Wolves and Leicester City battled out a goalless, but entertaining draw at Molineux, as the hosts made it four points from six in the Premier League. It could have been more too, had Kasper Schmeichel not denied Fabio Silva with the save of the match, but a point and clean sheet represents further signs of progress for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
They were rarely threatened in the defensive sense, with the long-waited return Jonny a big part of that before the interval, but along with Silva’s chance, the likes of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves couldn’t capitalise to turn one point into three in the West Midlands.
While Jonny’s return was a massive boost to onlooking Wolves supporters, so was their team’s start at a bitterly cold Molineux. The hosts twice came close in the opening 15 minutes, first when Neves curled over the bar from a Moutinho corner, then when Pedro Neto beat Jonny Evans all ends up, before squaring for Adama Traore, whose effort was deflected behind by James Justin, with whom he shared a thrilling battle throughout.
While scrappy at times, Wolves were enjoying an impressive opening period, with the best the Foxes could offer a James Maddison free-kick which Rui Patricio smothered at the second attempt. That attempt was more threatening than what Neves could muster for Wolves soon after, as the Portuguese slammed his well-placed free-kick into the wall.
Half-time | Wolves 0-0 Leicester
At the interval, Jonny, who’d impressed on his return, made way, presumably as a precaution for Ki-Jana Hoever, and Wolves continued in their positive approach, as Neves curled narrowly over Schmeichel’s crossbar. Then, after Traore burst past Justin, not for the first time, the Spaniard squared for Neto, but Ricardo Pereira got a touch on the cross to put the forward off at the vital moment.
Wolves kept knocking at that Leicester door, but couldn’t find a way through. Moutinho was next to try, after a direct charge down the left by Neto, but when in space, and unlike against Arsenal, the midfielder lifted his effort off target. However, as the second-half progressed, the Foxes grew into proceedings and started to ask questions of their own, and it took a timely block by Maximilian Kilman to deny Harvey Barnes.
As for Wolves, they’d now introduced Silva and, after a round of head tennis in the Foxes box, Neves’ shot broke to the striker, but as Silva went for the near post with his rolled effort, Schmeichel read it, spreading himself big to save crucially.
However, the visitors would get their own big chance in injury time, as two substitutes combined. Wolves never properly cleared Maddison’s corner and when Marc Albrighton returned for Jamie Vardy, they looked to have stole the points, but the striker’s header flew just wide of Patricio’s post, as the game finished level.
Full-time | Wolves 0-0 Leicester
Wolves | Patricio, Semedo, Dendoncker, Coady, Kilman, Jonny (Hoever 46), Neves, Moutinho, Traore, Neto (Gibbs-White 87), Jose (Silva 61).
Unused subs | Ruddy, Saiss, Richards, Lonwijk, Otasowie, Vitinha.
Leicester | Schmeichel, Ricardo, Evans, Soyuncu, Justin, Choudhury, Tielemans, Maddison, Perez (Albrighton 61), Barnes, Iheanacho (Vardy 61).
Unused subs | Ward, Amartey, Under, Mendy, Fuchs, Thomas, Daley-Campbell.
