Wolves clinched their maiden victory in the Premier League this season against Southampton, but the game was overshadowed by a couple of controversies.
Matheus Cunha stole the spotlight, scoring and setting up a goal in the 2-0 triumph at Molineux, potentially saving Gary O’Neil’s managerial position. Fosun faced a critical decision if Wolves hadn’t secured a win, yet now O’Neil seems set to lead the team against Fulham post the international break.
Despite the victory, Wolves didn’t display a particularly stellar performance, and Southampton couldn’t capitalize on their possession dominance.
Wolves might have been fortunate in certain instances, with two incidents sparking debate. One contentious moment resulted in Ryan Manning’s goal for Southampton being disallowed, drawing agreement from Sky pundits Sue Smith and Stephen Warnock.
Following Pablo Sarabia’s goal putting Wolves ahead, Southampton believed they had equalized when Manning struck the ball into the net, only for VAR to intervene, flagging a foul on Nelson Semedo just before the goal. Alan Shearer criticized the decision, labeling it as ‘completely incorrect’.
During a Sky Sports discussion, Sue Smith argued that the goal should have been allowed, questioning the VAR call. Conversely, Stephen Warnock viewed the incident as obstruction by Semedo. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher supported VAR’s decision to disallow the goal.
Wolves’ fans, accustomed to unfavorable decisions in recent times, found solace in the disallowed goal, despite potential bias in the ruling. Luck appeared to be favoring Wolves, especially after a similar incident against Crystal Palace where a late winner was overturned for a foul on Jose Sa. The winds may be shifting in Wolves’ favor, signaling a fair share of controversial decisions finally going their way.
