Wolves earned their first point of the Premier League season following a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Chris Wood's towering header was cancelled out by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's stunning strike as the spoils were shared at the City Ground.

The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute as Wood rose to nod home from Elliot Anderson's corner.

However, the visitors were level just two minutes later in spectacular fashion, with Bellegarde firing a stunning long-range volley into the roof of the net.

Gary O'Neil's side had Sam Johnstone to thank after the break, with the debutant producing a strong hand to deny Wood his second goal of the game.

Matheus Cunha curled a shot just wide while the offside flag denied Wood later on, with Forest unable to snatch victory but extending their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Data Debrief: Wolves end losing streak while Wood matches Collymore

After opening the season with two defeats and eight goals conceded, Wolves stopped the rot with a welcome point against their Midlands rivals, while ending a five-game Premier League losing streak in the process.

Meanwhile, Forest remain unbeaten in their opening three games of a top-flight season for the first time since 1995-96.

Heading his side into the lead, Wood became only the second Forest player to score in both their first two home matches in a Premier League season since Stan Collymore 30 years previously. 

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe claims this year’s summer transfer window is the toughest he has been through. 

The Magpies have attempted to be active in the market but, despite the wealth at their disposal, have so far been unable to make the major moves they would have liked. 

Their situation was complicated by a need to sell players in order to comply with the Premier League’s financial rules, with youngsters Yanukba Minteh and Elliot Anderson leaving in big-money switches to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively. 

Newcastle have signed Lloyd Kelly, Odysseas Vlachodimos and William Osula, though have so far been frustrated in their attempts to sign England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, while they reportedly remain in the market for a winger. 

“It’s been the most difficult window I’ve experienced,” said Howe ahead of Sunday’s match against his former club Bournemouth. 

“The June part of the window was incredibly difficult and now this part hasn’t been exactly easy either. It’s always going to be difficult because you’re competing for a very small pool of players and the competition is high from other clubs.” 

When asked directly about the chances of signing Guehi, Howe replied: “There’s no news. I’m a step removed, but I’m aware there’s still work going on behind the scenes.” 

Kieran Trippier, meanwhile, has been linked with a move away from St James’ Park and, while Howe would like to keep the right-back, he conceded there are no guarantees. 

“My wish is Kieran stays here and continues to play for us,” he added. “But I can never answer with absolute certainty because it’s football and the window is always unpredictable. We take every case individually and try to make the right decision for the player and the club. 

“Tripps is a really valuable member of the squad. His professionalism has been first class. Since coming here, he’s played a huge role in changing the narrative around the team. He galvanised the squad from the first day.” 

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo 

Semenyo has scored six goals in his last 13 Premier League starts for Bournemouth. His goal against Nottingham Forest last week was his 10th in the competition overall and he is the seventh Ghanaian to score 10+ goals. The only African countries with more players on 10 goals are Nigeria (17), Senegal (14) and Ivory Coast (10). 

Newcastle United – Alexander Isak 

Newcastle were starved of possession after going down to 10 men against Southampton last week and, even though they won, chances were at a premium for star striker Isak.  

However, against a Bournemouth team that like to get on the front foot, the Sweden forward will be hoping for more of a look in. 

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW 

Howe has never beaten former club Bournemouth in the Premier League in four attempts (D3 L1). The Cherries are one of only three sides Howe has faced but failed to defeat, along with Luton (D1 L1) and Man City (D1 L15). 

Bournemouth, however, have won none of their last eight Premier League games in August (D3 L5) since a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in 2022. In those eight winless games, the Cherries have scored three times while shipping 23. 

Newcastle’s away Premier League matches last season saw 76 goals scored (36 for, 40 against), the most by a team in a season since Chelsea in 2019-20 (77 – 39 for, 38 against). Eight of their 10 away games in 2024 have seen at least four goals scored with an overall average of 4.4 goals per game. 

The visitors are looking to win their opening two Premier League matches in a season for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign under Kenny Dalglish. 

Having kept a clean sheet in their first Premier League meeting with Bournemouth (1-0 in November 2015), Newcastle have conceded at least once in each of their last 11 against the Cherries, who have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against the Magpies. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY 

Bournemouth – 32.6% 

Newcastle – 42.6% 

Draw – 24.8% 

Nottingham Forest welcomed their seventh addition of the transfer window with the arrival of Paraguay international Ramon Sosa from Talleres. 

