Wolves’ chaotic season reached new lows on Saturday as they suffered a dramatic late defeat to Premier League relegation rivals Ipswich Town at Molineux.
The game ended in disarray, with Rayan Ait-Nouri at the centre of an ugly on-pitch altercation following Jack Taylor’s 94th-minute winner.
The Wolves defender was shown a second yellow card after the final whistle for what appeared to be a heated exchange with team-mate Matheus Cunha.
The incident escalated as Craig Dawson had to step in, physically separating Ait-Nouri from Cunha and escorting him off the pitch. A visibly furious Ait-Nouri was ushered towards the tunnel, with Dawson clearly unimpressed by his actions.
The match itself was a rollercoaster. Ipswich took the lead in the first half through a Matt Doherty own goal.
Wolves fought back with a 72nd-minute equaliser from Cunha, raising hopes of a much-needed victory.
But in stoppage time, Taylor’s bullet header from Jack Clarke’s corner sealed a stunning win for Ipswich, sparking jubilation in the away end.
This victory marked only Ipswich’s second in the Premier League since their promotion, having also stunned Tottenham 2-1 in November.
For Wolves, however, the defeat was their fourth in a row and their 11th in 16 league games, leaving them 19th in the table and now below Ipswich.
Off-field turmoil has mirrored Wolves’ struggles on the pitch.
The build-up to this match was overshadowed by Gary O’Neil’s decision to strip Mario Lemina of the captaincy after a post-match altercation with assistant manager Shaun Derry following the 2-1 loss at West Ham.
Nelson Semedo was named the new skipper in yet another twist in Wolves’ woeful campaign.
O’Neil now faces intense scrutiny, with his position increasingly precarious after another dismal result against fellow strugglers.
