Wolves 2-3 West Brom: Premier League – as it happened

West Brom battled their way to three deserved points in a highly entertaining Black Country derby

2.48pm GMT

Right-o, my MBM friends, that is your lot. Paul Doyle was at Molineux, and his verdict has landed. You know what to do: clickity click! Thanks for reading this live blog. Stay safe, everyone.

Related: Matheus Pereira's two penalties give West Brom vital win over Wolves

2.48pm GMT

Nuno’s reaction. “We did not do a good game. It’s disappointing because it meant a lot for our fans. We didn’t do what we should do. Our restart in the second half was very bad. We conceded goals that made our task very hard. We tried to control the game, be more aggressive, but we didn’t do it. We knew they would do things on throw-ins, long balls and set pieces, and didn’t defend well.” He then explained that Coady’s withdrawal was indeed tactical. “A simple decision.”

2.42pm GMT

Big Sam speaks! “The vast majority of that performance was excellent. The plan and the tactics. It’s the best I’ve seen us in possession since I’ve been here. Our defending at two set pieces put us on the back foot, but the lads were excellent in the second half, their heads could have gone down, but they came bouncing back. And they defended well at the end. It’s a good performance and even better for us in the position we’re in, and that we beat our local rivals. Hopefully we’ll gain some confidence for West Ham on Tuesday. I’m only asking the players to improve their fitness, technique and gameplay by one percent. When you add it up, it becomes significant.” He then stresses the need for better new players, who will, his argument goes, raise standards, earn everyone win bonuses, keep the team in the Premier League, and secure new contracts. He’s on a roll, and in a celebratory mood. Wine for his men!

2.27pm GMT

Those three massive points bring West Bromwich Albion back to life. They’re still second bottom of the Premier League, but they’ve got 11 points now, just one behind Fulham and three behind Brighton. Fulham have two matches in hand, but Brighton don’t. All of a sudden, the Baggies don’t look so much of a lost cause. Fireman Sam, at your service. Wolves on the other hand ... well, they’ll not be panicking yet, but that’s now six defeats in their last nine. They’re comfortable enough at the minute in 14th spot, on 22 points, but can’t keep going on like this. A little bit of pressure building on Nuno. They’re really missing Raul Jimenez.

2.23pm GMT

Sam Allardyce has his first win as West Brom manager! It’s well deserved after a fine battling display. His team - and they were a team today - cavort in joy. A massive smile plays across the big man’s face. A huge three points in the battle against relegation!

2.20pm GMT

90 min +3: On the touchline, Big Sam masticates ferociously. Nuno by contrast looks extremely pensive.

2.20pm GMT

90 min +2: Livermore is forced to knock a long speculative ball behind for a corner. The superb and ever-heroic Bartley clears. He’s been West Brom’s man of the match, surely, though Glenn Hoddle on BT Sport has given it to Pereira. A justifiable shout, to be fair.

2.18pm GMT

90 min +1: The first of four added minutes goes by without incident.

2.17pm GMT

90 min: Silva turns Ajayi in the box, some cute skill. He opts to go over a leg that’s withdrawn. No contact, and the referee has no option but to show a yellow.

2.16pm GMT

89 min: Wolves are seeing plenty of the ball, but they’re doing very little with it. West Brom currently look as comfortable as a team can be in these circumstances.

2.14pm GMT

87 min: Ait-Nouri cuts in from the left and sends a wild shot high into the stand. West Brom are keeping Wolves at arm’s length ... just about.

2.14pm GMT

86 min: Neto floats a free kick in from the left. Boly can’t get a header on target. The ball’s half cleared. Semedo races in and pearls a shot goalwards from the edge of the box. Bartley extends a leg to make a brave and quite brilliant block.

2.12pm GMT

85 min: Neto has a bash from 30 yards. No need to get so desperate quite yet. It’s easily blocked and cleared.

2.11pm GMT

83 min: West Brom send on Furlong for Pereira, clearly opting to batten down the hatches in the hope of seeing this one out.