Sosa, who grabbed a goal and an assist at this year's Copa America for Los Guaranies, has signed a five-year deal at the City Ground for a reported £11m transfer fee. 

The 24-year-old scored six goals and added seven assists in all competitions for Talleres last season. 

Sosa began his career in his native country where he won the Copa Paraguay with Olimpia in 2021 before moving to Argentinian side Gimnasia. 

He contributed 13 goal contributions (six goals and seven assists) in his debut season with the club, which led to a move to Talleres. 

Sosa registered 17 goals and 13 assists in 56 appearances for the Albiazul, impressing at the Copa America despite playing only 133 minutes of football at the tournament. 

"Ramon has been coveted by many clubs but was so clear in his desire to join Nottingham Forest," said Ross Wilson, Forest's chief football officer.

"We could all feel his energy, emotion, pride and excitement to be here from the first minute he arrived.

"He can't wait to get started and we are delighted that he is here with us."

The signing follows Forest's recent deals to bring in Jota Silva, Elliot Anderson, Nikola Milenkovic, Eric da Silva Moreira, and Carlos Miguel.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke will take stock of his attempts to bring aboard Newcastle pair Elliot Anderson and Harvey Barnes after Tuesday’s Hampden friendly against England.

Whitley Bay-born Anderson, who has a Scottish grandmother, spent two days with Scotland last week before withdrawing from the squad before their trip to Cyprus due to injury.

England manager Gareth Southgate has since expressed admiration for the Newcastle midfielder and stated his backroom team would be taking the situation up.

The 20-year-old has been capped at several levels for Scotland but has also attended an England Under-19 training camp.

Clarke said: “We like the player as well so Elliot will still have that choice to make.

“When I come out of this camp I will look at what we have done, what we have had, what’s occurred over this camp, we will do a debrief on it and then we will shape what we do from there.”

Former Leicester winger Barnes is reported to be considering a switch of allegiance after playing once for England in a friendly win over Wales three years ago.

The 25-year-old was born in Burnley and brought up in Leicestershire but has Scottish grandparents.

When asked about Barnes, Clarke said: “Probably the same comment, to think about that after.

“We want the best players we can possibly get. If they are eligible for Scotland and they have a chance to play for us and they can improve the squad that I’ve got – which is not an easy thing to do…

“And I get all the story round it, because we are playing England you want to speak about Elliot, you want to speak about Harvey.

“I quite like speaking about the boys I have got because they have put us in a really good position and they deserve a lot of credit for that.”

Elliot Anderson is a surprise call-up for Scotland after electing to ignore advances from England.

The 20-year-old Newcastle midfielder has played for Scotland at youth level and is in the squad to face Cyprus and England next month after playing three Premier League games this season.

Here we look at Anderson’s development so far.

Background

Anderson was born in Whitley Bay and brought up as a Newcastle fan. His grandfather, Geoff Allen, was part of the squad that won United’s last major trophy, the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. On the other side of his family, Anderson’s paternal grandmother is Scottish, allowing him to represent Scotland. Anderson joined Newcastle at under-nine level after playing for the renowned Wallsend Boys’ Club, whose previous players include Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley, Michael Carrick, Steve Bruce, Lee Clark, Steve Watson and Alan Thompson.

Early Newcastle chances

The attacking midfielder played in the EFL Trophy as a 16-year-old for Newcastle Under-21s and scored against Port Vale just after turning 17 before netting twice against Bolton 12 months later. He made his first-team debut off the bench in the FA Cup against Arsenal in January 2021 and his Premier League debut against the same opposition later that month, but did not play again that season.

Loan success

After going 12 months without another first-team appearance, Anderson joined Bristol Rovers on loan for the second half of the 2021-22 season. The move was a major success. Anderson scored seven goals in 21 appearances and helped Rovers win promotion to League One as he netted in a 7-0 win over Scunthorpe on the final day of the season to go up on goal difference.

International career

Anderson’s first Scotland game was a 3-3 draw for the under-16s against Denmark in February 2018. He played three times for the under-17s and won two games with the under-18s in September 2019. His next international involvement came for England Under-19s in a training-ground friendly against Arsenal Under-23s in March 2021. With both Scotland and England eyeing Anderson for their under-21 squads, the player turned down a chance to team up with Scot Gemmill’s squad in March 2022 so he did not miss games with Bristol Rovers. He then played in a goalless draw for Scotland Under-21s in Belgium in June 2022 but turned down further call-ups as he considered his future. In seven Scotland appearances in total at several levels, Anderson is yet to be on the losing side.

