Wolves’ dismal Premier League campaign plunged deeper into crisis with a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United at the London Stadium, a result that could signal the end of Gary O’Neil’s reign as manager.
Coming off back-to-back defeats to Bournemouth and Everton, Wolves desperately needed a win to salvage any momentum and relieve the mounting pressure on O’Neil.
Even victory might not have been enough to save him, but another loss, compounded by defensive frailties, leaves his tenure hanging by a thread.
Speculation over O’Neil’s future has been swirling since the limp display against Everton, and it now appears to be a matter of when, not if, the Wolves board makes a change. This latest setback, characterised by familiar defensive errors, could well be the tipping point.
The game started in a cagey fashion but burst into life in the second half. West Ham capitalised on Wolves’ defensive lapses when Tomas Soucek escaped his marker from a corner and looped a header into the far corner.
It was a moment emblematic of Wolves’ struggles this season: poor marking and lack of organisation at the back.
The visitors responded through Matt Doherty, who latched onto a pinpoint cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri to equalise. However, Wolves’ defensive frailties surfaced again almost immediately.
Jarrod Bowen picked up the ball on the edge of the box, danced past Goncalo Guedes, and fired into the far corner to restore West Ham’s lead.
Despite some late pressure, Wolves lacked the cutting edge to find another equaliser, leaving O’Neil visibly frustrated on the touchline.
Wolves player ratings vs West Ham:
Sam Johnstone – 5/10
In for Jose Sa, who dropped out of the matchday squad altogether due to a shoulder injury, although Gary O’Neil said before the game he would have picked Johnstone to start anyway.
Got away with one parry in the first-half that almost found a West Ham man for an easy tap-in. Caught in no man’s land for the goal, although his defenders were more at fault. But was actually involved in Wolves’ equaliser, sweeping the ball out to Goncalo Guedes.
Matt Doherty – 6/10
A surprise to see him starting after the defeat to Everton, but the formation change saw him get the nod as a right wing-back.
Doherty provided a good outlet for Wolves at times and supplied one excellent cross in the first-half which Joao Gomes might have done better with. Took his goal well, but struggled against the lively Crysencio Summerville though. Booked.
Nelson Semedo – 5/10
Operating as a right-sided centre-back, Semedo failed to provide stability, often caught out between his defensive partners.
Santiago Bueno – 5/10
An underwhelming performance, with his lack of pace exposed on several occasions.
Toti Gomes – 5/10
Made some crucial blocks but was far from commanding in a back three.
Rayan Ait-Nouri – 5/10
Used at left wing-back and didn’t offer too much threat going forward. Messed up what should have been a simple cross to an unmarked Doherty at the start of the second-half. But he atoned for that later on in the half as he supplied a great cross for his fellow wing-back Doherty to score. Might have done more to prevent West Ham’s second goal with his defending against Mohammed Kudus.
Mario Lemina – 4/10
May have been relieved to be back starting in midfield after playing the first half on the right of a back three against Everton. But this was a poor showing from the Wolves captain, and often couldn’t get near the West Ham midfielders. He was all over the place positionally. Seems shattered, and looks to have the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. Lost his head after the full-time and was involved in an altercation with Bowen.
Andre – 5/10
Struggled to influence the game in his role as the deepest-lying midfielder. Substituted after an hour.
Joao Gomes – 5/10
Energetic but lacked composure in front of goal. His yellow card rules him out of the next game.
Matheus Cunha – 5/10
West Ham’s defence neutralised Wolves’ creative spark. Without Cunha at his best, Wolves rarely looked threatening.
Jorgen Strand Larsen – 5/10
Worked hard but received little service. Taken off after 60 minutes.
Substitutes:
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 5/10
Had little impact after coming on.
Goncalo Guedes – 5/10
Played a role in the equaliser but was defensively weak in the build-up to Bowen’s winner.
Tommy Doyle – N/A
Missed a late chance to equalise. Limited time to make an impression.
Rodrigo Gomes – N/A
Came on too late to influence proceedings.
Frustration spills over
The defeat ended in unsavoury scenes as Mario Lemina clashed with Jarrod Bowen. Replays showed Lemina ignoring Bowen post-match, leading to a heated confrontation. The pair pulled at each other’s shirts before teammates and staff intervened.
Journalist Liam Keen captured the chaos, writing: “All kicking off on the pitch, looks like it’s Bowen and Lemina involved before all the players get involved. Lemina booked. Lemina has lost his head here.”
Lemina, visibly angry, was also seen pushing away assistant coach Shaun Derry and teammates Toti Gomes and Nelson Semedo before heading down the tunnel.
The loss leaves Wolves in deep trouble, with the relegation zone looming larger and O’Neil’s position appearing increasingly untenable. For a team in desperate need of direction, decisive action from the Wolves board seems inevitable.
