Crystal Palace 1-0 Wolves: What Edwards saidpublished at 16:46 GMT 22 February
16:46 GMT 22 February
Media caption,
Wolves boss Rob Edwards, speaking to Sky Sports: "Two defining moments, for me. We missed the penalty which can happen. Then the red card is pretty inexplicable then that turns the tide in the game. I thought we were brilliant with 11 men and then were really solid in the main and fairly comfortable with 10. One moment switching off and that's it we're coming away with nothing."
On the red card: "It's two quick-fire yellows and we've got to be better.
I thought we were going to win the game. The message at half-time was we can't accept a point here. We go and win we step forward.
"The final pass, the final bit just needed to be a bit slicker, the weight of the pass or the detail of it. Overall, the performance level was high. It's another step forward for us but the result doesn't feel like it."
Did you know?
Wolves have now failed to win any of their last 16 Premier League away matches, their longest run without a victory on the road in the top flight since a run of 29 between February 1984 and May 2004.
Crystal Palace v Wolves: Team newspublished at 13:04 GMT 22 February
13:04 GMT 22 February
Image source, BBC Sport
Crystal Palace XI: Dean Henderson, Daniel Munoz, Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell, Chadi Riad, Jaydee Canvot, Will Hughes, Adam Wharton, Ismaila Sarr, Yeremy Pino, Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Subs: Brennan Johnson, Christantus Uche, Nathaniel Clyne, Daichi Kamada, Borna Sosa, Evann Guessand, Justin DeVenny, Rio Cardines, Walter Benitez.
Wolves XI: Jose Sa, Ladislav Krejci, Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Jackson Tchatchoua, Hugo Bueno, Andre, Tolu Arokodare, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Mateus Mane, Adam Armstrong.
Subs: Matt Doherty, David Moller Wolfe, Joao Gomes, Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes, Toti, Angel Gomes, Tom Edozie, Sam Johnstone.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Fulham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Spurs v Arsenal", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Crystal Palace v Wolvespublished at 10:05 GMT 22 February
10:05 GMT 22 February
Fair play to Wolves, because they have turned a bit of a corner under Rob Edwards.
Their results have still never looked like being enough to keep them up but they showed again against Arsenal that they are at least being competitive now.
Even so, I can see this game being all about Jorgen Strand Larsen, following his £48m move from Wolves to Palace at the end of the January transfer window.
Palace still need the points and I would not be surprised if he has a say in the outcome - let's go for him to score the winner.
Crystal Palace v Wolves: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:15 GMT 21 February
13:15 GMT 21 February
Noel Sliney BBC Sport senior journalist
A team which can't win at home hosts a side which can't win away this Sunday (14:00 GMT). Crystal Palace have beaten Wolves in the past five Premier League encounters at Selhurst Park but this season has become a forgettable one for both teams.
Palace stripped of home comforts
The mood in the caged away end in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday night was febrile by the end of the laboured 1-1 Uefa Conference League draw with Zrinjski as Crystal Palace fans turned on the players and, in particular, manager Oliver Glasner.
Fan dissatisfaction has been growing over the past 10 weeks, during which Palace have only won once in 15 games, plummeted from fourth to 13th in the league prior to this weekend, exited both domestic cups – including surrendering their defence of the FA Cup to non-league Macclesfield – and sold captain Marc Guehi. Add to that confirmation of Glasner's departure at the end of the season and it's easy to understand the unrest from the terraces.
Glasner's response on Friday was pointed: "Right now, I'm just not good enough to replace the players we sold. I'm just not good enough to integrate the new players in a way to play the same way like we did and I'm not good enough that we can cope with the schedule we had.
"On the other side, I was good enough to play the best season ever, win two trophies and also to look back: 32 points after 26 games…Crystal Palace has been better twice. Once was our season last year, and once in 2021.
"It looks like even now when everybody is completely angry, disappointed, frustrated, we are playing a better Premier League season than eight of the last 10 seasons Crystal Palace has played."
Regardless of the success Glasner has brought to the club, his side will need to significantly raise their level to appease the home crowd against Wolves.
A meagre 37.5% of Crystal Palace's league points this season have come at home, with only Spurs having a lower share. The Eagles haven't won at Selhurst Park in any competition since early November and are experiencing their longest winless home run in the top flight since 1997-98.
