If Wolves were under any illusions of the challenges that lay ahead, then defeat at Bournemouth magnified their shortcomings. A disjointed display was ultimately punished by a fourth-minute strike by Marcus Tavernier that took a wicked deflection off Emmanuel Agbadou.
Wolves could count themselves unlucky in that particular moment, but the worrying thing from Vítor Pereira’s perspective was that his side appeared more dangerous with 10 men after Toti Gomes was dismissed four minutes into the second half for a silly push on Evanilson.
For Wolves, the visit of West Ham to Molineux in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday presents a chance to gain a much-needed uplift, as well as the opportunity to register their first goal of the season. Pereira is hopeful his squad will be boosted with three new signings – a defender, likely to be Girona’s Ladislav Krejci, a midfielder and a forward – but it remains to be seen whether new faces are in before next Saturday’s meeting at home to Everton.
“I just know one way to improve and the way is not about words but work,” said the Wolves head coach. “Work and work and work: try to follow the plan, not commit mistakes, correct them at training, try to not lose confidence.”
For Bournemouth, a first win of the season was welcome after a summer of great change, with an exodus of talent totalling more than £200m. Bournemouth are still reconfiguring, but Andoni Iraola gave Amine Adli, a £25m buy from Bayer Leverkusen, his debut late on, Ryan Christie, a driving force last season, made his first appearance since April as a substitute and Justin Kluivert also got his first minutes this season on what was a confidence-inducing afternoon.
“It was important for us to win the first game,” Iraola said. “We basically didn’t concede any chances.”
The biggest cheer before kick-off belonged to Antoine Semenyo, his name celebrated last and the loudest as the teams were read aloud. Semenyo, who reported being racially abused at Anfield in the opening game of the season, was involved in the buildup to the match-winning moment, which stemmed from the bustling USA midfielder Tyler Adams hounding Jean-Ricner Bellegarde on the edge of the area.
Semenyo laid the ball on for the overlapping Tavernier, whose strike flew in off Agbadou’s left leg. Cue Tavernier’s baseball swing celebration.
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Semenyo came close to doubling Bournemouth’s lead on 10 minutes, but his first-time effort, after reading a dainty cross by David Brooks, struck the underside of the crossbar. Ten minutes after the interval, a near-identical move – Brooks shifting infield from the right before crossing with his left foot – was the catalyst for another Semenyo chance. Evanilson hoicked Brooks’s cross away from a frustrated Tavernier, but into the path of Semenyo, who skied his effort into the back of the Steve Fletcher Stand.
The first half proved a particularly difficult watch for those of a Wolves persuasion. The Brazil midfielder André, a surprise omission from the starting lineup, entered at the break in place of Bellegarde together with Hugo Bueno, who spent last season on loan at Feyenoord.
“The positions are not a gift,” Pereira said. “I like André a lot – he can give us a lot. But I must push him to get better and increase his level. We must deserve things in life, he must deserve to play in the first XI.”
Fifty-three seconds into the second half, Wolves exceeded a dismal opening first half, Jhon Arias sending a first-time shot into the sidenetting from Bueno’s cutback. Any brewing optimism was doused three minutes later when Toti panicked after Evanilson raced in on goal and took matters into his own hands, pushing the striker in the back.
Wolves at least roused from there, the debutant Jackson Tchatchoua zooming down the flank in search of an equaliser, but their sole effort on target was a Jørgen Strand Larsen header on 17 minutes. By the end, it felt an awful long time ago.
“After the red card, it was very difficult,” Pereira said. “It’s hard to play against this team with 11, with 10 … even harder.”
