Newcastle arrived at Molineux in retro shirts to bring back memories of David Ginola and Les Ferdinand but there was no swagger or flair in their goalless draw against Wolves. There was the potential to go fifth in the Premier League with a win for the Magpies but they toiled on their way to a point instead.
With two-thirds of possession throughout the game, Newcastle must have expected to come away with more but they possessed neither the creativity nor finishing. Wolves were worthy of the draw, which leaves them three points shy of Derby’s worst-ever tally of 11, a total many at Molineux, at Christmas, feared would not be overcome.
The two teams kicked off with confidence growing; Wolves were four unbeaten in all competitions after a traumatic start to the season, while Newcastle had won three Premier League games in row. It was the visitors who looked to control the game early on, maintaining possession and testing where the gaps were in the home defence but apart from Nick Woltemade’s two misdirected headers, they lacked an immediate threat.
Wolves got to enjoy playing in front of a crowd who did not arrive fearful. Rob Edwards has created order with the setup and they are more difficult to break down, while offering danger on the counter. Jackson Tchatchoua used his speed to get down the right quickly but two crosses in quick succession were blocked before any danger could arise.
For all the composure Newcastle showed when slowing building attacks, they lacked a spark in the final third when it mattered. Too much ponderous football on the edge of the Wolves box made them easy to defend against for the back five in gold. Space was at a premium but Newcastle did not know how to create more. Crosses came and went but Newcastle failed to test José Sá in the first half.
A key component of Wolves’ mini-resurgence has been the teenager Mateus Mané, who had the first shot on target with a clever volley when his back was to goal. He is the only who brings the energy in midfield alongside the diligence of André and João Gomes. Mané was allowed to drift on to the left wing to put pressure on Kieran Trippier, who was in his third game back after a two-month injury lay-off. Edwards pinpointed the area as a potential weakness and Mané could benefit against a man 17 years his senior but Trippier held firm.
Despite the ineffective nature of Woltemade, it was Wolves who moved to change a striker first. Tolu Arokodare, after an hour or so of graft, was withdrawn, with Jørgen Strand Larsen on to take his place. Fresh from a hat-trick in the FA Cup thrashing of Shrewsbury, the Norwegian must have been eager to show he can do it in the Premier League, especially against a team that was contemplating spending £60m on him in the summer.
Newcastle continued to dominate, eventually sending on Yoane Wissa for Woltemade as part of a triple substitution to liven things up. Most of Newcastle’s plan centred around corner kicks but the delivery was not up to scratch, especially against a side with plenty of height and something different was required after 70 minutes without a shot on target. A Trippier free-kick from 30 yards rippled the outside of the net to continue the blunt theme.
Wolves’ own attacking credentials were diminishing, unable to counter in the way that irritated the Newcastle defence before the break but they had the crowd behind them and they were suspicious one good chance would be created. Mané failed to control the ball in the box and relinquished a fine opportunity.
Sá finally proved his alertness in the 85th minute to save from Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton from a free-kick but beating the goalkeeper would have made it a fortunate victory.