Can Wolves remedy their travel sickness?
Wolves finally registered their first away win of the season in any competition last weekend when they overcame League Two side Grimsby in filthy conditions to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
They have drawn three of their past four away league games and need just two more points this season to surpass the lowest overall tally in Premier League history – 11, by Derby County in 2007-08.
Nonetheless, Wolves are in danger of becoming the first club to twice end a Premier League season without an away victory. They went winless throughout the 2003-04 season, while Hull City in 2009-10 were the sixth and most recent side to suffer that fate.
Wolves are also the only team in England's top five divisions without an away league win this season.
Edwards on Strand Larsen, Edozie and 'good energy'published at 14:27 GMT 20 February
14:27 GMT 20 February
Huzaifah Khan BBC Sport journalist
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (kick-off 14:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Edwards confirmed Angel Gomes is fit and available after suffering a back "spasm" and Toti Gomes "could potentially be involved" this weekend after training with the group following his hamstring injury.
On the rest of the squad, he added: "There's a few we have got to check on. We know we have a tight squad. We have got to look after everyone between these games with them coming thick and fast as they are. But the vast majority of the group are in good nick."
On whether he's looking forward to facing Jorgen Strand Larsen for the first time since his move to Palace: "[I] look forward to seeing him again. [I've] only just said goodbye."
On criticism the striker received during his time at the club, Edwards added: "He's a good man, good person and a really good footballer. In life, you're not going to be able to please everybody. He can look himself in the mirror and say he gave everything, he worked hard, and that's all that matters."
Asked about how youngster Tom Edozie has been since scoring on his senior debut against Arsenal: "He's been really good, smiling in training this morning and had a spring in his step."
He added: "It was a really nice story for him. I think his finish was excellent, keeping it down low in that pressurised moment when people are coming to charge on him. Brilliant moment for him."
On his side's recent form following the win in the FA Cup against Grimsby Town and the draw against Arsenal, he said: "I feel like we've been competing well and I feel like there's a good energy around the place. Two good results and we showed a lot of good character in both and that's what we're going to need in abundance going forward for the rest of the season."
Edwards also touched on opponents Palace: "They're good. They're playing in Europe for a reason. I know I said it in the first game, Oliver Glasner is a brilliant manager, done a brilliant job. They've got loads of good players, so it will be a really difficult game as always away from home."
Debutant Edozie makes impact on Premier League title racepublished at 13:10 GMT 19 February
13:10 GMT 19 February
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Tom Edozie helped Wolves earn only their 10th point of the Premier League season
Wolves debutant Tom Edozie dented Arsenal's title hopes with his late equaliser on Wednesday and in scoring, affected the title race.
The forward's goal - which deflected in via the post and Riccardo Calafiori - saw the Gunners blow a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Molineux.
It stopped them going seven points clear at the top of the Premier League - instead they are five points above Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola's side have a game in hand and Arsenal must travel to the Etihad on 18 April.
It means Edozie's name could be etched as a decisive factor in the title race after he came off the bench with six minutes left to make his Wolves bow.
Edozie joined Wolves as a 16-year-old having been at the XYZ Football Academy in London and signed his first professional contract in 2024.
The academy, which helps players who have not been able to secure scholarships, has seen more than 40 players progress into full-time football.
The brother of Southampton winger Sam Edozie has been training with the first team for about two weeks, having been a regular for the under-21 side.
"He's impressed us with some really nice moments, he's technically a gifted player, but we're still learning about him ourselves," said boss Rob Edwards.
"We just had a feeling and sometimes you have a feeling and then that gut is proved right.
"As he was coming on, I just put my arm around him and said, 'this could be your moment, go and take it'."
Chris: I heavily criticised them after the Forest game, but tonight they were totally different. Lacking in skill but they fought hard and deserved the point. We are relegated but I want to see us go down fighting with our heads held high. After going an early goal down they could have folded but they didn't. I am proud of them.
Toby: Wolves are a bit like a mixture of jelly beans. You never know what you're going to get. We didn't do anything special but we did what we needed to do. Well done the Wolves.
