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DAYS LATER, THEO SCORES FOR SAINTS AGAIN
WOLVES..............1 SOUTHAMPTON...1
THEO WALCOTT’S first Southampton goal i n nearly 15 years was not enough to t ake Southampton third in the Premier League af t er Pedro Neto’s late equaliser denied them a fourth consecutive win.
Walcott’s previous goal for his boyhood club was in January 2006 — before his surprise selection in England’s World Cup squad. But he gave Saints the lead in the 58th minute before missing a wonderful chance to make it 2-0, which was punished by Wolves substitute Neto 15 minutes from time.
Wolves earned the point despite the absence of captain Conor Coady — the first time he has missed a league game in more than three years — after he came into contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19.
It would have been Coady’s 122nd consecutive league appearance for Wolves but his absence left him on 121 in a row — six short of the club record held by goalkeeper Phil Parkes.
Wolves were also without centre back Romain Saiss, who tested positive for coronavirus during the international break and is self-isolating.
That persuaded boss Nuno Espirito Santo to switch to a back four for the first time since he took charge in 2017. Max Kilman and Willy Boly were paired together in the centre, with Nelson Semedo at right back and Rayan Ait-Nouri at left back, while Adama Traore returned to the starting XI at the expense of Pedro Neto.
With top scorer Danny Ings still missing, Southampton chief Ralph Hasenhuttl named the same XI that started the 2-0 win over Newcastle before the international break.
Saints began brightly, controlling possession, though they had Alex McCarthy to thank f or keeping them level in the sixth minute. Joao Moutinho’s freekick rebounded off the wall to Semedo, whose fizzing 30-yard effort was superbly parried by McCarthy. Quick as a flash, the goalkeeper then recovered his balance to stop Leander Dendoncker firing home the loose ball.
Stuart Armstrong was causing Wolves numerous problems by drifting inside off the right. Finding space in the 15th minute, Armstrong found Walcott as he spun away from Kilman, and Rui Patricio gathered the forward’s angled effort at the second attempt.
Armstrong came close soon after. Running on to Che Adams’ pass, the Scotland man reached the ball before Kilman only to slide it just wide with Patricio beaten.
In the seconds before halftime, the benches clashed after Romeu, who had been off the field adjusting his boots, raced back on mi d - move to stop a Wolves counter-attack.
And there were angry words again five minutes after the break when Ryan Bertrand, expecting the ball to be played out so Walcott could receive treatment, allowed Traore to intercept James Ward-Prowse’s pass and charge forward, though his cross went well beyond Raul Jimenez.
McCarthy was untroubled that time but it was not long before he had to dig his team out of a hole again. Ait-Nouri swapped passes with Moutinho and fed Daniel Podence, with McCarthy again alert to block the rising drive.
Wolves were finally generating some momentum and Jimenez, having an unusually quiet night, then headed wide f r om an excellent position. Walcott made no mistake when presented with a similarly good chance in the 58th minute. Moussa Djenepo found Adams, whose original cross rebounded off Kilman, and when he drilled the ball in at the second attempt, Walcott was there at the far post to tap it in.
Wolves protested that Ait-Nouri had been fouled in the build-up but the goal stood.
Walcott should have doubled Saints’ lead in the 66th minute but after Adams had found him with a glorious crossfield pass, the man on l oan f r om Everton shot wide when one-on-one with Patricio.
Wolves sent on Neto for Neves and Saints needed a fine sliding block from Kyle Walker-Peters to stop the substitute scoring an immediate equaliser.
But Neto was not to be denied in the 75th minute when Jimenez’s shot from the edge of the box hit the post and fell perfectly for Neto to steer it in.
WOLVES (4-3-3): Rui Patricio 6.5; Semedo 6, Kilman 5, Boly 6, Ait-Nouri 5; Dendoncker 6, Neves 6.5 (Neto 70min, 6.5), Moutinho 7.5; Traore 6.5, Jimenez 6, Podence 6 (Vitinha 85). Subs not used: Ruddy, Hoever, Marcal, Silva, Otasowie. Scorer: Neto 75. Booked: Neves, Traore. Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 7. SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): McCARTHY 8; Walker-Peters 6.5, Bednarek 6.5, Vestergaard 7, Bertrand 6.5; Armstrong 7 (Diallo 90), Romeu 7, Ward-Prowse 6.5, Djenepo 7 (Long 79); Adams 7.5, Walcott 6.5.
Subs not used: Forster, Stephens, Obafemi, Tella, N’Lundulu. Scorer: Walcott 58. Manager: Ralph Hasenhuttl 7. Referee: Andre Marriner 5.5.