New Delhi: Wolverhampton Wanderers have been making a habit of creating drama after games. Days after their former captain Mario Lemina clashed with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen following a 2-1 loss, Molineux Stadium witnessed a repeat of the scene from London Stadium. Wolves were earlier conceded through the most bizarre way of collecting an own goal. After equalising, they gave back the lead to Ipswich in the closing minutes through a set piece.
At Molineux, it was clear there was frustration in the Wolves camp, having won just thrice from their last 26 Premier League games. The chaos led to one Wolves player being sent as the tempers between players were on the edge. At the stroke of the final whistle, there appeared to be a verbal exchange between Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri and Ipswich’s Liam Delap, with both the players booked now.
Ait-Nouri had received his second booking, and hence, he received a red card. He was likely to miss the next game against Leicester City, having picked his fifth yellow card of the season and being sent off from the field, which means he will return against Manchester United on Boxing Day. He will be one yellow card away from getting another one-match ban.
The Algerian international was then involved in some altercation with Ipswich winger Wes Burns, who had to be substituted late into the game after exchanges during the game with Ait-Nouri. The two players shoved each other, and Ait-Nouri looked furious. Wolves Goalkeeper Neil Cutler and reserve keeper Dan Bentley intervened and tried to pull Ait-Nouri break away from the exchange.
Bastien Meupiyou, who wasn’t utilised during the game, along with first-team coach Ian Burchnall, also tried to bring Ait-Nouri out of the exchange as new Wolves captain Nelson Semedo and Craig Dawson tried to talk the 23-year-old into reasoning and diffuse the whole scenario. However, Ait-Nouri tried to confront Burns again, with Dawson shoving his teammate down the tunnel.
Wolves manager Gary O’Neil expressed his displeasure at the whole event as being unavailable for the next week’s game wasn’t an ideal situation. O’Neil further noted that pressure shouldn’t get someone having recently dismissed Lemina as captain of the side after his altercation on the previous matchday.
Matheus Cunha feels the heat as well
Aside from Ait-Nouri, even Matheus Cunha clashed with an Ipswich staff responsible for security. Cunha appeared to be aiming his left elbow towards Ipswich’s official. Although the video evidence cannot exactly rule against the Wolves striker, there appears to be some contact made by Cunha.
When the staff member had turned to react to Cunha’s instigations, the latter moved his hand towards the staff and removed his glasses. Two Wolves stewards immediately pulled Cunha away, with defender Matt Doherty and another Ipswich staff trying to retain decorum.
Cunha eventually was led away from the chaos by Brazil’s full-back Pedro Lima as he continued to argue with Ipswich officials before regaining his calm and applauding the crowd at Molineux as he stepped off the field. The Brazilian international could now find himself facing retrospective FA charges.
Matheus Cunha faces potential FA ban after an altercation with an Ipswich staff after Wolves defeat.
Cunha was seen pushing the staff’s face and snatched their glasses.
Tempers flared at FT with Ait-Nouri being sent off and restrained by Craig Dawson.pic.twitter.com/LaJXaH2xTt
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The season has pushed away Wolves fans, with anger and frustration clearly growing amidst them as well. Though O’Neil still has some support from the fans, owner Fasun are not in the good books of the public. This comes five years after Wolves reached the Europa League quarter-finals, a high point for Fosun.
However, the fans have a growing feeling that there is seldom any communication from the club. On top of it, fans have noted the side is nothing like the one that was there a few years ago. O’Neil is clearly here to stay for a while, with a rumoured replacement not going through as the management understands that a change wouldn’t be helping the side much.
What is now clear is that supporting Wolves has gone from being frustrating to being embarrassing after Saturday’s display. Having won only twice this season, Wolves are just second-last in the table, four points above Southampton and are not looking good enough to clear away from the relegation zone anytime soon.
Wolves players Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri were involved in altercations after losing to Ipswich Town at Molineux Stadium. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
