before Sa claimed his header from the resulting corner.

Mads Roerslev blazed over before Maupay missed another opening, shooting at Sa after working space well.

Wolves, who lost Matheus Cunha to a hamstring injury, struggled to get going and fell behind after 35 minutes when Norgaard shook off Craig Dawson to nod in Sergio Reguilon’s corner.

Mark Flekken turned Pedro Neto’s header onto the post just before the break and the forward saw his deflected strike rattle the upright soon after the interval.

From the corner, Brentford failed to clear and when Neto returned the ball Dawson nodded in, only for VAR to rule him narrowly offside.

It was the closest the hosts came to a recovery and Toney sealed the game with a fine cushioned finish from Vitaly Janelt’s cross with 13 minutes left.

“If I sat there last night and tried to imagine things going wrong for us it would have looked like something like that,” said Wolves boss Gary O’Neil.

“It started yesterday when I got the message Channy (Hwang Hee-Chan) was feeling his calf.

“We gave Brentford a little bit of impetus and an unbelievably bad error for the first goal which then gave them the game they wanted, when they take ages over everything,

“You don’t see many goals from chest height in the middle of the goal from three or four yards in the Premier League. From that moment I knew exactly how tough it would be to crack Brentford.

“When you watch that game, it looks like a really bad team performance. It was but there are really clear reasons why.

“Losing Matheus and Channy, the lads being below the level and two terribly bad errors for the goals.”

Liverpool were beaten 3-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion at the weekend in a performance Klopp described as the worst he has witnessed during his coaching career.

The Reds, who won a domestic double last season and fell just short of an unprecedented quadruple, are ninth in the Premier League and now 10 points adrift of the top four.

Klopp has already added Cody Gakpo to his squad this window in a deal that could rise to £44million (€50m), but he recently ruled out more signings for the sake of it.

Having grown frustrated at the line of questioning at his pre-match press conference ahead of the Brighton game, Klopp was again tetchy when speaking to reporters on Monday.

"It must be a language issue that you ask this question again and again," he said when probed on potential incoming activity. 

"We look outside. It's not that we are stubborn and think we will go with these boys until 2050. That's not how we see it, it's all about what you can do and what you want to do. 

"It's always each year the same. It should be boring from your side, the transfer window in each press conference. Whoever comes from your agency asks this question. 

"I cannot change my answers. If the solutions for us are out there, available and doable, of course we would bring in players to help. 

"But we have an existing squad as well, and we are underperforming definitely. But I cannot sit here all the time and blame everybody else, it's my responsibility that they perform. 

"That's my first concern. Yes we have limited options, but we have players with a contract here, they are just unavailable. 

"If they are all in, it's a different situation. Our squad is not too small. Yes, we have to strengthen, but is this the right moment for us to [sign a player]? I can't see it."

Liverpool are winless in three matches this year, a run that includes a 2-2 home draw with Wolves in the FA Cup third round.

The sides are set to face off at Molineux in a replay on Wednesday, and Klopp suggested he will name as strong a line-up as possible.

"We go as strong as we can, but it always depends on the situation we're in," he said. "Not all of the players who played the last game are available now, for different reasons. 

"Yes, we'll make changes. We want to win the game so we obviously need fresh legs. 

"The easy thing for me is to tell the boys, 'you put us in a situation with the game at Brighton, let's see how you can get us out of that.' But I just can't do that."

Ward-Prowse took advantage of the wind whipping around Molineux to curl in a corner in the 84th minute after Lucas Paqueta’s 72nd-minute penalty had cancelled out a first-half spot-kick from Pablo Sarabia in this Premier League contest.

Wolves captain Maximilian Kilman thought he had levelled in the ninth minute of stoppage time but his header was ruled out for offside after a VAR intervention.

The win puts West Ham level on points with sixth-placed Manchester United in the fight for Europa League places, but their immediate European ambitions may well be hurt after Bowen fell awkwardly at the start of the second half, with the trip to Leverkusen looming on Thursday night.

David Moyes’ side have now taken 19 points from losing positions this season, although this was only West Ham’s third league win of 2024.

The Hammers could and should have taken the lead 11 minutes in through the industry of Bowen, who robbed Nelson Semedo on the byline and threaded a low ball through to Tomas Soucek yards from goal. However, the Czech Republic international could not get the ball out of his feet.

It was a key moment as Wolves went on to dominate the rest of the half. Rayan Ait-Nouri, nominally a left-back but a player who came into the game with three goals in four games after being shifted in a more attacking role, again took on the leading role.

The Algerian went close when he ran almost the length of the pitch to burst into the box, only for Kurt Zouma to slide in as he was about to pull the trigger, before Tommy Doyle brought a save out of veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, again deputising for the injured Alphonse Areola.

