Report: Saints suffer defeat at Wolves

The sides came into the fixture occupying 19th and 20th place in the table, with Saints one point above their opponents, meaning there was plenty at stake in the early-season standings, and Pablo Sarabia’s second-minute goal followed by Matheus Cunha’s sensational strike shortly after half time proved decisive in sending the points to the hosts.

For Saints, it was frustrating on more than one level, having dominated the first half, seeing what would have been a 12th-minute equaliser ruled out following a VAR check, and also having their claims of a foul in the build-up to the second goal waved away.

Fresh from the 1-0 home win over Everton a week earlier, Russell Martin had initially named an unchanged team, as Saints looked to immediately build on their first Premier League victory of the campaign, but he was dealt a blow during the warm-up when midfielder Flynn Downes had to be withdrawn with a knee injury, which led to Joe Aribo taking his place in the starting line-up and Nathan Wood being added to the bench.

Joe Aribo was a late addition to the line-up following an injury to Flynn Downes (Photo: Matt Watson)

It was far from an ideal way to start the afternoon, and that was true of the game itself too, as Wolves grabbed the lead with fewer than two minutes on the clock.

Cunha pounced on a loose ball around halfway and powered forward with it, drifting into a central position from the left and then sliding a pass through for the run of Sarabia, who met it in stride, took it past the diving Aaron Ramsdale and slotted into the subsequent empty net.

Trailing, but with almost the entire game still ahead of them, Saints set about mounting a response, and a clever corner routine in the eighth minute saw them work the ball to Adam Armstrong in space about 20 yards out, with his shot whipping just wide of the top corner.

Four minutes later, they thought they had indeed equalised, only for their celebrations to be cut short after a VAR check that ruled it out.

It was Ryan Manning who had found the back of the net, lashing a shot into the far top corner from inside the area, after the ball had fallen to him when a Mateus Fernandes effort was blocked. But Fernandes was judged to have unfairly tripped Nelson Semedo as the two had a coming together when going for the rebound, with the decision coming from referee Thomas Bramall after he looked at the incident in the pitchside review area.

Mateus Fernandes with a shot that was blocked, moments before a Saints equaliser was ruled out (Photo: Matt Watson)

Despite being a tough call to swallow, it was at least further evidence of hope that the visitors could turn the game around.

And they continued to push and ask questions of the Wolves defence as the half wore on, creating a couple of good moments that unfortunately came to nothing, including Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s header from a deep corner that spun just wide on 39 minutes and a Fernandes free-kick that was a yard or two off target in added time.

It meant the break arrived with Saints behind, but undoubtedly having looked the better of the two sides.

Still, a goal was very much needed, and Martin made a change before the second half began, bringing on Tyler Dibling for Manning.

But it was Wolves who had the first opportunity of note, as Aaron Ramsdale got down well to his right to stop Joao Gomes’s low shot from 20 yards five minutes after the restart.

There was nothing he could do with the shot sent in the direction of his goal a minute later, though, as Cunha released an astonishing strike from distance that rocketed across goal from 25 yards and flew just inside the far post, doubling the Wolves lead.

Ramsdale was furious a foul had not been given in the build-up against Wolves for potential fouls on Fernandes and then Cameron Archer, crucially giving the hosts control of the ball, with the keeper immediately racing to the referee to join others in protesting, but it was another big decision that unfortunately did not go Saints’ way.

Two more changes followed soon after, as Yuki Sugawara and Lesley Ugochukwu came on for Jack Stephens and Adam Lallana, before Paul Onuachu and Ben Brereton Díaz were sent on in place of Archer and Aribo in the 73rd minute.

But Wolves, by virtue of their two goal lead, had better control of the game by this point and were able to see things out.

Wolves: Sa, Semedo, Bueno, Dawson, Toti, Ait-Nouri (Doherty 90+5), J Gomes, Lemina (c), Sarabia (Bellegarde 46), Cunha (R Gomes 90), Strand Larsen (Guedes 72).

Unused substitutes: Johnstone, Andre, Doyle, Forbs, Pond.

Goals: Sarabia (2’), Cunha (51’).

Booked: Bellegarde.

Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens (c) (Sugawara 60), Manning (Dibling 46), Aribo (Brereton Díaz 73), Lallana (Ugochukwu 60), Fernandes, Armstrong, Archer (Onuachu 73).

Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Bree, Wood, Amo-Ameyaw.

Booked: Harwood-Bellis, Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Ugochukwu.

Referee: Thomas Bramall.

Attendance: 31,403.