Midlands | Larsen scores twice for Wolves in final eight minutes

Wolves 3 - 2 West Ham United

Jorgen Strand Larsen compounded the woes of West Ham manager Graham Potter as Wolves overturned a deficit to claim victory in their Carabao Cup second-round tie.

Author | Jamie P

Stadium | Molineux 

Player and fans celebrate

Larsen, who has been the subject of a £50m bid from Newcastle this week, came off the bench to score twice in the final eight minutes, sending Wolves through to the third round.

Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek had given West Ham the lead after Rodrigo Gomes had opened the scoring for the hosts, but Strand Larsen’s late strikes left the Hammers with three defeats from their opening three games of the season.

West Ham arrived at Molineux having conceded eight goals in their opening two Premier League fixtures, with Potter having won only five of his 21 matches in charge. His predecessor, Julen Lopetegui, lasted just 22 matches before being dismissed in January, and Potter now faces mounting scrutiny as he reaches a similar milestone.

The game lacked intensity for the opening 25 minutes, although Soucek forced a save from Sam Johnstone and Jarrod Bowen saw his effort well blocked by the Wolves goalkeeper.

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Rodrigo Gomes then put Wolves ahead in the first half, following up after Hwang Hee-chan’s penalty struck the post, with Guido Rodriguez having fouled Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in the area to concede the spot-kick.

West Ham recovered shortly after the interval, taking the lead 18 minutes into the second half. Soucek headed in first, before Paqueta capitalised on poor Wolves defending to convert Bowen’s cross.

Strand Larsen, however, struck twice in two minutes to secure Wolves’ first win of the season, with manager Vitor Pereira confirming his desire for the forward to remain at the club.

Full-time scenes

Wolves fans respond to win

Alvin was delighted with the win: “After a string of defeats in pre-season and losses in the first two league games, securing a positive result was crucial. This victory could serve as a springboard, helping to build the team spirit so evident."

Mark had a think about their wider situation, he told us: “The choice is straightforward. Keep Strand Larsen, and there is a chance of Premier League football next season. Sell him and Championship football becomes a real possibility.”