Wolves v Newcastle: Premier League – live!

76 min Neves clears a cross and though Almiron collects the loose ball just outside the box, when he tries a left-footed curler, Moutinho charges and wears it on his back.

75 min Pablo Fornals has put West Ham ahead at Villa Park, scoring his side’s first league goal of the season. Steven Gerrard is in trouble.

74 min This game is disappearing. Newcastle still have a puncher’s chance of getting an equaliser, of course, but they’re not exerting any sustained pressure and Wolves are doing a really good job if keeping them away from the ball.

73 min Nunes is up again, and we’re back under way.

72 min “Feels weird seeing the manager of 11 walking, playing, Saudi Arabian flags wearing a Ukrainian heart on his lapel,” says Nelson Calvinho , and he’s right, it is – Pep Guardiola is another who’s humanitarian urge only speaks to him in certain circumstances. Truth is, those who work in football should be protected by those who run football – and by their government – but ultimately you’re responsible for your own integrity.

70 min Newcastle win a corner down the right and Wolves get it away, then we see that Fraser is down – he ran into Nunes, who looks a bit groggy after wearing a head to the coupon.

69 min I wonder if, now Fraser’s on, Howe will have Joelinton attack the box. I guess with Wood gone, they’ll be be looking for cut-backs more than crosses, but the way Wolves are defending makes that look an unlikely route to a goal.

67 min I’m not sure why you’d want Saint-Maximin in the middle. He’s not a half-turn player, but needs space to isolate defenders on the wing, forcing others to shuffle across – which creates opportunities inside for his teammates.

66 min Saint-Maximin is in the middle now, with Fraser at left-wing and Targett left-back.

65 min A double change for Newcastle, but Trippier must be OK because he’s staying on. Rather, Targett and Fraser replace Burn and Wood.

63 min Neto picks up another loose ball and there’s a real composure about his and Wolves’ work in the possession now. Trippier does then win the ball, but he can only launch it, and again Newcastle are pinned back; they don’t look especially like conceding again, but they look even less like equalising.

62 min Jimenez’s corner is headed away, but again Wolves quickly retrieve possession, and though they’re eventually put under pressure in their own half, Kilman works the ball clear.

61 min Wolves are back in control, knocking the ball about midfield as Newcastle scurry, then finding a man over out wide. Semedo then plays into Jimenez who touches off around the corner for himself, beating Schar and forcing Botman to leather behind.

59 min Now it’s Neto again, working space to shoot low; Pope saves easily enough, but yerman has been the best player on the pitch by far and looks eminently capable of wreaking further havoc.

59 min Neto overruns the ball so Trippier nips in; Neto then clothelines him with an extended leg, shin across shins, and is booked.

57 min It’s all a bit scrappy now, which Wolves won’t mind at all. I wonder if we might soon see Traore and Podence for Guedes and Jimenez, because as Newcastle commit more men forward in search of an equaliser, there’ll be serious space behind their defence.

55 min Newcastle look a little better now, though Trippier might’ve done a hamstring. I’m not surprised, Neto’s had him stretching all afternoon, and I too would be keen for a little sit-down.

54 min This time it’s Wolves struggling to get the ball away and when Schar’s teed-up outside the box, Kilman extends a thigh to flick his low, measured curler behind. This time, the corner is cleared easily enough.

53 min But then Saint- Maximin slides Almiron down the left and his cross is a decent one, Collins doing really well to get in front of Wood at the front post to poke behind.

52 min If I’m Eddie Howe, I thinking about making a change here.

50 min Wood blocks Neves’ free-kick behind, and again, Newcastle clear the first ball but struggle to get rid thereafter. Eventually, though, they move play downfield – but so far, nothing much has changed from the first half.

48 min A yellow card is deemed sufficient and, on balance, I’m glad VAR isn’t sufficiently empowered to overturn the on-pitch call. But had that been a red, I’m pretty sure Schar would be in the dressing room. So, free-kick Wolves, dead centre and 25 yards out.

48 min …and I can see why! Schar was nowhere near the ball and arguably reckless – he was on the stretch so not in control, and had Neto not been so lithe, he’d be in much more pain than he is.

47 min VAR is thinking about a red card here…

46 min Schar welts a clearance into Willock and Neto collects the loose ball, skating across him; naturally, Schar applies the lunge, on the stretch with studs pointing towards shin. Neto avoids the sharpest part, skipping over the leg, and Schar is booked.

46 min We go again.

“It must be strange to be a Wolves fan,” reckons Kári Tulinius. “They got not-quite taken over, but also not quite not, by Jorge Mendes, and for a season or two it looked like they’d one-nil their way to the Champions League. Now they’re still Mendesized, but the breadth of their ambition seems a lot less expansive. I worry they’ll persist in this limbo for a couple of seasons more, then come crashing down.”