2.09pm GMT

82 min: A spinning ball drops to Cutrone, just inside the West Brom box. Cutrone shapes like Zidane in the 2002 Champions League final, but gets the contact all wrong, the ball belted into the turf and ballooning over the bar.

2.08pm GMT

81 min: Wolves win their tenth corner of the match. West Brom haven’t had one. Button punches it clear.

2.07pm GMT

80 min: Some scrappy nonsense as a few challenges fly in. There’s still time for this Black Country derby to get dark.

2.06pm GMT

79 min: Cutrone comes on for Moutinho. “Big Sam for England!” cries Simon McMahon. “It’s coming home!”

2.04pm GMT

77 min: Neto powers his way down the left and digs out a fine cross. Traore can’t get a header on target. Wolves are having some joy down the flanks, but nothing’s quite happening for them in the middle.

2.03pm GMT

75 min: Quick quiz: did BT Sport’s Peter Walton agree with Michael Oliver’s refusal to show Dendoncker a red card, or not? No need to respond, I know you know the answer.

2.01pm GMT

73 min: Dendoncker is booked for high-kicking Snodgrass on the noggin. You’ve seen reds flashed for that sort of thing, but the Wolves midfielder gets away with one.

2.00pm GMT

72 min: Silva has another dig, this time from 25 yards out. He drags his shot wide left, harmlessly so. Full marks to the 18-year-old striker for keeping going.

1.59pm GMT

71 min: The Traore jets are showcased yet again. A barnstorming run down the right. His cutback should be converted by Silva, but the young striker wafts at the ball, six yards out, and the visitors clear. Traore cocks his head back in disappointment. He could have done no more.

1.57pm GMT

70 min: Grosicki, who has been very decent this afternoon on his first Premier League start of the season, makes way for Robson-Kanu.

1.57pm GMT

69 min: Saiss wins a header from the second corner but it flies harmlessly wide right. Big Sam will be pleased with the way his defenders are battling this afternoon, and indeed the manner in which the whole team are fighting. It’s Anfield revisited, but with added attacking panache.

1.55pm GMT

68 min: Gibbs-White’s first significant contribution is to skip down the left and earn a corner. Boly rises highest, yet again, and his header looks destined for the top left. But Bartley deflects out for another corner. What a block!

1.54pm GMT

66 min: Wolves steady the ship a little with some calm possession in the middle of the park. One step at a time.

1.52pm GMT

64 min: An eyebrow-raising sub for Wolves, as Ait-Nouri comes on for the captain Coady, who doesn’t appear to be carrying an injury. It’s the first time Coady has been hooked as a Wolves player.

1.51pm GMT

63 min: Neto whips a stunning cross through the six-yard box from the left. Neither Silva nor Traore can latch onto it. Any touch and it would have been in. It’s heartbreaking that Molineux isn’t packed for this back-and-forth spectacular.

1.49pm GMT

61 min: Wolves are all over the shop right now, stunned at recent developments. Pereira finds Robinson on the penalty spot with a floater from the left. Robinson gives Coady the slip and dribbles a shot across Rui Patricio and inches wide of the left-hand post. Not sure the keeper had that covered. Worrying times for Wolves.

1.48pm GMT

59 min: Snodgrass pulls back from the right. Sawyers drags wide left. Nuno has seen enough, and withdraws Neves, sending on Gibbs-White in his place.

1.46pm GMT

57 min: Coady is fuming. There wasn’t much in that challenge on Robinson, and he’s arguing the toss with the referee. A futile debate.

1.44pm GMT

Pereira lashes his second spot kick of the afternoon into the right-hand side of the goal, sending Rui Patricio the wrong way again. What a turnaround!

1.43pm GMT

55 min: This is given, though! Grosicki rolls a pass down the inside left. Robinson, his back to goal again, tries to spin Coady and goes over. It’s the slightest of touches, but he’s clipped him. Penalty!

1.42pm GMT

54 min: Semedo waltzes down the inside-right channel, a glorious run that draws three defenders. He’s about to break into the box when Bartley steps across him. It should be a foul, but inexplicably it’s not given. The referee will have assumed he wasn’t going to reach the ball he’d just poked into space, I guess.

1.40pm GMT

53 min: This is a great game. Good luck calling it.

