Report and reaction as Albion win 2-0 at Wolves

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Substitute scores late second after Welbeck penalty as Albion triumph 2-0 at Molineux to move up to ninth.

Bruce Talbot

2025-05-10T17:00+01:00

Jump for joy: The players celebrate in front of a packed away stand at Molineux after Danny Welbeck's penalty. 📷 James Boardman.

Albion’s push for European football is back on after they won comfortably at Molineux to climb up to ninth place.

Danny Welbeck made it ten Premier League goals for the first time in his stellar career with a first-half penalty and five minutes from the end substitute Brajan Gruda’s composed close-range finish – his first league goal for the club – sealed the deal.

Brajan Gruda points to the heavens after scoring his first Premier League goal. 📷 James Boardman.

Bart Verbruggen made a couple important saves early in the second half, but Albion were worthy winners. A first league clean sheet since the 4-0 victory at Southampton in February provided the platform with Adam Webster marshalling the back four impressively in the absence of Lewis Dunk. Fabian Hurzeler’s substitutions made a difference too, especially Gruda.

Brajan Gruda's composed finish late on sealed Albion's victory. 📷 James Boardman.

Goncalo Guedes lifted an early chance over for Wolves but the combination of Tariq Lamptey and Mats Wieffer offered a profitable outlet for Albion in the first half.

Welbeck thought he’d scored in the 22nd minute when he clipped Lamptey’s cross beyond Jose Sa. Yankuba Minteh claimed he got the final touch but instead, after another interminable delay, the VAR judged he’d been offside as he attempted to play the ball.

But Albion didn’t have to wait long for their breakthrough. Wieffer pressed Matheus Cunha to win the ball back and when he burst into the box Cunha hauled him down for a penalty which Welbeck coolly rolled into the corner as Sa dived the other way. Cunha got a yellow card – he was very fortunate it wasn’t a red.

Pervis Estupinan shows great close control. 📷 James Boardman.

Wolves huffed and puffed but Albion were resolute and apart from a routine save from Marshall Munetsi’s header Bart Verbruggen had little to do in the first half.

Albion’s keeper was called upon to push out an effort from Cunha at full stretch 12 minutes into the second half before a quadruple change gave Wolves’ fans a new lease of life and Verbruggen diverted Rayan At-Nouri’s cross away otherwise Jorgen Strand Larssen would have had a tap in.

Albion’s decision making when they opened up Wolves on the break sometimes let them down and when Wieffer led one counter from deep in Albion territory to find Yankuba Minteh he lost possession with Gruda in yards of space on the right waiting for a simple pass.

A clenched fist salute from Danny Welbeck after he scored his tenth Premier League goal of the season. 📷 James Boardman.

Gruda would have his moment though. With five minutes to go the tireless Wieffer led another counter down the right and picked out Simon Adingra. He ran at a retreating defence and slipped a pass to Gruda who waited before Sa committed himself and lifted the ball into the net. The perfect away performance.

The line-up

Verbruggen, Lamptey (Adingra 59), Webster, van Hecke, Estupinan, Wieffer, Baleba (Gomez 78), Minteh (Mitoma 78), O’Riley (Gruda 59), Ayari (Hinshelwood 90+4), Welbeck.

Subs: Steele, Cashin, Howell, Igor.

Fabian Hurzeler's verdict...

"In the first 20 minutes we created chances, but after the penalty we lost control and made too many easy mistakes. We needed to get back to our match plan and in the second half we defended better, were good in possession and the second goal came at the right time.

"Mats Wieffer was impressive. I love high pressure and it gave us the penalty, while defensively he was very solid.

"Brajan Gruda never gives up, he has tried to improve every day on the training pitch and he got his rewards. It's not always that a German praises another German, but I have to do this today!

"Danny Welbeck has never played so many minutes in the season so I have to credit to the medical team for that. He is a great goalscorer who has proved it today and is an inspiration and a role model to the younger players. I am convinced Danny can continue for a long time.

"Adam Webster was similar to Danny. No matter how many injuries he's had he is always ready to perform, show his personality and big character. He is always ready to play [in the Premier League] and he showed that today."