Mike: Excellent second half after being far too passive in the first. A well-deserved point but no doubt all the experts will say it was a poor performance from Arsenal. Wolves showed great character to come back from conceding the second goal when we had started the second half on top. Excellent point, great finish by Bueno and no-one should be trying to take the equaliser from Edozie.
Wol: I thought we showed great spirit to come from two down against a team who have quality throughout their team and it was a well-deserved point. Nice to see Edozie have some time on the pitch and hopefully we will continue playing with this new-found fighting spirit for the rest of the season.
Rupert: We have developed some solid shapes and good collective understanding of positions and patterns. We still lack experience and quality in all positions. I still believe Andre and Gomes are very, very good players. Armstrong has surprised me for the better! We seem to have goals from most players. Look at our bench vs Arsenal's!
Steve: A thoroughly deserved point for not giving up, I feared the worst after five minutes. A tiny bit of light in one of our darkest seasons.
Analysis: Strugglers going down fightingpublished at 23:20 GMT 18 February
23:20 GMT 18 February
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Despite being adrift at the bottom and 17 points from safety, Wolves are still fighting and will still have a say in how this Premier League season finishes.
With an hour gone it was a very different scenario as Arsenal led 2-0 and looked on course to see out a comfortable victory.
But that is when Wolves relaxed and began to play, Hugo Bueno scoring the goal of the game with a cracking effort.
Tom Edozie's dream leveller - a first appearance in senior football marked by a first goal even if Riccardo Calafiori played his part - epitomised Wolves' spirit.
That is all they potentially had left - and had to find - under Rob Edwards, with the salvage operation already bleak when he replaced Vitor Pereira in November.
They sensed an Arsenal collapse and scrapped their way to a point - something that was denied them at Emirates Stadium back in December when Yerson Mosquera's 90th-minute own goal gave the Gunners a 2-1 success.
This point will matter to boss Edwards, the players and the Molineux faithful. It has been a fractured place for a long time during the first half of an unhappy season.
Unity has returned recently and refusing to give up against the leaders with a gutsy display will hearten Wolves as they prepare for life in the Championship and build for a Premier League return at the first attempt.
Wolves 2-2 Arsenal: What Edwards and Edozie saidpublished at 22:43 GMT 18 February
22:43 GMT 18 February
Media caption,
Wolves boss Rob Edwards, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Obviously, really pleased after going 2-0 down to a team like that to show the character, spirit and fight that we did. I'm really proud of the lads and what they produced. Never gave up - that has got to be a given for us. We are showing a lot of fight and quality in the right moments."
On youngster Tom Edozie scoring on his debut: "Obviously, we have a shorter squad now and some of the younger players know this could be their opportunity. I was putting my arm round him when he was coming on and I said: 'This could be your moment now, mate. Go and make it happen.' And he did, so really pleased for him."
On Hugo Bueno's goal: "It was a lovely finish. He's got a lovely left foot. As he opened out and shaped up, you sort of thought the angle's right for him, and it's nice to see that one nestle in the top corner and get us back in the game."
Wolves winger Edozie, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It's a dream come true. Getting my debut is one thing and then scoring on my debut is another. Just so thankful, just so happy."
On whether he's claiming the goal after it came off Riccardo Calafiori: "100% - I'll take the goal. Definitely my goal.
"As I was watching the game I saw it becoming a bit tense and we had more control of the ball than before, so I knew that going into the last couple minutes it was going to be more end to end. I just tried to do as best as I can. Luckily I scored."
On the feeling when he was told he was coming on: "Obviously, I got a bit nervous. My legs started to shake a little bit but as soon as I got on that pitch I was raring to go."
On scoring: "The ball dropped to me andI just tried to keep it as low and as hard as I can. They couldn't stop it, so it was my goal.
"Nothing was really going through my head, it was just loads of different emotions. I was so happy to be there when fans were cheering. Something I dream of."
Did you know?
This was the first time in the Premier League a side bottom of the table avoided defeat by the team top of the table after trailing by two goals.
Mikel Arteta has made seven changes from the side which beat Wigan comfortably in the FA Cup.
Bukayo Saka played as a number 10 in that game and it looks as though the England international could play there again at Molineux, after being withdrawn at the break on Sunday.
He is named in the starting line-up alongside wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke. The three will start behind striker Viktor Gyokeres.
Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Rice, Zubimendi, Madueke, Martinelli, Saka, Gyokeres.
'A performance to lift spirits'published at 09:28 GMT 18 February
09:28 GMT 18 February
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images
"Five minutes into the game I got snapped in half. It was a good tackle – the charm of English football."
At least David Moller Wolfe could be reasonably sure of a soft landing on the mudflats of Grimsby, but his comments in the Express and Star, external summarised the positive approach that carried Wolves through what could easily have been an awkward, embarrassing day.
"It's not that we'd come here and think we're something, moaning about the pitch," he continued. "It's about making the best out of it, and we did it, especially second half."
Yes, you can say that beating a fourth-tier side by a single goal is not all that much to get excited about in a season which has felt like a trudge through heavy mud since August.
But that would be, for once, selling this beleaguered Wolves side short.
Reporters and pundits huddling out of the sleet before the game muttered darkly about whether Wolves would really be up for this, especially those players perhaps already thinking they'll soon be moving on.
One veteran of lower-league battles on heavy pitches reckoned the body language would be the tell-tale sign.
Miming a wade through deep water, he said: "If they walked out like this, we knew we'd got 'em."
Wolves calmed those fears not with an impressive display of superior skills, although Mateus Mane still produced the odd cultured touch to remind everyone of his potential.
It is fair to note that Grimsby also found the going tough – the pitch was no attempt at sabotage – but Wolves showed the commitment and know-how to mostly hold them off, and create more and better chances of their own.
Santiago Bueno scored the goal and made the most important defensive touch just before the end.
Moreover, he demonstrated the attitude required not just for this game, but for the challenges that await after this season, if he is minded to stick around.
"He goes about his business, unassuming, a very quiet leader," said Rob Edwards. "I think he's been playing very well for us."
Edwards' attempts to raise the mood and keep smiling through a dark winter have not always been appreciated by some fans, who feel a more sombre message would better reflect the club's plight and their feelings.
But this was a performance to lift spirits, and prove that there is still a flickering light.
The fifth-round draw was less kind, but somebody has to win the FA Cup, and nearly every other team left in it has more pressing business to attend to between now and May.
Wolves v Arsenal: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 09:12 GMT 18 February
09:12 GMT 18 February
Paul Birch BBC Sport journalist
Top faces bottom as Arsenal travel to Wolves looking to extend their lead over Manchester City to seven points.
BBC Sport looks at the main talking points going into Wednesday's meeting at Molineux.
After booking their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2020, Arsenal return to the small matter of attempting to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title.
In beating League One side Wigan they became first Premier League team to score four goals in the opening 30 minutes of an FA Cup tie, which was a good way to blow the cobwebs away after their disappointing draw with Brentford.
That result, which made it just two wins from six league games, prompted a slew of articles and filled the airwaves with debate over their title credentials with Manchester City breathing down their necks.
On paper, though, Wolves are the ideal opposition to get back on track and extend their lead to seven points given their incredible recent form against the West Midlands side.
The Gunners have won nine on the spin against Wolves, while nine victories in 11 at Molineux is their best record against a side they have played 10 or more times away from home in the Premier League.
But maybe the most impressive statistic is their run of scoring in 36 successive matches against Wanderers, a streak that can only be beaten in English football history by Wrexham's 49 games versus Darlington between 1929 and 1961.
Add in the fact that Arsenal have won their past 14 league matches against teams in the bottom three by an aggregate score of 40-4, then the odds are heavily stacked in favour of an away win.
Wolves' cup cheer in 'dark season'
Despite their grim record against Arsenal, Wolves deserve credit for their performance at Emirates Stadium in December- a game they only lost via two own goals, one of which was in the 94th minute.
They also picked up a morale boosting FA Cup win at the weekend, beating Grimsby away in a banana skin of a fixture played on a quagmire of a pitch. It put them into the fifth round for the third consecutive season for the first time since 1978-79 to 1980-81.
"It's been a really dark season, I suppose. A little bit of something for the fans to chat about, something to try to build more momentum going forward, is really, really important," said head coach Rob Edwards of their cup exploits.
But while performances have improved since Edwards came in, they remain 18 points from safety with just 36 available.