Newcastle breakthrough

After returning from Rovers, Anderson made his first start for Newcastle in a League Cup win at Tranmere in August last year. His first Premier League start came against Liverpool in February this year, although he was forced off injured early on. He made 27 appearances in all last season and has come off the bench three times this season.

High praise

While on loan with Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers, Anderson received high praise from former Northampton manager and Newcastle chief scout Graham Carr, who oversaw a successful recruitment drive with the Magpies that brought in the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa and Papiss Cisse. Carr told the Daily Mail in March 2022: “You can go out and sign as many young players as you want, you will be doing well to get any better than Elliot Anderson. He receives the ball like Peter Beardsley. He kills it and moves it all in one motion. That is a gift. He’s the best young player I have seen in a long time. Newcastle haven’t produced anyone like him, in terms of his technical gifts, probably all the way back to Gazza. He plays with a swagger. Every time he got the ball you knew something was going to happen. He always wants to dribble and moves off quickly. He knows he’s good, but there’s no harm in that.”

Steve Clarke revealed Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson had decided against switching allegiance to England following positive discussions with the Scotland manager ahead of his first senior call-up.

Anderson has been called into Clarke’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus and a friendly against England.

The 20-year-old has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level and then played a training-ground friendly for England Under-19s against Arsenal Under-23s in 2021.

The attacking midfielder made a sole Scotland Under-21 appearance against Belgium in June 2022 before turning down further call-ups from Scot Gemmill as he considered his international future.

But Anderson was a surprise inclusion in Clarke’s squad after coming off the bench in all three of Newcastle’s Premier League matches this season.

Whitley Bay-born Anderson, who has a Scottish grandmother, is included ahead of the likes of David Turnbull, who has not been in recent squads but has been back in the Celtic team under Brendan Rodgers.

Clarke said: “Elliot has been through the under-age groups with Scotland, he is one we have had an eye on.

“He had a little think about choosing between Scotland and England. We had some good discussions with the boy and his family and he has chosen to come with us, which is good for us now and certainly good for us in the future.

“He has been with us in general. Obviously when you get to a certain stage in your career and you can see your career is starting to take off, which Elliot’s is at Newcastle…We have got some great reports from people within the club at Newcastle, which is good to hear.

“Then you have to make that choice. Elliot was born in England, he has got decisions to make, and we are just happy he has come down on our side.

“He has been involved in the under-age, he has played in the under-21s, so he has chosen to stay with us and hopefully that turns out to be a good decision for Elliot and ourselves.

“I think it shows how well the boys that I have been picking on a regular basis have done. Qualification for Euro 2020 and obviously we are looking to qualify for another major tournament this time, and we hope we can continue to improve.

“I have always tried to look down towards the under-age groups, the under-21s, to try to give a pathway so that we are not just having a squad for now but looking to build a squad that will carry us through not just the next tournament but the tournament after that and the tournament after that. Elliot is part of that process.”

Clarke also gave hope to Liverpool winger Ben Doak that the 17-year-old was not far off a full call-up.

“Anybody who is doing well for their club, especially at a club like Liverpool, playing off the bench in the English Premier League, they are always going to be close,” he said. “I just feel that on this occasion, it was the right time to bring in Elliot.

“Ben knows that we are watching him, he knows that he is part of the future, but he has to continue doing what he is doing at his club, and he has to continue playing well. If he does that, I’m sure his turn won’t be too far away.”

Che Adams is back in the 25-man squad after missing victories over Norway and Georgia in June through injury.

There are eight defenders in the squad, meaning several players drop out.

There is no place for Blackburn’s Dominic Hyam and Celtic full-backs Anthony Ralston and Greg Taylor but Nottingham Forest centre-back Scott McKenna returns following injury.

Leeds defender Liam Cooper drops out after being ruled out for eight weeks with a foot injury earlier this month, while Ross McCrorie misses out after being a late call-up in the summer.

Scotland are looking to continue their 100 per cent record in the Euro 2024 qualifiers when they take on Cyprus in Larnaca in their fifth group game on September 8.

They then host England at Hampden four days later in a game to mark the 150th anniversary of football’s first international in 1872.