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Wolves via Getty Images
Wolves were beaten 3-0 at Leeds.
Relegation is now out of Wolves’ hands this weekend and they will face the drop depending on results elsewhere following defeat at Leeds.
A first half collapse saw the visitors concede twice in 86 seconds as Leeds capitalised through James Justin and Noah Okafor.
Wolves managed to get to half-time without inflicting further damage and despite a better second half, they were unable to get back into the game before Hugo Bueno’s foul gave Dominic Calvert-Lewin the chance to add a third from the penalty spot.
Wolves’ painful afternoon came to an end, with the team yet to win away in the Premier League this season.
They now wait for the outcome of Spurs’ game with Brighton on Saturday evening, or West Ham’s trip to Crystal Palace on Monday night, to determine if they will be relegated this weekend.
Analysis
Rob Edwards made two enforced changes to his Wolves side following the 4-0 defeat to West Ham last time out.
Jose Sa travelled with the team and went out on the pitch for the early warm-ups to test his shoulder, but pulled out of the match through injury.
With Sam Johnstone also sidelined with a shoulder problem which may have ended his season, Dan Bentley started for his first minutes of the season.
That gave an opportunity to 22-year-old Alfie Brooks to join the bench. The shot-stopper joined from AFC Telford United in September and has trained regularly with the first team and featured for the under-21s.
Toti Gomes also came in for Yerson Mosquera, who served the first of his two-game ban.
Daniel Farke named an unchanged starting XI following their win over Manchester United on Monday night, while Joe Rodon returned from an ankle injury to make the bench.
The hosts made a fast start in an electric Elland Road atmosphere, as Okafor found a way through and squared for Calvert-Lewin, but Bentley was quick off his line to smother the shot.
They came close again when a corner found Justin at the far post, who got ahead of Joao Gomes, but he headed over from close range when he should have hit the target.
Wolves finally got into some space when a nice J.Gomes pass released Jackson Tchatchoua, but his cross landing in the hands of goalkeeper Karl Darlow because he had no Wolves players to aim for, summed up the visitors’ start.
Wolves then managed to clear off the line in a goalmouth scramble following a corner, as the hosts pushed for the opening goal.
Predictably, and in similar fashion to the collapse at West Ham, Wolves crumbled as they conceded twice in two minutes.
First, Bentley pulled off a brilliant save to deny Ethan Ampadu from close range following a corner, but Okafor kept the ball alive before Justin delivered an overhead kick.
Moments later, Andre miscontrolled the ball in midfield and Toti passed the ball straight to Brenden Aaronson, who raced down the right and put the ball on a plate for Okafor to finish at the far post.
Wolves were all over the place as J.Gomes then gave the ball away terribly on the edge of his own box, but team-mates were able to sniff out the danger and rob Okafor of the ball.
Following Wolves’ bad start, Mateus Mane replaced Angel Gomes after just 37 minutes.
The teenager had a positive impact on the side as Wolves posed more of a threat, but they struggled to create a meaningful chance before the half-time whistle came.
Wolves introduced Pedro Lima for the second half, replacing Tchatchoua, and the young defender made a bright start down the right flank as Wolves were a bit more competitive in the opening stages.
Wolves should have scored when Ladislav Krejci delivered a strong header from a corner, but Darlow was equal to it with an acrobatic save.
Substitute Rodrigo Gomes then had a good chance and should have done better as he fired well wide from a tight angle.
There was a break in play as one of the linesmen, seemingly injured, swapped with the fourth official in perhaps the most interesting moment of a dull second half.
Adam Armstrong thought he had pulled a goal back for Wolves with a smart finish, but he was flagged offside.
With 10 minutes of added time on the clock, H.Bueno fouled Calvert-Lewin in the box and the striker picked himself off the floor to send Bentley the wrong way from the spot, rounding off a miserable afternoon for Wolves.
Key Moments
GOAL 18 Justin gives Leeds a deserved lead
GOAL 20 Okafor with a swift second for the hosts
GOAL 90+5 Calvert-Lewin dispatches the penalty
Teams
Wolves: Bentley, Tchatchoua (Lima, 45), S.Bueno, Toti, Krejci (Hwang, 75), H.Bueno, Andre, J.Gomes, Bellegarde (R.Gomes, 67), A.Gomes (Mane, 37), Armstrong.
Subs not used: Brooks, Olagunju, Wolfe, Edozie, Arokodare.
Leeds: Darlow, Bogle, Justin, Bijol, Struijk, Gudmundsson (Rodon, 96), Ampadu, Tanaka (Longstaff, 96), Aaronson (Gruev, 77), Okafor (Gnonto, 67), Calvert-Lewin (Nmecha, 96).
Subs not used: Perri, Bornauw, Buonanotte, Piroe.
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