West Bromwich Albion's return to Molineux ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat, with a single defensive lapse proving decisive in the Black Country derby. Fer Lopez capitalised on a mistake from Nat Phillips five minutes into the second half to score the game's only goal, handing Wolves their first home league victory over their rivals in 15 years.
James Morrison's side arrived in fourth place, level on points with the top three, but left with their five-game unbeaten run in the Championship snapped. The result sees West Brom remain fifth in the table with 14 points from eight matches, three points behind leaders Swansea.
A costly mistake
The match's key moment arrived in the 50th minute. Under little pressure, Phillips underhit a backpass towards his own goal. Lopez read the intention, intercepted the ball, and calmly lifted it over the advancing Max O'Leary. It was the Spaniard's fourth league goal of the season and a strike that ultimately decided a tense, scrappy affair. O'Leary had been solid prior to that, making three saves to keep his team in contention.
West Brom, who had conceded only six goals in their previous five outings, struggled to create a meaningful response. They failed to register a single shot on target in the second period, with Wolves largely controlling possession and territory. Morrison, who played in five of these derbies as a player, acknowledged the error but backed his defender to respond. "He owned up to his mistake, but he's been immense over the last couple of weeks," the manager said. "Mistakes happen, now I want to see a reaction."
Looking ahead
The international break now offers a chance to reset after a recent form of three wins, two draws, and one loss from the last six matches. West Brom's next assignment is a home match against Birmingham City on October 10, a team they have beaten in four of their last five meetings. Birmingham currently sit 10th, making it another significant local contest.
Morrison will hope to have more options available after the break. Nolan Galves missed the derby through injury, while Brayann Pereira returned from suspension but started on the bench. The team will need to rediscover the defensive resilience shown in recent wins over Derby County and Watford. With top scorer J. Morgan having netted three times this season, finding a cutting edge to complement a usually sturdy defence will be the focus.
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Manager James Morrison made two changes in the 61st minute, introducing Rabby Nzingoula and Barney Stewart for Tom Whitwell and Sivert Heggebø. The club's match report noted goalkeeper Max O'Leary was busy early on, tipping Nasser Djiga's header onto the bar and making several other saves. West Brom's only shot on target was an Isaac Price free-kick saved by Jose Sa. The defeat leaves Albion fifth in the Championship with 14 points from eight games.
Wolves manager Cesar Peixoto said his side's 1-0 win over West Brom "felt like a statement of intent". He told the club's media that Wolves controlled the key moments, creating 1.96 expected goals to West Brom's 0.27. The defeat leaves Albion fifth in the Championship with 14 points from eight games, three points behind leaders Swansea.
Manager James Morrison described the 1-0 loss at Molineux as "arguably our worst performance of the campaign," according to the club's media. The defeat, which leaves Albion 5th in the Championship with 14 points from eight games, was sealed by Fer López's 50th-minute strike. Goalkeeper Max O'Leary prevented 2.66 expected goals according to data from Sofascore, making five saves in a standout individual display.
