- Kudus shines in West Ham
- Two goals secure victory
- Wolves struggle against prowess
Muhammad Kudus is performing with such prowess that the stadium announcer called him a “wizard” before kickoff. The Ghanaian forward’s two goals in the first ten minutes of the match propelled West Ham to its fourth consecutive home victory over Wolves, moving David Moyes’ squad above Manchester United and into the Premier League’s top six.
Kudus, who joined West Ham for £38 million from Ajax in the summer, has now scored nine goals, four of which have come in his last three appearances at a venue rapidly becoming his spiritual home. Moyes’s only concern will be determining a suitable replacement for the African Cup of Nations next month.
. Still, they’ve narrowly denied Gary O’Neil’s struggling Wolves a goal was no match for Kudus and his partner Lucas Paquetá, who assisted on both opening goals and set up the game-winning goal with 15 minutes remaining for Jarrod Bowen.
Although Thursday’s victory over Freiburg marked West Ham’s tenth consecutive home victory in European competition, the Premier League has not been the same for the club this year. Moyes’s squad had accumulated more points away from home before this triumph, notwithstanding their 5-0 defeat at Fulham last weekend, and they began this match to delete that performance from memory.
Dan Bentley, who was substituted for José Sá in the Wolves goal when the regular starting No. 1 suffered a shoulder injury, withstood an aerial barrage within the opening ten minutes due to James Ward-Prowse and Bowen’s precise passes.
“Don’t miss out! Grab your free shares of Webull UK today!”
Kudus’s Brilliance and Wolves’ Persistence
On the break, the Wolves displayed a glimpse of their threat when Matheus Cunha forced a straightforward save from Lukasz Fabianski. For nearly 15 seconds, Wolves were in the lead before Kudus scored the equaliser at the opposite end.
Craig Dawson’s corner-kick strike was narrowly missed, but Emerson was still required to clear the danger. Edson Álvarez found Paquetá in the open area before Kudus completed the task by cutting inside with his preferred left foot. Bentley could only clutch at thin air in response to the astounding strike.
As Wolves attempted to respond, Fabianksi was at full stretch to save another effort from Cunha; however, the visitors quickly fell behind by two goals. Kurt Zouma intercepted a Mario Lemina pass, and once more, Paquetá’s foresight created the opportunity for Kudus to complete the move skillfully with his right foot.
Although numerous teams might have surrendered at that juncture, Wolves, who had scored in every match of the season since their contentious loss to Manchester United on the opening weekend, persisted in their efforts.
However, they could have quickly fallen three goals behind at halftime if Bowen’s effort had not been blocked off the post shortly after the West Ham forward felt he was brought down in the area. Moments before halftime, referees cited O’Neil for protesting a Zouma foul on Cunha, resulting in the West Ham captain receiving a yellow card. His emotions briefly overcame him.
Wolves’ Manager’s Tactical Return and VAR Drama
To inspire a comeback from his squad, the Wolves manager returned to the touchline at the beginning of the second half, where Tomas Soucek blocked a goalbound drive from Hwang Hee-Chan.
Pablo Sarabia appeared to have provided the reprieve they sought when he converted a cross from Nelson Semedo. Still, the VAR ruled the Spaniard marginally offside after a lengthy delay. O’Neil was in disbelief regarding his good fortune.
Another tight-angle shot by Cunha sailed past the crossbar, but the game was already in its favour when Bowen took up the ball in his half and instructed Paquetá to play a one-two. Suddenly, the West Ham forward was in acres of space, and his sliding pass past Bentley to secure a comfortable victory for the hosts before Kudus and Paquetá departed the pitch to well-deserved standing ovations was the only possible outcome.
