Wolves Beat Palace

Wolverhampton Wanderers moved up to third in the Premier League after beating Crystal Palace 2-0 on Friday thanks to goals from on-loan teenage wingback Rayan Ait-Nouri and Daniel Podence.

France under-21 international Ait-Nouri gave the hosts the lead in the 18th minute after latching on to a clearance and driving a bouncing shot into the far corner for his first goal in senior football on his Premier League debut.

Wolves midfielder Leander Dendoncker then hit the post with a powerful shot before Portuguese winger Podence made it 2-0, meeting Pedro Neto’s cross from the right with a superb cushioned volley in the 27th minute.

Palace had several VAR decisions go against them, with a Michy Batshuayi goal disallowed and a penalty award overturned, both for offside.

Wolves substitute Adama Traore had a great chance to put the game out of reach in the 83rd minute but he fired a powerful shot straight at Palace keeper Vicente Guaita who parried it away to safety.

Palace suffered a further setback when Luka Milivojevic was given his marching orders in the 87th minute after a review showed a nasty foul on Joao Moutinho.

The win puts Wolves on 13 points from seven games. They trail leaders Everton and second-placed Liverpool on goal difference. Palace are ninth on 10 points.

Podence, whose only other league goal for Wolves also came at home to Palace, praised fellow scorer Ait-Nouri, 19, who joined on a season-long loan, with the Midlands club having an option to buy, from Ligue 1 Angers earlier this month.

“He has a great left foot. He has a lot of quality. He showed everyone what he can do (and) we are here to help him,” Podence said, adding that Wolves would not be getting carried away by their lofty league position.

“We play game-by-game. We are improving since the first game. We had a difficult pre-season. We can do better, and we are trying to be perfect,” he added.

Reuters