DOH! WILDER LEFT DISAPPOINTED
Doherty equaliser leaves Blades boss ruing what might have been as up-and-comers share spoils
UNBEATEN away from home and now seven Premier League games without defeat, Chris Wilder was still disappointed to only come away from Molineux with only a point yesterday.
It shows how far, and how quickly, last season’s Championship winners have come over the last few months back in the top flight.
Lys Mousset continued his stunning scoring streak with the Blades before Matt Doherty’s second-half equaliser. Honours even was the right result between two ambitious and upwardly-mobile clubs.
Sheffield United are on their best top-flight run since an eight-match unbeaten streak in 1994. While Nuno Espirito Santo’s side – very much United’s role model – are now nine games without defeat in the top flight for the first time since 1973, in the week they reached the Europa League knockout stages.
They move back level with Tottenham on points, with the
Blades just one behind. But Wilder, whose side drew with Spurs and Manchester United in their last two games, knew they should have killed off this encounter after taking an early lead.
David McGoldrick had three giltedged chances after the break, before Wolves raised their game. And sub Oliver McBurnie, who grabbed the equaliser against Manchester United, this time headed over in injury-time.
“Over-riding feeling is a little bit disappointed,” said Wilder. “When you’re in this division at this level, you really do get the opportunities, you have to put teams to bed and we didn’t because we know how ruthless this division is. We wanted to get out of the traps. Just disappointed didn’t go on from there.”
The hosts were caught cold after only 63 seconds. George Baldock’s cross drew in the Wolves centrebacks and the ball fell to the unmarked Mousset, who finished coolly. To set the tone for the rest of the afternoon, VAR did not come to help the home team.
Amid all of Wilder’s achievements during his 18-year career, getting Mousset scoring in the Premier League is right up there. The Frenchman managed just three goals in 56 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth but has five since his £10million summer move – and four in his last six league appearances.
“He’s had an opportunity, got himself up to speed pretty quickly and I believe there is more to come from him,” said Wilder.
Espirito Santo made just one change to the Europa League side which drew in Braga – and then brought in Max Kilman for his Premier League debut only because Romain Saiss was suspended.
Raul Jimenez was denied by Dean Henderson in the first half from a Doherty cross. But Wolves created little until the Mexican returned the favour and Henderson headed home at the far post on 64 minutes. The visitors should have finished the game with 10 men but George Baldock was not shown a second yellow card for a scything tackle on Diogo Jota.
“It seemed to me it was obvious but then Martin Atkinson said it wasn’t clear because he has another defender,” said Espirito Santo, who did not make a single substitution.
“But it was a brave game. A lot of duels, but it was fair.”
After match 27 of the campaign, he added: “I’m pleased because we had a very tough game in Braga so it was a challenge for us to go from Thursday to play Sheffield United with this intensity.”