Brighton 0-0 Wolves – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Pedro Neto goes close to put the visitors ahead while tempers flare between Roberto De Zerbi and Gary O’Neil
Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Brighton host Wolves at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
What a chance for Wolves! Brighton lose possession and Neto wheels away down the right, before squaring the ball to Cunha, whose first-time effort is parried by Steele.
The ball bounces back into Cunha’s path, but he can only sky his second effort over the bar, much to the delight of the Brighton fans.
KICK-OFF: Brighton 0-0 Wolves
No changes for either side at half-time. Brighton get the second half underway and we can only hope the next 45 minutes will offer more in terms of entertainment than the first 45.
Peter Crouch: ‘Wolves look dangerous’
Speaking at half-time on TNT Sports, Peter Crouch says Wolves have looked the more dangerous of the two sides.
‘Brighton, possession wise, do like to move it, but they did not create too much and on the flip-side Wolves look dangerous with pace up front,’ he says.
Brighton look better on the ball, but have not created enough.’
HALF-TIME: Brighton 0-0 Wolves
The two minutes of added time are up and back into the dressing room with go. De Zerbi continues to have words with O’Neil, who loooks significantly calmer than his colleague, while Wolves players are now surrounding Pawson.
Cunha is still remonstrating with the referee and it’s about time one of his teammates pulled him away as a second yellow surely can’t be that far away.
Eventually, the Wolves man calmes down and pleads his innoncence with Pawson as the players walk off.
A surprisingly lively end to a largely forgettable first half.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
It’s all bubbling up under the surface as Cunha gets himself booked. The Wolves forward looks absolutely incensed with Craig Pawson and is not afraid to let the referee know about it.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
The game has finally burst into life. Or, to be precise, the two benches have and tempers boil over.
Dawson looks to catch Gilmour’s forehead with his right leg, much to the Brighton dugout’s displeasure. De Zerbi looks distinctly annoyed, a role he performs admiraby well, and O’Neil acts as the peacemaker to defuse the fracas.
It all ends with Wolves goalkeeper coach Neil Cutler geting booked.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Gilmour, who has been excellent, and Gross combined well to set up Joao Pedro on the edge of the box, but the Brighton strike can’t get any power behind the shot and fires a tame strike straight at Jose Sa, who barely has to move to collect the ball.
Brighton continue to put together some lovely, intricated passing patterns but to no avail as they are yet to create any clear-cut chances.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
This context started very promisingly, but it’s all turned into what can probably be best described as an intriguing tactical battle.
But one man’s tactical battle is another man’s snooze-fest.
Both sides have put together some nice passes and taken turns in catching each other on the break, but occasions have been at a premium so far.
In fact, either keeper is yet to make a save worth its name.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Cunha ends up on the deck after being hit by Gilmour. There didn’t appear to be much in it, but VAR will take a look anyway, because of course it will.
Gilmour and Cunha collided in midfield away from the ball as Wolves counterattacked, sending the Brazilian to the floor rather theatrically.
VAR rules the contact was little more than a coming together and we can all get on with it.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Gross swings in a dangerous free-kick from the left, which confuses Jose Sa. The Wolves goalkeeper neither punches the ball nor catches it and is mightly relieved as the ball sails over the bar for a corner.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
So close from Neto! That’s more likely from Wolves. Neto picks up the ball on the right and cuts across Brighton’s back four, before letting fly from about 20 yards out.
His left-footed effort curles back but not enough as it fizzes just wide of the post. That was by far Wolves’ best chance of the game so far and it came after Milner squandered a decent opening at the other end.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Wolves finally have a chance to break forward as Cunha, Lemina and Sarabia make good ground through the middle. The visitors recycle the ball well as Brighton get men behind the ball in numbers, but when the cross comes from Lemina there’s nobody in the box and the move peters out.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Gross slips a lovely ball in behind Wolves’ back four hoping to release Welbeck, but Semedo reads the pass well and allows Jose Sa just enough time to come off his line to collect the ball.
For all their superiority in terms of possession, Brighton are yet to create any meaningful chances bar Buonanotte’s header.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
And Brighton almost take the lead from the ensuing corner! Estupinan swings in a lovely ball, which travels all the way to the far post, where Buonanotte meets it with a diving header, which is cleared off the line.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
It’s all Brighton here. The Seagulls win possession in midfield, before Gilmour releases Welbeck, who holds off a defender and lets fly from 20 yards out and wins a corner.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Joao Pedro looks in the mood tonight. He makes the most of space down the left wing, before cutting inside to assess his option. He exchanges passes with Gilmour and looks to loft a ball at the far post towards Welbeck, but Toti is on the case and averts the danger.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Brighton loft a free-kick into the box from there right up to where Milner lurks in a dangerous position, but he can’t quite get the ball under control as Wolves clrear their lines.
Brighton 0-0 Wolves
Brighton have started brightly, passing the ball around with purpose and looking to get it forward to Joao Pedro as soon as they can.
Estupinan bombs forward on the left and finds Joao Pedro in the box, but his effort is blocked. Wolves haven’t had the proverbial sniff so far.
KICK-OFF
Craig Pawson blows his whistle and Wolves get us underway at the Amex.
Roberto de Zerbi: ‘Wolves are tough to play against’
Roberto de Zerbi has been speaking to TNT and revealed he expects a tough test from Wolves.
‘It was very tough last season, but we won the game we deserved to win the two games [last season],’ he says.
‘Playing against Wolves is still tough, they have very important players. If you watch Wolves’ attackers you can understand the difficulty of the game.
A reminder of tonight’s teams
In case you missed them earlier, here’s a reminder of tonight’s teams.
