There was nothing to separate Wolves and Norwich City on a wet and windy day at Carrow Road, as both teams left with a point for their troubles.
Jose Sa and Tim Krul were both busy in either goalmouth, especially in the second-half, but neither side were able to beat their opposing stoppers and had to settle for the draw.
Having been enforced into a change from the side which started the win over West Ham United last weekend, Bruno Lage brough Francisco Trincao into his side for Daniel Podence, after the latter tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the contest.
The first-half was an even affair in Norfolk, with both Wolves and Norwich having opportunities to open the scoring, but without making Krul or Sa into many quality saves.
Teemu Pukki Joshua Sargent had the first opportunities for the hosts, but they were unable to get their shots on target, while Grant Hanley had to be alert to pressure Raul Jimenez into firing wide following neat work by Rayan Air-Nouri down the left.
With the rain pouring down, Norwich continued to press forwards, and Pukki was expertly denied by Conor Coady as he was found in space inside the penalty area, but the Wolves captain put in a last-ditch block to stop the striker’s effort troubling Sa.
Wolves were a match for the hosts as they looked for chances of their own, but it was Norwich who once again came close as Milot Rashica’s free-kick narrowly curled wide of Sa’s upright.
The visitors’ best chance of the half fell the way of Joao Moutinho, after a loose backpass saw Krul scrambling to get to the ball before Jimenez, but his clearance fell straight to the midfielder, who had the goal gaping, but Krul was somehow able to get back to make a save.
Minutes later it was then Sa’s chance to be the hero, when he pulled off a clever double save to firstly deny Max Aarons with his legs who had found space inside the penalty area, and then he smothered a Pukki effort on the follow-up.
Half-time | Norwich 0-0 Wolves
Norwich were the side who came out of the blocks flying in the second-half, putting lots of pressure on the Wolves backline through a series of set-pieces, but the visiting defence stood firm.
Lage’s men were not to be outdone though and could have taken the lead if Jimenez’s header from the centre of the penalty area or Ait-Nouri’s shot from a tight angle after being played in by Hee Chan Hwang would have had a bit more power to them, but Krul was able to make comfortable saves.
Lage tried to turn the game towards his side as he brought Adama Traore into the fray in place of Trincao, but the switch to a 3-5-2 didn’t initially help his team, with Sa having to pull out a first-class save to deny Pukki – one-on-one – from close range.
Norwich looked the most likely to score a winner, but the crosses put into the box by the men in the yellow and green shirts were dealt with by the imperious Sa.
Wolves continued to catch Norwich on the counter with Jimenez having a chance from the edge of the penalty area after a Moutinho cross fell to him, but his effort was high over the crossbar, as both teams had to settle for a point.
Full-time | Norwich 0-0 Wolves
Norwich | Krul, Aarons, Hanley, Gibson, Williams, Normann (Rupp 35), McLean, Gilmour, Sargent (Tzolis 68), Rashica (Dowell 82), Pukki.
Unused subs | Gunn, Cantwell, Lee-Melou, Giannoulis, Idah, Omobamidele.
Wolves | Sa, Semedo (Dendoncker 76), Kilman, Coady, Saiss, Ait-Nouri, Neves, Moutinho, Trincao (Traore 68), Hwang (Hoever 90), Jimenez.
Unused subs | Ruddy, Moulden, Marcal, Cundle, Silva.
Referee | Simon Hooper
