Gary O’Neil’s Wolves side took a good point against Newcastle United on Saturday night in tough conditions with Hwang Hee-chan playing a key role.
Pundit Karen Carney was covering the match for Sky Sports and was seriously impressed with the South Korean’s equalising goal, calling it ‘world-class’.
The team put in a really good performance and, on another day, Wolves might have actually won the game. The decision to award Newcastle a penalty for Hwang’s challenge on Fabian Schar has been widely slammed.
But Wolves showed good character to get back into the game. And it was that man Hwang Hee-chan again who was on target.
The South Korean struck for the sixth time this season in the Premier League. Only Erling Haaland, Mo Salah, Heung-min Son and Callum Wilson have scored more at this stage.
Hwang took his goal so well, and after the game Sky Sports pundit Carney could not hide how impressed she was with it…
Karen Carney lauds Hwang Hee-chan for his ‘world-class’ goal for Wolves against Newcastle
Hwang showed fantastic technical quality and intelligence with his goal against Newcastle.
It was great work initially from the brilliant Toti Gomes to get through two Newcastle players. He then slipped Hwang in, but there was still plenty to do.
Hwang knew Dan Burn was coming in to make a block. In an instant, the 27-year-old chopped inside with his weak foot, and then finished at the near post.
It was a goal that drew praise from both Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on Match of the Day.
It also really impressed Carney and she said on Sky Sports: “He’s a player that is willing to do the dirty work, the hard work. His dribbling, and carrying of the ball at big distances. But that (the goal) is why he’s in the team – those magical moments.
“Realising Dan Burn is going to slide in, and to do it at pace on a slippery surface – world-class.”
Hwang’s goal showed how intelligent a player he is
This was one of Hwang’s best goals for Wolves, if not the best.
It would have been very easy for him to hit the ball first-time, considering the position he was in.
But he had the awareness of Burn coming in and chopped inside to create that space for a much easier finish. It was impressive that he did it on his weak foot, too.
We have heard Gary O’Neil talk about Hwang’s intelligence this season. And this goal was proof that he is a seriously smart player.
Wolves fans will be hoping to see more of this intelligence and composure in the final third.