While relegation is almost inevitable, a key target will be surpassing Derby's mark for the lowest points tally for a Premier League season of 11 set in 2007-08.
Doing so against Arsenal might be a stretch, especially as they have lost 10 of their 13 home league matches at Molineux this season - a figure they have only surpassed twice before in a top-flight campaign (11 in 1964-65 and 13 in 2011-12).
They have also failed to score in 14 of their league matches this season.
Edwards on team news, work towards summer plans and Arsenalpublished at 14:22 GMT 17 February
14:22 GMT 17 February
Holly Bacon BBC Sport journalist
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Molineux (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Edwards said he will make changes after the "challenging" conditions at Grimsby in their FA Cup tie: "There's a few that are feeling a few bits after that." He wouldn't name names but added: "We'll make a couple of changes anyway, and we might make a couple of others just seeing how everyone is."
On the quick turnaround, Edwards said: "It would have sapped the lads a little bit, but it would have sapped them even more if we had lost. Arsenal under the lights on a Wednesday night - it's not hard to get up for that. We'll have our energy. We'll be ready to run and fight."
The Wolves boss said Toti Gomes is "doing really well" and has trained but the Arsenal game will come to soon for him to be involved. "We're hoping for the next one," Edwards said. He also confirmed Hwang Hee-chan, who is doing individual work at the moment, will not be available on Wednesday.
The Wolves boss says he's enjoying the challenge: "I probably don't feel the pressure or heat as much as maybe people from the outside might think. I feel like I've got so much energy and I'm really looking forward to this challenge of helping to turn things around. I feel like we're having a decent effect at the moment - tomorrow night is another opportunity for us to try to do that."
On facing Arsenal: "There's pressure on us because we want to have really good standards. We want to keep improving and building, but of course there's pressure in a different way on them and an expectation for them as well. They'll be feeling that and we've got to make sure that we're in the game to make them feel that later on as well."
On a home tie against Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Edwards laughed and said "yeah, delighted", before adding: "It's exciting. A tough game obviously - one of the most difficult ones you can get - but we're at home and we'll look forward to it."
The Wolves boss said he would love to continue that run because "it does give everyone a little bit of a glimmer of hope, something to enjoy and maybe a little bit of respite from what has been challenging in terms of results in the league".
On plans for next season, Edwards said: "We've had one window where we've been able to have quite a shake-up and clearly there is going to be more needed in the summer." He said there is "a lot of work going on now" and there will be "loads of conversations" between now and the summer to make sure Wolves are in a place where they can "play the way they want and win football matches as well".
'A proper 1970s throwback - Wolves have to take small wins'published at 07:58 GMT 17 February
07:58 GMT 17 February
Dazzling Dave Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Three hundred and one days is a long time in football.
That is how long Wolves went without an away win, so a 1-0 victory at Grimsby Town might not look like much on paper, but it still felt important.
Not because it was a classic, but because we finally found a way to win when the match demanded more grit than glamour.
This was a proper 1970s throwback. It could have been an advert for laundry detergent.
The mud did most of the talking, and all that was missing were jumpers for goalposts to complete the picture.
At times it was chaotic, the kind only football can produce, as the ball would suddenly stick in the mud and simple moves turned into invitations for mistakes.
This was not a day for silky football or neat patterns. It was a day for team spirit, resilience and mentality.
A day for accepting the conditions, not using them as an excuse. Grimsby were well up for it, as you would expect, and they made sure Wolves knew it.
They pressed, battled and turned every second ball into a scrap.
This was a different type of test, and it was one Wolves had to meet head on.
It almost felt like the children's game "the floor is lava", with players trying to find the less boggy parts of the pitch just to play a simple pass.
Wolves grew into the game, stayed patient, and, crucially, adapted their play to suit the conditions.
When it was on to be direct, they were direct.
When it was time to compete and clear lines, they did not overplay.
There was nothing to write home about in terms of performance, but it was very much 'job done'. And right now, Wolves have to take the small wins.
Back-to-back clean sheets is one of them. Being in the draw for the next round is another.
Most of all, it was good to see a Wolves team that did not shy away, but found a way through.
Sometimes football is art. Sometimes it is survival.
This was survival, and now the challenge is to show the same commitment in every game.