1.39pm GMT

West Brom show for the first time in the second half, and how! Snodgrass works his way down the right and earns a throw. The ball’s flung into the mixer. Bartley wins the first header. Ajayi, the hero of Anfield, loops a second over Rui Patricio and into the top left!

1.38pm GMT

51 min: The free kick’s fizzed in low by Neto. Silva traps and sets up Saiss, who shoots straight at Button. None of it matters, because the ball had hit Silva’s hand, and the whistle goes.

1.37pm GMT

50 min: It’s all Wolves since the restart. Neto dribbles down the left and is dragged to the floor by O’Shea. A free kick, and a chance to load the box again.

1.35pm GMT

48 min: Traore flicks on Moutinho’s corner. There’s a melee on the edge of the six-yard box. Dendoncker tees up Silva, whose sidefoot is deflected out for another corner, this time on the right. Boly, at the heart of everything this afternoon, meets the second corner, but his header is always sailing wide left. A highly decent start to the half by the hosts.

1.34pm GMT

47 min: Silva makes like Traore, turning on the afterburners and zipping into the box down the left. For a second it looks as though he’s worked space to shoot, but has to settle for a corner.

1.32pm GMT

Wolves get the second half underway. No half-time changes. On the touchline, Big Sam redefines morose. “Poor Sam,” writes Mary Waltz. “He resembles a cow chewing his cud who suddenly comes to the realization that yes, they do plan on cutting me up and cooking me to eat.”

1.21pm GMT

Half-time entertainment. Other Premier League matches are available this weekend. Our panel of experts run the rule over them here!

Related: Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

1.19pm GMT

That’s the end of a very eventful, highly entertaining first half. West Brom looked lively, and could have been two up before they were hit by a Wolves double whammy. Both teams have contributed to a fine 45 minutes of football. More please! The Black Country derby is back, after a nine-year hiatus, and not a moment too soon.

1.16pm GMT

45 min +1: Snodgrass loops long from the right. Gibbs volleys from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. He pulls his effort across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

1.15pm GMT

45 min: Snodgrass makes his way past Saiss on the right, but can’t find anyone with his low cross. West Brom have played well, and will wonder how they’re losing.

1.14pm GMT

Moutinho’s corner drops at the near post and instigates a quick game of pinball. The ball pings to Boly’s feet, six yards out. Boly opens his body and slams into the bottom left! Boly has given away a penalty, set one up with a backheel, and scored one himself. What a return to action for the Wolves defender!

1.12pm GMT

42 min: Traore turns on the jets again, then takes it up a notch from there! It’s an unstoppable run. He reaches the byline but his cutback is blocked out for a corner. And from that ...

1.11pm GMT

40 min: That goal came slightly against the run of play, after a decent period for West Brom. The scoreline seems pretty much right over the piece, though.

1.10pm GMT

This is a lovely goal! Neto’s free kick isn’t up to much, and half-cleared by West Brom. Saiss hoicks it back into the mixer from the right. The ball hits Silva on the shoulder and breaks to Boly, who backheels down the inside left, returning it to Silva. Silva opens his body and steers a delightful sidefoot across Button and into the bottom right. What a finish!

1.08pm GMT

37 min: Snodgrass clips Neto down the left, and this is a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the side of the West Brom area. Neto gets up and takes himself, and ...

1.07pm GMT

36 min: Ajayi is booked for a cynical tug on Dendoncker, who was threatening to launch a Wolves attack. One suspects Big Sam will be happy enough with that, too.

1.06pm GMT

35 min: Neto’s slovenly touch is snaffled by Snodgrass, who exchanges passes down the inside-right channel with Pereira. Snodgrass enters the box and attempts a shot-cum-cross from a tight angle. He falls over backwards and the ball is cleared, but that’s yet another decent move by West Brom, who have a few green shoots on display this afternoon.

1.04pm GMT

34 min: Neto shovels a gorgeous pass down the inside-left channel, nearly releasing Silva into space. Bartley does extremely well to anticipate the danger, coming over to skelp clear.

