Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrate during the Premier League match against West Ham United at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England on April 1. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
Wolverhampton Wanderers beat West Ham United 1-0 at home on Tuesday and secured their second straight win in the Premier League, but Hwang Hee-chan stayed on the bench for the second match in a row despite his recent form for the Korean national team.
Tuesday's victory extended Wolves' unbeaten run to three matches — two wins and one draw — and kept them in 17th on the 20-team table with 29 points, just above the relegation zone.
Wolves now hold a 12-point advantage over 18th-place Ipswich Town and 19th-place Leicester City, both on 17 points with one game in hand.
Hwang was listed as a substitute but did not play, as was the case in a 2–1 away win over Southampton on March 16.
The Korean forward has not been able to showcase his best form like last season, during which he racked up 13 goals and three assists across 31 appearances.
The ongoing 2024-25 season has seen him struggle with ankle and hamstring injuries. He has only picked up two goals and one assist across 22 fixtures so far.
But he did demonstrate his attacking prowess for Korea during the March international break, scoring the opening goal in a 1-1 draw with Oman in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on March 20.
Wolves will return to action against Ipswich on Saturday.
Over in France on Tuesday, Lee Kang-in’s Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the Coupe de France final with a 4–2 comeback win over second-division side Dunkerque at Stade Marcel-Tribut in Dunkerque. Ousmane Dembele contributed to the victory with his double.
Lee did not feature due to a left ankle injury suffered during the Oman match. He assisted Hwang’s goal before being subbed off late in the second half. He is expected to be out for around three weeks.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]