Wolves 2 (Sarabia 2, Cunha 51) Southampton 0
Wolves signed off for the international break in style, earning their first league win of the season, thanks to goals from Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha.
The home side were ahead after only two minutes when Cunha played in Sarabia in the box and the Spaniard neatly rounded Aaron Ramsdale to tap home.
If the first goal was all about Spanish style, the second was a picture of Brazilian magic, with the impressive Cunha turning and curling home a stunning winner from range early in the second half.
Wolves were looking to make a statement as they searched for their first three points and the home side would have been pleased with their early goal as they hoped to set the tone for the afternoon, but the Saints were soon on the front foot.
The away side's first chance came courtesy of a short corner routine. Ryan Manning played a one-two with Adam Lallana, who picked out Adam Armstrong on the edge of the box, but the strike curled wide of Jose Sa’s goal.
Southampton looked to be back level within ten minutes when some scrappy play in the box led to the ball falling at the feet of an unmarked Manning, who hammered home, but the decision was overturned by VAR for a foul on Nelson Semedo.
Wolves were immediately up the other end, with some good build-up play down the left between Sarabia and Rayan Ait-Nouri, but Southampton had men back to thwart the attack.
While neither side made any clear breakthroughs as the match headed towards the half-hour, Kyle Walker-Peters looked lively down the Southampton right and it was the Wolves defence who were increasingly being pushed back.
A Southampton free-kick had Wolves defending their box and when the ball eventually came in from the left, Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed across goal, but Jorgen Strand-Larsen was well positioned to see out the danger.
Wolves tried to be positive on the break but struggled to make their play count in the final third, with Southampton dictating as the half came to its conclusion. Some good build-up down the Saints’ left saw Adam Lallana pick out Mateus Fernandes in the box, but Craig Dawson stood tall, before Semedo was called on to block from the same side moments later.
And it was Dawson who took the initiative at the back to set up another Wolves break, putting in a good interception just inside the Old Gold half. He played into Cunha’s feet, who set Sarabia going down the right. A short pass down the line to Gomes saw the Brazilian pick out Cunha in the box, but the away side had bodies back.
Half-time | Wolves 1 Southampton 0
Cunha looked to make things happen for Wolves at the start of the second half and some sharp closing down in the Southampton box led to an early shot from Joao Gomes, but the midfielder failed to connect cleanly, allowing for an easy take for Ramsdale.
Just minutes later, the dogged Cunha created a moment of magic, taking a simple ball from Mario Lemina, turning and firing home from twenty-five yards out to double Wolves’ lead in style.
The goal notably buoyed the home side, who showed greater and intensity, led by the insistent Cunha, but it was Southampton who had the next shot in anger with Tyler Dibling firing from range but failing to trouble Sa.
It was Cunha once again who was pushing Wolves forward. Driving from in his own half, he fed substitute Jean-Ricner Bellegarde out wide of the box, but the Frenchman miscued his cross.
As both teams made changes for the final stages, the game became somewhat scrappy, with Southampton trying to take advantage from set-pieces, but Wolves were eager to protect a valuable clean sheet.
Good pressure from Ait-Nouri in the final ten minutes saw him steal possession from Dibling and run into the box, but the pass to Bellegarde asked a lot of the forward, who was unable to carve out a chance.
Wolves had to defend diligently in the dying stages, with Toti and Dawson both clearing up effectively at the back to deny Southampton, but there was one final golden chance for the home side in added-on time.
Substitute Rodrigo Gomes played Ait-Nouri in down the line and the Algerian showed quick feet to skip past his defender and square an inviting cross for Bellegarde, who was just unable to stretch to make a telling connection. But the Old Gold were deserving of their much-needed first win of the season.
Full-time | Wolves 2 Southampton 0
Wolves | Sa, Semedo, Bueno, Dawson, Toti, Ait-Nouri (Doherty 90+4), Lemina, J. Gomes, Sarabia (Bellegarde 46), Cunha (R. Gomes 89), Strand Larsen (Guedes 72).
Unused subs | Johnstone, Pond, Andre, Doyle, Forbs.
Southampton | Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens (Sugawara 59), Manning (Dibling 46), Aribo (Brereton Diaz 72), Lallana (Ugochukwu 59), Fernandes, Armstrong, Archer (Onuacho 72).
Unused subs | McCarthy, Bree, Wood, Amo-Ameyaw.
