This never felt like a game that would get the pulse racing but for Burnley this resembled a deeply dispiriting defeat after the high of putting five goals past the Premier League’s bottom club. Even in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s 5-0 trouncing of Sheffield United it was hard to truly quantify the weight of victory and the more cynical were certainly vindicated here.
This was always going to be a tougher test and Hwang Hee-chan’s neat finish extended Burnley’s sorry away run. If there was any doubt the remainder of this season remains an uphill challenge, then this was it, with Wolves coming out on top despite one of their more unconvincing performances under Gary O’Neil.
Hwang was again the difference-maker for Wolves, his eighth league goal of the season towards the end of the first half proving the winner. Only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min, Hwang’s South Korean compatriot, have bettered his goals tally this season. No wonder Wolves are keen to tie Hwang down to a new long-term contract, though talks have dragged a little.
Vincent Kompany enjoyed a glass of red wine after the demolition of Sheffield United – they were the last of the 92 clubs in England’s top four tiers to taste victory on home turf this campaign – but he stressed it was straight back to business here. Kompany, wearing his now customary black cap, strode around his technical area but would have been encouraged by his side’s display, at least until Wolves gained the lead against the run of play on 42 minutes.
It will have made particularly painful viewing for Sander Berge, whose loose touch Wolves punished. Berge was ambushed after collecting Dara O’Shea’s pass out from defence from a James Trafford goal-kick and Pablo Sarabia seized possession. Matheus Cunha then freed Hwang, who quickly adjusted his feet and slotted the ball past Trafford.
Until that point it seemed Burnley – if anyone – would be the most likely to strike and light up a game desperately short on quality. Sarabia had a couple of half chances for Wolves but they were unusually disjointed. Burnley were buoyed by victory at Turf Moor but arrived in search of their first on the road this season and improving the worst away record in the division.
Charlie Taylor sent a volley harmlessly over after Zeki Amdouni’s header was blocked at a corner and then Jacob Bruun Larsen lashed a shot over under little pressure from outside the edge of the area.
Dan Bentley, the Wolves goalkeeper who deputised for the injured José Sá, made a smart save to tip a Josh Brownhill effort round a post after Amdouni barged João Gomes off the ball. Jóhann Gudmundsson, who replaced the injured Luca Koleosho, teed up Jay Rodriguez for the first big chance on 38 minutes, but Bentley repelled his effort before dealing with the rebound.
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Wolves’ one-goal cushion almost seemed to hinder their progress, with second-half chances few and far between.
Burnley constructed little more than nearly moments and even those faded in the second half. Taylor tugged at Mario Lemina’s shirt, conceding a cheap foul, and Berge, already booked, was guilty of tripping Sarabia on the edge of the area. From the subsequent free-kick Sarabia flighted an effort towards the top corner but Trafford made a two-handed save.
If anything typified a difficult evening for Burnley, albeit one that began with such promise, it was the sight of Hjalmar Ekdal wiping out Cunha on halfway as Wolves set about piling forward on the counterattack. Burnley lacked poise in key moments and while Wolves were far from impressive, in Hwang, Sarabia and co they have a clutch of gifted players capable of stepping up when needed.