1.03pm GMT

33 min: Grosicki lashes a shot over the bar from 25 yards. He’s looked very lively on his first Premier League start this season.

1.03pm GMT

31 min: A free kick for Wolves out on the right. It’s flung diagonally into the box. Sawyers wins the first header. Pereira wins the second, steering it cleverly to Robinson, on the edge of the six-yard box. It’s a lovely move, and Robinson is onside, but he pokes straight into the chest of Rui Patricio, who had closed him down and made himself big. What a chance to double West Brom’s lead!

1.00pm GMT

30 min: A little bit scrappy, all of a sudden, but very hotly contested by both teams. Imagine if Molineux was packed to the rafters for this!

12.59pm GMT

28 min: Traore crosses from the right. Button claims under pressure from Silva. Wolves are enjoying themselves down this right flank.

12.58pm GMT

27 min: The third corner is half cleared, but Neto comes back at the visitors down the right. He crosses low towards the near post, where Boly backflicks cutely from the edge of the six-yard box. Just wide right. A lovely attempt, and one Button may not have reached had it been on target.

12.57pm GMT

26 min: Moutinho fizzes the corner into the six-yard box. Traore flicks on, and Livermore flashes over for a third corner. Back to the right this time.

12.55pm GMT

25 min: Semedo probes down the right again, winning a corner. Wolves load the box. Moutinho curls long, forcing Bartley to head out for a corner on the other side.

12.54pm GMT

23 min: Wolves take their turn of looking after the ball. Some pretty triangles, without any real purpose. West Brom are making them work for their possession. It’s all in their own half.

12.52pm GMT

21 min: West Brom’s all-new improved press is giving Wolves a few problems. Gibbs and Grosicki swarm and win the ball off Neves, then advance down the left. A few flicks nearly make some space; not quite. But Big Sam will be delighted with the improvements on display so far. Small acorns, and all that.

12.49pm GMT

19 min: Pereira sashays down the middle and looks to thread one into the bottom right from the edge of the D. There’s not quite enough oomph in his effort, and Rui Patricio claims easily. Wolves break, Traore going on another Power Meander down the right. The cross is no good, but what speed! This is superb end-to-end fun.

12.48pm GMT

18 min: Some great hold-up play by Silva, who holds off three men and lays off to Dendoncker, who has another thrash from distance. He gives it some fierce welly, but it’s straight at Button , who claims.

12.47pm GMT

17 min: Traore turns on the jets and makes off down the right. He digs out a cross for Dendoncker, on the penalty spot. Dendoncker is slightly behind the ball, and can’t get any power on the header he attempts to guide into the top left. It floats harmlessly wide.

12.46pm GMT

15 min: Dendoncker and Traore take turns to whistle shots goalwards. The first attempt is wide and high, the second straight at Button. A really lively opening to this game. Great fun.

12.45pm GMT

13 min: This is a good response by Wolves. Neto crosses from the left. Button struggles to claim under pressure from Silva, but does so in the end. The ball brushed the hand of Gibbs during the melee, but there was nothing he could do, it being punched onto his arm by Button from close range. No penalty. The little things are going West Brom’s way at the minute. Small margins between success and failure.

12.42pm GMT

12 min: Incidentally, the penalty decision was ratified by VAR. The foul was right on the white line; another couple of inches upfield and it wouldn’t have been given. But it was the correct decision, made in real time, by one of the Premier League’s better and more thoughtful referees.

12.40pm GMT

10 min: Wolves come straight back at West Brom, Silva grooving down the left. He’s clipped by Sawyers. A free kick just to the side of the D. Neves takes, but hoicks straight into the wall. West Brom clear.

12.39pm GMT

Pereira spots Rui Patricio going one way, then calmly slots into the top left. A lovely penalty. West Brom get the reward for their lively start!

12.38pm GMT

7 min: The visitors ping it around, Grosicki in the thick of it. The ball is slipped to Robinson, his back to goal on the edge of the box. Boly sticks a leg out and catches Robinson. Michael Oliver thinks about it for a while, then points to the spot.

12.36pm GMT

6 min: West Brom continue to look bright during these early exchanges. Robinson is doing an awful lot of sniffing around up front, putting Boly and Coady under pressure. Wolves, that Semedo run apart, are struggling to play their way upfield.

