Bonatini keeps up goal run as Wolves widen gap
Wolves stretched their lead in the Championship to four points at the start of the weekend programme with a seventh win in nine matches, a result that prompted Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic to warn that his side could be heading for a relegation battle.
Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo has been spoken of as a contender to succeed Ronald Koeman at Everton after his impressive start in England but his side turned in another high-quality performance of the kind their fans hope will convince him to stay at Molineux.
The visitors played some neat football at times but seldom looked a threat to Wolves, who attack with gusto but are well organised defensively as well. Two goals in the first 26 minutes – including a seventh in six consecutive scoring games in the Championship for the Brazilian forward Leo Bonatini – gave them a grip on the contest that they never released.
“For a third game in a [week] it was an incredible performance,” Nuno said. “There was no time to totally recover and the boys go and work the way they did, so we must be proud.”
Fulham, without a win in five matches, conceded both goals from set pieces – a ninth-minute corner headed home by Romain Saiss, followed by a free kick converted, again with the head, by Bonatini.
On both occasions it was the left foot of wing-back Barry Douglas that whipped the ball into the danger area, but Fulham will not be happy that their defenders were beaten in the air so easily.
Saiss’s goal was only his second two seasons at the club. He picks up yellow cards rather more frequently, and indeed collected his sixth of this season last night, having missed the last match because of the suspension incurred for the first five.
Bonatini, meanwhile, cannot stop scoring. His goal was his 10th of the season. He had chances to add further to his tally in the second half but was denied by a superb save from Fulham goalkeeper David Button from another Douglas corner, before heading over the bar stretching for a Matt Doherty cross.
A disappointed Jokanovic admitted: “No, there are not many positives we can take from this game, but it is not new.
“We are now one month without being at an acceptable level. We must be ready to fight or we could be in trouble.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-3) Ruddy; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Saiss, Neves, Douglas; Cavaleiro (Enobakhare 73), Bonatini (Marshall 87). Jota. Subs Norris (g), N’diaye, Batth, Costa, Vinagre. Booked Saiss, Douglas.
Fulham (4-3-3) Button; Fredericks, Odoi, Ream, Sessegnon; Norwood, Mcdonald, Johansen; Kebano (Mollo 54), Fonte (Kamara 70), Ayite (Soares 63). Subs Bettinelli (g), Kalas, Edun, Cisse. Booked Sessegnon, Norwood, Mcdonald, Johansen.
Referee D Coote (Nottinghamshire).