Nottingham Forest vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. Premier League.
The City GroundAttendance29,368.
Report and free match highlights as Wolves snatch a point at the City Ground; Brennan Johnson opened the scoring but Wolves substitute Daniel Podence netted an equaliser before being sent off; FA confirm they are looking into Johnson’s suggestion that he was spat at by Podence
Saturday 1 April 2023 22:27, UK
Wolves weathered a second-half storm at Nottingham Forest, with substitute and top scorer Daniel Podence salvaging a point in an ill-tempered 1-1 draw.
Wolves started the game brightly, with Adama Traore carving inroads from the right channel but Forest increasingly began to take charge and took the lead through a neatly-worked goal from Brennan Johnson.
The hosts upped the ante in the second half and missed a clutch of golden opportunities to double their lead, with their front three of Johnson, Emmanuel Dennis and Morgan Gibbs-White wreaking carnage with breakaway attacks.
With Julen Lopetegui's side huffing, puffing and struggling to create opportunities on goal, the Spaniard threw top scorer Podence into the fold at the break and was repaid with seven minutes of normal time remaining when the Portugal international sold Neco Williams with a feint and smashed past Keilor Navas.
There were flashpoints. Forest coach Alan Tate and Wolves assistant Pablo Sanz received red cards after grabbing hold of each other during a raucous period of the game - after Wolves claimed a penalty when Felipe tugged on Traore's shoulder.
Wolves captain Ruben Neves also received his 10th yellow card of the season and will now face a two-match suspension, while Podence avoided receiving marching orders after appearing to spit at Johnson during the final minutes of the game.
The FA have confirmed they are looking into Johnson's suggestion that he was spat at by Podence.
The result leaves merely one point dividing the teams in the Premier League table, with Wolves sat in 13th on 28 points ahead of Forest in 14th, who have one game in hand.
The City Ground was rocking before kick-off and the game itself quickly built to a similar rhythm, with both sides enjoying sustained waves of pressure early in the first half.
Johnson - who was passed fit to start after missing international action with a groin injury - forced Jose Sa into an early save with a left-footed, curling effort, before Emmanuel Dennis bamboozled Nelson Semedo in the box and hit a pass directly against the defender's hand - amid penalty appeals, which referee Chris Kavanagh waved away.
Wolves almost levelled the scores when striker Matheus Cunha - starting in place of Raul Jimenez - mustered a glancing header from a Matheus Nunes cross, which cannoned back into play off the crossbar. Nunes himself almost bundled in an opportunity minutes later - but Williams managed to nullify the chance with his body and a lurching header.
But the hosts began to take full control with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, with their dynamic attacking trio of Johnson, Dennis and Gibbs-White finding swathes of space to run into from the middle of the park.
It was Gibbs-White who shone brightest, with Forest winning first contact from each of his set-piece deliveries, while his expansive play in midfield and pinpoint passing ran Wolves ragged all afternoon and playing a pivotal role in the opener.
The former Wolves man combined brilliantly with Danilo, who provided a Cruyff-flick one-two, before being returned the gesture. Danilo then lofted a pass for Johnson to run onto - which appeared overcooked - but the Welshman found an unlikely angle through Sa's legs to fire his side into the lead.
Lopetegui rang the changes at the break, throwing Podence and Pablo Sarabia into the fold in place of Joao Moutinho and Mario Lemina - but the departing midfield mettle only appeared to fuel Forest's breakaway endeavour more.
Time after time, Gibbs-White powered through the Wolves midfield and carved openings for team-mates, but Dennis failed to capitalise on two opportunities, while Johnson also fired wide from a loose ball - to name just a few golden opportunities.
Forest finished the game with 17 attempts on goal, seven on target and an expected goals tally of 1.26. In contrast, Wolves managed only one shot on target in the entire game - and that was the 83rd-minute equaliser from Podence.
Cooper's side will glean many positives from this game, but failing to secure victory during sustained periods of meaningful dominance against a relegation rival could prove decisive come May.
On flare-ups: "Since the change of manager [at Wolves], there have been some disciplinary issues on the sidelines and we knew we had to stand up for ourselves. We're not having anyone come here and try to dominate officials. So, we knew that's a tactic of theirs. We don't want to boil over, it's not a good look. But, at the same time, sometimes you have to match what's going on. I haven't got one complaint about my staff, that's for sure."
On reports his job is under threat: "I've been answering questions [about my future] for a while now, before the international break and you're asking me now about myself. I don't have much interest in myself. The only thing I'm working hard for is the football club and that's what makes this club what it is. It's not about individuals, it's about togetherness, collaboration and the greater good."
"It's very important in my job to have emotion and intensity but always with big respect for professional football. Sometimes there is a lot of emotion but there is one thing having emotion and another being [respectful]. Unfortunately, today, they didn't show this."
"Emotions were high today and I'm not going to allege he did anything he didn't but I felt like some kind of spit come towards my face and the referees have taken a look at it and not given a red card, so it's done now and I'm completely fine with it. It was a little bit [surprised it wasn't a red card], having seen what I've seen close up."
Nottingham Forest's next two matches are on the road, with Leeds their next opponents on Tuesday night before going to Aston Villa on the following Saturday.
Wolves' next two games are at home, with west London opponents Chelsea and Brentford due to visit Molineux over the course of the next two Saturdays. Julen Lopetegui's side then take on Leicester and Crystal Palace in two defining games at the bottom of the table.
