Wolves beat out-of-form Leicester to maintain Champions League challenge

Posted Monday, February 21, 2022 by PA

Wolves maintained their position in the Premier League top-four race with a 2-1 win over Leicester.

Goals in either half from Ruben Neves and Daniel Podence at a rain-soaked Molineux kept them six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United with two games in hand.

Bruno Lage, the former Benfica manager who has transformed this Wolves team, will not admit it, but, with six wins from their last eight games, his side are very much a contender to qualify for the Champions League in what is looking like a thrilling battle alongside United, West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Leicester were in that race in the last two seasons but have struggled this time around and this loss, although harsh on the balance of play, makes it five Premier League games without a win.

Ademola Lookman had levelled before the break and they were the team in the ascendency when Podence restored Wolves’ lead, but they were unable to find a way back into the game for a second time.

Things might have panned out differently if Youri Tielemans had taken an excellent early chance.

Caglar Soyuncu’s long ball set Lookman free down the left and his cut back was perfect for Tielemans, who put a side-footed shot just wide.

Instead, it was Wolves who were celebrating an early goal as they took a ninth-minute lead.

After Leicester could not clear a Podence cross, Raul Jimenez laid back to Neves who slashed a 20-yard shot through the hands of Kasper Schmeichel and into the bottom corner.

It was the Portuguese midfielder’s 23rd goal for Wolves and 15th from outside the area.

The inclement weather helped turn the game into an entertaining spectacle where both sides traded good chances.

Tielemans had another effort, forcing Jose Sa into a stretching save, while Max Kilman headed straight at Schmeichel from a corner.

Then the dangerous Podence turned his marker inside out before teeing up Rayan Ait-Nouri to whistle a shot wide as Wolves searched for a second, with Lookman shooting off target at the other end.

Steadily Leicester began to take control and were fully deserving of their 41st-minute equaliser.

Tielemans played in Marc Albrighton with an incisive pass and his cutback was poked home from close range by Lookman.

The Foxes remained on the front foot after the restart and Tielemans had another glaring chance, but his effort was too high after more good work down the left by Lookman.

That proved costly as Wolves restored their lead against the run of play in the 66th minute.

Podence received the ball 20 yards out and as Leicester’s defence backed off he rifled a low shot into the bottom corner.

It was a sucker-punch for the Foxes given their domination and it knocked the wind out of their sails.

James Maddison was thrown on in an attempt to rescue the situation and he came closest to doing it with two efforts, the first that he scuffed wide from the edge of the area and another that drifted just off target.

Tielemans had another effort saved in stoppage time as Wolves held on.