Wolves are preparing to face Bournemouth in the FA Cup, travelling to the Vitality once more.
A week after facing Andoni Iraola’s side in the Premier League, the two sides will meet again as Wolves return to the road.
The Old Gold will hope for a similar result as the previous meeting, as Wolves beat Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitalty to earn a much-needed three points.
Matheus Cunha was on the scoresheet in the South Coast but, the Brazilian wasn’t the talk of the game as a controversial VAR call set the tone.
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Bournemouth to face Wolves without Illia Zabarnyi
Moments before Cunha gave Wolves the lead at the Vitality, Bournemouth were reduced to ten men as Illia Zabarnyi was sent off after VAR intervention.
The Ukrainian caught Rayan Ait-Nouri with the on-field decision of a yellow card later upgraded to a red, handing the defender a three-match ban.
Bournemouth had their appeal rejected, giving Iraola a task to replace the centre-back, who had started every one of the Cherries’ Premier League contests.
Pundits disagreed with Zabarnyi’s red card, insisting that the correct punishment would’ve been a yellow but, that didn’t change the outcome of the South Coast club’s appeal.
For Wolves, there’s some encouragement that the visitors won’t have one of their most in-form stars available but, the suspended player’s replacement has caught attention with his recent performance.
James Hill mustn’t be overlooked
On the morning of Bournemouth’s clash with Brighton, the Cherries learned that Zabarnyi’s suspension would not be overturned.
Iraola headed to the Amex to face the Seagulls with an altered backline, seeing James Hill partner Dean Huijsen in place of his suspended teammate.
| James Hill vs Brighton |
| 5 clearances |
| 3 interceptions |
| 6 tackles |
| 8 duel wins |
What was evident during Bournemouth’s defeat was that Hill mustn’t be regarded as a player simply standing in for Zabarnyi, as the Englishman’s presence was solid in central defence.
With 14 defensive contributions, the 23-year-old gave Brighton’s forwards a hard time, something Wolves must be wary of ahead of the FA Cup meeting.
The Old Gold will need to be more inspired in attack than they were against Fulham in order to get the better of Bournemouth once more, with a possible cup run on the line.