Subs: Bentley, Santiago Bueno, Mosquera, Hugo Bueno, Bellegarde, Hodge, Griffiths, Chirewa, Fraser.
O’Neil: ‘I had a tough start at Wolves’
O’Neil has also been speaking about his time in charge of Wolves, admitting he had a tough start at Molineux.
‘I have enjoyed it. It was tough at the start, tough in the early days when you see things that you are not familiar with, but to be fair to the lads they have given everything,’ he told TNT.
‘We are not immune to setbacks and we will suffer some, the lads are in a good spot and it is a great test tonight.
‘It is a real test and we will see if we can push towards that next level. I think saying we have got to win is extreme, but these are the games we want to win.’
Gary O’Neil relishing Brighton challenge
The Wolves boss has been speaking to TNT Sports. He told the panel he relishes Brighton’s challenge and shared his thoughts on his team’s continued improvement.
Recent history favours Brighton
Wolves may arrive into tonight’s fixture on the back of three consecutive Premier League wins, but their recent record against Brighton is far from encouraging.
Wolves have lost four of the last five meetings against Brighton in the Premier League by an aggregate score of 16-3.
Their last visit to the Amex ended in a 6-0 shellacking in April last year, as Deniz Undav, Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck all scored two apiece.
Pedro Neto’s return a boost for Wolves
Pedro Neto makes his first Premier League start since October 28 against Newcastle. He has provided seven assists in his last eight league starts Wolves will be delighted to see him back.
Will Wolves miss Hwang Hee-chan?
The short answer is yes. The South Korean, who is currently on Asian Cup duty, has contributed to 13 of Wolves’ 30 Premier League goals this season, scoring 10 and setting up a further three.
That means he has been directy involved in 43.3 percent of his team’s goals, the third-highest percentage in the league behind Mohamed Salah (51.2 percent) and Dominic Solanke (46.4 percent).
Wolves out in red
Wolves will wear their away kit tonight, which looks a picture if these dressing room snaps are anything to go by.
I’m sure there’s a joke somehwere about red and Wolves, but it may well sound like suggesting financial impropriety at Molineux.
A special night for James Milner
James Milner makes his 633rd Premier League appearance tonight, moving one ahead of Ryan Giggs in the all-time list.
The Brighton veteran is now second outright and has Gareth Barry’s record of 653 appearances firmly in his sight.
The end of the Premier League winter break
Tonight’s clash at the Amex marks the end of the Premier League winter break, which has proved to be far from universally popular.
The mid-season interruption may allow players to jet off for some time in the sun and give managers some much-needed rest.
But the break’s elongated nature also seems to disrupt football’s natural rhythms. Two games on a Saturday? Match of the Day lasting only 35 minutes? Monday Night Football on TNT Sports?
And that’s before we even get to discuss the fact not every club enjoys the same amount of day off, which in itself has caused no shortage of frustration among the managers.
Brighton haven’t played a Premier League game in three weeks, while Wolves are yet to get a taste of league action in 2024.
Let us all welcome a return to normality two weeks from now, thank you very much.
Wolves team news
And here’s Wolves’ XI for their trip to the Amex. As expected, Gary O’Neil makes three changes from the side that beat Brentford 3-2 in the FA Cup third round replay last week.
Pedro Neto makes his first start since October, while Mario Lemina and Craig Dawson come back into the team.
Brighton team news
Here’s how Brighton line up tonight.
The Seagulls make one change from their 0-0 draw at West Ham on January 2, which was their last Premier League outing.
Lewis Dunk replaces Adam Webster in defence, while Tariq Lamptey, is named on the bench and could make his first appearance since November.
Some early team news
Brighton could welcome back Igor after the defender missed the last two weeks with an Achilles problem, but Julio Enciso, Ansu Fati, Tariq Lamptey and Joel Veltman are all out but should return next month.
Solly March remains the only long-term absentee in Roberto De Zerbi’s squad.
Meanwhile, Pedro Neto could make his first start for Wolves since October, but Joao Gomes misses out through suspension.
Rayan Ait-Nouri and Boubacar Traore are both on AFCON duty, while Hwang Hee-chan is away at the Asian Cup.
The players are taking a look at the pitch
Preamble
And so onto the Amex, then.
Brighton can leapfrog Manchester United in seventh place in the table with a win tonight, but guessing which iteration of Roberto de Zerbi’s side will show up remains a fool’s errand.
In the past month, the Seagulls lost to Arsenal at the Emirates, were held to draws by Crystal Palace and West Ham away from home and were at their best in a 4-2 win at home over Tottenham.
They also put four past Stoke in the third round of the FA Cup.
Wolves, on the other hand, have been far more consistent of late.
Since losing 3-0 to West Ham on December 17, Gary O’Neil’s men have beaten Chelsea and Everton at home and put four past Brentford away.
Wolves have also had the better of Brentford in the FA Cup, albeit they needed a replay to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
A win tonight would see them move up to 10th in the table ahead of Newcastle.
Good evening!
Good evening and welcome to Mail Sport’s coverage of Brighton vs Wolves, which brings the curtain down on the Premier League winter break.
The hosts can climb up to seventh with a win, while three points would see the visitors move into the top half of the table.
Team news are due in just over 15 minutes with kick-off at the Amex scheduled for 7:45pm, so stick with us for all the pre-match build-up and the live action.
Key Updates
19:22
Gary O’Neil relishing Brighton challenge
18:46
Wolves team news
18:45
Brighton team news
18:31
Good evening!
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Brighton 0-0 Wolves – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Pedro Neto goes close to put the visitors ahead while tempers flare between Roberto De Zerbi and Gary O’Neil