Sporting Life
Diogo Jota celebrates scoring for Wolves at Molineux
Diogo Jota celebrates scoring for Wolves at Molineux

Wolves 3-0 Norwich: Diogo Jota scores again as Nuno's side maintain European push

Football
Sun February 23, 2020 · 6y ago

On-fire Diogo Jota bagged a brace as Wolves comfortably crushed Norwich 3-0 at Molineux to maintain their push for European football again next season.

After scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 Europa League thumping of Espanyol on Thursday night, Jota took his tally to 14 for the season with both goals in the first half.

Raul Jimenez then poached his 21st of the campaign early in the second period to leave Nuno Espirito Santo's side two points behind fifth-placed Manchester United, and woeful City propping up the Premier League, seven points from safety.

For the opening 15 minutes, though, Wolves appeared to be suffering a post-Europa League hangover following the win over Espanyol as they were sluggish and off the pace.

The opening two chances fell the way of the visitors, initially with Teemu Pukki's flick to a low ball in from the left from Kenny McLean saved by the feet of Rui Patricio in the seventh minute.

But from Wolves' opening goal in the 18th minute there was then only one team in the game as a Norwich side clearly lacking in confidence fell away.

From Leander Dendocker's cross from the right, Matt Doherty collected, spun and played in Jota, who followed up with a spin away of his own from his marker before firing a low shot underneath Tim Krul from eight yards.

The goal eventually stood despite a typically-lengthy VAR check for a potential handball against Doherty in the build-up.

After Alexander Tettey had cleared off the toes of Jimenez a byline ball from Jota into the six-yard box, the latter made it 2-0 on the half-hour.

From a left-wing cross from Jonny that was flicked on by Dendoncker and turned back into the six-yard box by Romain Saiss, Jota tapped home from two yards. Another VAR check ruled out offside.

The game was over as a contest five minutes into the second half, with Dendoncker sending Jimenez forward before a lay-off to Jota who unleashed a stunning right-foot drive that cannoned off a post.

Jimenez, though, had followed through with his run to be in the right place to bundle home from close range with Krul stranded.

Wolves then comfortably saw the game out, keeping a fourth-consecutive clean sheet in all competitions for the first time since September/October 2018, while Norwich have failed to score in their last three league matches.

Wolves 3-0 Norwich City - Opta stats

  • Wolves earned their biggest win in the Premier League since January 2019 (3-0 v West Ham), while they’ve only won by a larger margin once previously in the competition – 4-0 v Blackpool in February 2011.
  • Norwich have won just 18 points in the Premier League this season – of the previous 15 instances of a team having 18 or fewer points at this stage, only three have managed to avoid relegation (West Brom in 2004-05, Portsmouth in 2005-06 and Leicester in 2014-15).
  • Wolves have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the top-flight for the first time since between October and November 1981 (five in a row).
  • Since beating Manchester City in September 2019, Norwich have gone winless in their last 11 games against teams starting the day in the top half of the Premier League (D5 L6).
  • Diogo Jota has scored 10 goals in his last 12 appearances for Wolves in all competitions - he has only scored in four of those games, netting at least two goals in each (two braces and two hat-tricks).
  • Wolves are unbeaten in the 10 Premier League games when Diogo Jota has scored, picking up the victory on eight of those occasions (two draws).
  • Wolves forward Raúl Jiménez has scored more Premier League goals than any other player this season without ever netting the first goal in a match (12).
  • Wolves’ Matt Doherty has been directly involved in 13 goals in the Premier League since the start of last season (seven goals and six assists); the third-most of any defender in this period, behind Trent Alexander-Arnold (25) and Andrew Robertson (18).

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