The pressure was building and paid off when Doyle’s pass from the left found another excellent run from Ait-Nouri, who was felled by Emerson Palmieri in the box. After a VAR check, Sarabia stepped up to beat Fabianski with a spot-kick that went in off the inside of the right-hand post.

Moyes may well have had one eye on Thursday’s trip to Germany when leaving Michail Antonio on the bench but he took action on the break as the Jamaican came on to make his 300th appearance, joined by Ben Johnson as Soucek and Vladimir Coufal made way.

Minutes after the restart Bowen appeared to injure his hip after a challenge with Gomes, and moments later Wolves lost Ait-Nouri, who hobbled off in the 55th minute to be replaced by Matheus Cunha.

The changes seemed to do more to help West Ham as they finally exerted some pressure. Mohammed Kudus fired over before Ward-Prowse saw a free-kick deflected wide.

The Hammers thought they were level in the 63rd minute when Emerson headed in, but Tony Harrington generously signalled for a foul on Semedo in the build-up.

Wolves were creating their own problems, failing to clear the ball, and would be made to pay in the 72nd minute.

Gomes played the ball back to Toti in a tight space and West Ham whipped it away before Emerson’s cross was blocked by the arm of Kilman, with Paqueta dispatching the penalty after a stuttering run-up.

Johnson tested Sa with a volley and two minutes later, Ward-Prowse’s corner sailed over the goalkeeper and in.

Wolves thought they were level at the end but Harrington was sent to the check the screen by VAR Darren England and Tawanda Chirewa was deemed to be blocking Fabianski as Kilman headed in the corner, to the fury of the home fans.

Hwang Hee-chan’s second-half winner earned the hosts a brilliant battling victory at Molineux.

Julian Alvarez’s free-kick cancelled out Ruben Dias’ early own goal but Pep Guardiola’s side were unable to find a way back from Hwang’s strike.

They were aiming to win their first seven Premier League games for the first time but instead were beaten by a combative and fired-up Wolves.

Defeat puts a fresh spin on next Sunday’s trip to Arsenal, with the Gunners now a point behind the leaders, after Wednesday’s Champions League game at RB Leipzig.

For Wolves boss Gary O’Neil it represents vindication for his methods, with the manager having come under early fire this season.

Few, though, would have expected the result to come against City.

Erling Haaland went close to Matheus Nunes’ cross as, predictably, the visitors dominated early but found Wolves tough to break down.

Nunes was the obvious pantomime villain, having effectively gone on strike to force his eventual £53million deadline-day move to City from Wolves.

So there was even more delight from the home fans when Wolves stunned Guardiola’s men after 13 minutes.

Mateo Kovacic’s loose pass hit Phil Foden which allowed Pedro Neto to seize on the mistake and tear past Nathan Ake.

He powered his way down the right, avoiding Ake’s desperate lunge, to race into the area and Dias deflected his cross past Ederson from close range.

Neto remains Wolves’ man of the moment, their spark, having given Liverpool nightmares two weeks ago and scored in the 1-1 draw at Luton, but Wolves had been in this position before and faltered.

They faded badly after a fine first half against Liverpool to lose and a promising display on O’Neil’s debut at Manchester United yielded nothing.

Wolves needed results to back up their grit and determination but Rayan Ait-Nouri gifted Foden a way through in a sloppy moment to underline the fragile nature of their lead.

City were left frustrated, Jeremy Doku was haphazard and Haaland engaged in a physical battle with Craig Dawson, while Foden and Nunes were ineffective.

As expected, City had plenty of the ball but the Wolves wall stood firm and there was even a degree of control from the hosts when in possession.

Guardiola, in the stands serving a touchline ban, had seen enough and hauled Nunes off for Oscar Bobb at the break.

Opposite number O’Neil continued to conduct his men from the sidelines as Wolves dug in, while weak Haaland and Alvarez efforts did little to trouble Jose Sa.

Yet the hosts’ resistance was broken after 58 minutes. Wolves were still fuming Matheus Cunha’s demands for a free-kick were turned away after a quick break.

City went up the other end and Joao Gomes barged into the back of Bobb 20 yards out for Alvarez to then curl his free-kick into the top corner.

It was the cue for the visitors to ramp up the pressure in a barnstorming half and Dawson cleared off the line before Sa turned Manuel Akanji’s shot wide.

They proved crucial as Hwang turned up the heat on City to grab the winner after 68 minutes.

Nelson Semedo was sent dashing down the right and his cross was cleared as far as Hwang, whose shot was blocked by Dias. It fell for Cunha to keep his cool and lay the ball off to Hwang to sweep in from six yards.

Molineux erupted and then braced for the expected City onslaught. Kalvin Phillips curled wide and Kyle Walker shot at Sa, yet there was no comeback as Wolves deservedly held on.