Wolves fans are licking their wounds today after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.
It was a big defensive effort from Wolves at Molineux, but Gary O’Neil’s side came up just short in the end, with John Stones scoring a winner deep into injury time.
Most of the post-game chat has been about that winning goal by Stones, with Bernardo Silva’s involvement coming under the microscope.
He had been in front of Jose Sa when Phil Foden was taking the corner. When Stones headed the ball, the midfielder, who was in an offside position, had moved away.
But some have suggested there was interference from Silva.
The goal was given, much the the frustration of Wolves fans who had watched their team perform well against the champions.
But some, including Karl Henry, felt there was a moment before the goal by Stones that Wolves should be annoyed about.
Karl Henry says Goncalo Guedes was fouled by Matheus Nunes in Wolves vs Man City
A couple of minutes before City scored their winning goal, there was a phase of play where Wolves were attacking City’s box.
The attack was led by Goncalo Guedes, who looked like he could have potentially had a shot.
Matheus Nunes, on as a late substitute for City, chased back and challenged Guedes and City then went on the attack down the other end.
After a series of corners, City scored through Stones.
But there are some people who felt that the challenge from Nunes on Guedes should have led to a Wolves free-kick, as he came from behind.
Former Wolves midfielder Karl Henry replied to a fan on X about that moment, saying: “I agree. 100% a foul! Thought it was a clean tackle at the time. Watching it back, it’s a clear foul.”
Henry also commented on the goal by Stones. In a separate message, he admitted: “It’s a goal. Not debating that. I’m providing a simple solution for GKs when in this scenario. Make sure the offside attacker is interfering with play! For example. If Sa trips over Bernardo, he’s interfering. GKs need to get smarter.”
Foul on Guedes could easily have been given
Another referee could very easily have given a free-kick against Nunes for the challenge on Guedes, so it’s very unlucky for Wolves.
Nunes may have come away with the ball, but it’s possible he did make contact with Guedes first, causing him to go to ground.
If Wolves get the free-kick there, then it’s highly likely the game would have ended at least a draw. Unless a Wolves player would have scored from the free-kick.
But City would not have been able to take the ball down the other end and get the corners they did.
It’s extremely rough on Wolves because the game plan was spot on from O’Neil and every player did well in the game. To have nothing to show for the collective effort will definitely sting a lot.