My guess is most Wolves fans are enjoying themselves. They’ve got some very good, very fun players, and plenty of room to improve from here, even if the Mendes relationship feels odd.

Elsewhere:

Half-time email: “It’s actually eight Portuguese players,” corrects Robert Hammond. “And we love them all and want more.”

Rightly so. I can’t say the shebang sits right with me, but as long as the standard of players is as it is, whatever arrangement there is works well for Wolves.

Half-time fun: a cup-tie from 1979

Elsewhere, it’s Villa 0-0 West Ham. Both sides badly need the points.

Half-time: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Newcastle United

45 min There’ll be one added minute.

45 min I wonder if Eddie Howe might give Ryan Fraser a shy. I know Almiron is an important part of his system, but Wood needs crosses and he’s currently getting few currently.

44 min Jonny is down, but he should be OK.

42 min Kieran Trippier has had a horrible half, terrorised by Pedro Neto. He might want to get tighter after the break, because standing off is allowing his man to the space to get moving, and one-on-one, he’s struggling. Other hand, if he can get a foot or shoulder in as the ball arrives, he might avert the danger before it’s really present.

41 min This is a good test for Newcastle now, who haven’t shown much so far. Almiron has barely had a kick, and though Saint-Maximin looks lively, because there’s not much threat down the right, Wolves have been able to crowd him out most of the time.

LOVELY GOAL! Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Newcastle United (Neves 39)

38 min Pope comes for the cross, misses it, and though the immediate danger is averted, Wolves sustain the attack…

37 min Wolves win a free-kick just right of centre, 25 yards out…

35 min “I note that Wolves have seven Portuguese players in their starting lineup today,” tweets Ben Chia. “Why isn’t a bigger deal being made of the fact that this middling Midlands club have become Jorge Mendes’ plaything? It’s another form of financial doping I feel.”

I don’t think it’s financial doping, but the relationship is a little strange – though I guess it’s the game these days. Mendes has access to a rich seam of talent and Wolves are getting to mine it.

33 min Now it’s Wolves in the ascendancy, Jimenez unable to control a tricky shin-high volley following Semedo’s cross, then Neto isolating Trippier again – he’s got him on every defender’s worst carb, absolute toast – before crossing; Jimenez’s cross is blocked behind.

30 min This is a not unenjoyable game – not things we’re used to saying about those featuring either of these sides. It’s easy to laugh at “this league” and its sense of importance, never mind baulk at its moral vacuum, but the standard of play and entertainment so far this season has been great.

28 min Saint-Maxmin gets away from Semendo, who yanks him down. He’s booked, and must now last an hour without attracting further punishment; good luck with that, old mate.

26 min Massive chance for Wolves! Trippier finds himself under pressure down the left when he thought he’d have time to clear, Jimenez robbing him then curling a delectable cross to meet the arrival of Nunes! But mistiming his jump slightly, he gets under a ball he needs to be over, half-heading, half-shouldering a poor effort over the top from eight yards. That was the best chance of the game so far, and though the finish was miserable, you’ve got to applaud the timing of Nunes’ run and his desire to be the third man.

25 min Wolves, though, are a threat on the counter, Jimenez pulling wide feeding Jonny, whose cross is to no one but a tester, under the bar; Pope shovels it away well enough.

24 min That said, Semedo is defending him well so far, refusing to fall for his stepover when isolated and jockeying so that he’s forced to check, turn and send the ball backwards to no avail.

23 min If Newcastle can get Saint-Maximin on the ball, they can cause damage here; Wolves would be well advised to double-up on him, because it’s hard to see concerted danger emanating from anywhere else.

22 min Another iffy corner picks out Joelinton, arriving late at the back of the box, but he can only poke wide.

21 min Newcastle are starting to assert ringfencing the Wolves box so that when Longstaff slides a decent ball out to Almiron, it’s rolled back to Trippier whose cross yields a corner.

19 min Longstaff is putting himself about here, eager to take a chance he’ll not have expected, and after Botman wrestles Jimenez from behind, he lunges in and knees mince; Jimenez is hurt by the impact, but quickly recovers.

18 min Newcastle can’t get their passing game going here, but then Trippier lofts a decent ball over the top from left to right, Saint-Maximin worrying Semedo who’s underneath it. But just when it looks like he’s misjudged the flight, he stretches to poke behind, and the resultant corner comes to nothing.

16 min Wolves get the corner away and one pass, swept out to Guedes by Neves, turns the play. They’re looking dangerous on the counter, but this time, Longstaff tracks well to make the challenge.

15 min A loose touch from Collins allows Saint-Maxmin to rob him just outside the box, left of centre. He punches a square-ball to Wood, who might shoot but instead sets for Longstaff, and his shot is blocked behind. In co-comms, Don Goodman thinks Wood should’ve shot first time, but I don’t think his body position was right.