Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Molineux on Sunday, ending a more than 15-year wait for a home league win against their Black Country rivals. The only goal of the match came shortly after the hour mark when Fer López capitalized on a misplaced back pass by West Brom defender Nat Phillips, slotting the ball past goalkeeper Max O’Leary.
The match, attended by nearly 31,000 spectators, marked the first league meeting between the two teams in over five years, underscoring its significance for both clubs and supporters. Wolves head coach César Peixoto praised his team’s performance, emphasizing the players’ growing confidence and maturity. “The team now understand what games in the Championship are like, the players are more comfortable. We played with bravery and courage and we’ve grown up in the last three games,” he said, while also cautioning that the result represents “only three points” in a competitive league campaign.
West Brom’s manager James Morrison, who has experience as a player in derby matches between the sides, expressed disappointment at his team’s inability to handle pressure, attributing the defeat to defensive errors and a lack of composure on the ball. “We caused our own anxiety by not being clean with the ball and giving it away. I didn’t recognise the team,” Morrison said. He added that the team failed to threaten Wolves’ goal and lacked belief, highlighting that conceding from a defensive mistake was particularly damaging in such a high-stakes match.
The first half featured several notable moments, including a string of impressive saves by West Brom’s goalkeeper O’Leary. He denied Wolves multiple chances, notably pushing away a close-range header by Nasser Djiga onto the crossbar and clearing a follow-up attempt, as well as tipping a Marshall Munetsi header around the post. Wolves had opportunities themselves, with López missing a clear shot before halftime and Isaac Price’s free kick from distance testing Wolves’ goalkeeper José Sá.
The decisive moment came shortly after the break when Phillips’s errant pass across West Brom’s penalty area was intercepted by López, who calmly finished over O’Leary. West Brom sought to equalize, with Price delivering a dangerous set-piece that Sá managed to tip behind, but Wolves maintained control and held on through six minutes of added time.
The win lifts Wolves to within three points of league leaders Swansea City, with a game in hand, while West Brom remains just behind in the standings. Both teams will look ahead to upcoming fixtures as the Championship season continues to unfold.