Wolves rampant

Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 v West Ham United 0

Three second half goals, a brace by Raul Jimenez to add to Romain Saiss’s opener, were due reward for a dominant Wolves performance against a West Ham side who looked thoroughly dispirited by the games end. It had not always been so following a first half in which they had shared the spoils but had benefitted from the home side’s inability to take their chances. First Castro Otto headed wide following a cross from Jimenez. Then Leander Dendoncka scored only for Jimenez to be ruled off side. Cultured when in possession West Ham rarely troubled Rui Patricio in the Wolves goal, a theme that was to be repeated during a second half when they all but fell apart.

The rot set in when Manager Pellegrini, a man who has the look of someone who should be in charge of a luxury car marque rather than a football team from the East End of London, removed Mark Noble. Up until that point the West Ham midfielder had been the glue holding his side together. After he’d gone his side came apart.

In minutes 57 and 58 first Diogo Jota and then Raul Jimenez forced good saves from Lukasz Fabianski in the West Ham goal. The concern at this stage was that Wolves were creating plenty but not converting and a counter punch was looming large. On 64 Castro Otto had another good attempt saved from close range, but from the ensuing corner Wolves broke the deadlock Roman Saiss heading home Joao Moutinho’s cross.

The game’s high point came in minute 77 when Marko Arnautovic had to be substituted following what appeared an innocuous challenge. Departing to the chant of “you should have gone to China” there was a sense that once in a while player greed gets its just deserts.

Shawn of the gilded one step forward Jimenez, whose goals in minutes 80 and 86 rounded off an emphatic Wolves performance. The win takes the Old Gold to 35 points and seventh place. Heady days.

Wolves: Patricio 6, Bennett 6, Coady 6, Saiss 7, Castro Otto 7 Sub Vinagre, Doherty 8, Neves 7, Dendoncker 6, Moutinho 8 Sub Gibbs White, Jota 7 Sub Cavaleiro, Jimenez 8

West Ham United: Fabianski 7, Zabaleta 6, Diop 6, Ogbonna 6, Masuaku 6, Snodgrass 6 Sub Obiang, Noble 7 Sub Carroll, Rice 6, Felipe Anderson 7, Antonio 6, Arnautovic 5 Sub Hernandez

Attendance: 31,122

Referee: David Coote 7

©Mark Brennand