12.34pm GMT

4 min: Semedo takes on three men and zips with purpose down the right. It’s a fine run, made at full pelt, and he earns a corner which Moutinho takes. From the set piece, Neves has a whack from distance. Blocked. Then Boly has a dig, threading one towards the bottom right. It’s smothered easily by Button.

12.32pm GMT

2 min: Allardyce will be pretty happy with that brisk, front-foot start. Gauntlet down. Wolves respond by stroking it around the back awhile, asserting their status as hosts.

12.31pm GMT

After a blast of Hi Ho Silver Lining ... and the taking of the knee in the fight against racism ... West Brom get the ball rolling. The first Black Country derby for nine years is on! West Brom win a throw down the right immediately, and it’s a first touch in a Baggies shirt for Snodgrass. He wins another throw. The ball’s flung into the mixer, and Robinson nearly gets a toe on the ball at the edge of the six-yard box. Rui Patricio collects, but that was nearly a sensational start for the visitors!

12.26pm GMT

Here come the teams! Wolves are in their famous old gold, while West Brom sport their trademark navy blue and white stripes. Two looks with plenty of old-school class. We’ll be off in a minute or two!

12.02pm GMT

Nuno’s turn. “It’s been difficult to manage all the situations, because of what has happened to us. We have tried to find solutions. It’s the balance between senior players and youth that will make us stronger. We must compete and play a good game. We know what this means to Wolves as a club against rivals so we want to compete well. We must stay together as a unit, fighting for each other. It’s the most important thing.”

11.51am GMT

Big Sam speaks to BT Sport. “We’re desperate for a result and there would be nothing better than making the fans happy. We’re trying to stop conceding goals that are avoidable. Our concentration levels sometimes lapses at moments, and it only takes the opposition a few seconds to exploit that. So that has been the focus when we’re out of possession. In possession, it’s all about trying to create more chances in open play, our quality has to get better, but that’s something I’ve seen in the short time I have been here. It’s a balance of defending correctly and creating more opportunities.”

11.44am GMT

Wolves make two changes to the team that lost 2-1 at home to Everton on Tuesday night. Adama Traore has recovered from a hamstring problem, while Willy Boly’s thigh has mended. Morgan Gibbs-White and Rayan Ait Nouri make way.

West Brom ring the changes. Four in all from the team that went down to Blackpool in the FA Cup. Robert Snodgrass makes his debut, while Callum Robinson, Dara O’Shea and Romaine Sawyers return. Branislav Ivanovic, Lee Peltier and Filip Krovinovic drop to the bench, while Conor Gallagher is suspended. Sam Johnstone and Matt Phillips are both absent, laid low by coronavirus.

11.32am GMT

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Rui Patricio, Nelson Semedo, Coady, Boly, Saiss, Dendoncker, Neves, Joao Moutinho, Traore, Silva, Pedro Neto.
Subs: Hoever, Ait Nouri, Gibbs-White, Vitinha, Ruddy, Cutrone, Shabani, Kilman, Corbeanu.

West Bromwich Albion: Button, O’Shea, Ajayi, Bartley, Gibbs, Livermore, Sawyers, Matheus Pereira, Snodgrass, Grosicki, Robinson.
Subs: Lonergan, Furlong, Robson-Kanu, Krovinovic, Ivanovic, Edwards, Peltier, Kipre, Field.

11.23am GMT

It’s the first Black Country derby for nine years. As with any other local rivalry, football’s most unappealing prize - bragging rights - are up for grabs. Three precious points are too, manna from heaven for a couple of teams struggling a little bit at present.

West Brom’s travails have been well publicised. The short end of that story: Sam Allardyce has been wheeled in. It’s not been going that well for the Premier League’s most famous troubleshooter, though. Having run themselves into the ground for a point at Liverpool, they’ve subsequently lost the next two home games by an aggregate score of 9-0, then got themselves knocked out of the cup by third-tier opposition. Six points below Brighton and safety, albeit with a game in hand, they need something badly this afternoon.

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