Match Thread: Crystal Palace v Wolves 8pm KO 20.05.25
Joao did grate
By Ivybridge Wolf
May 20 2025
When the fixture list was generated last June, who’d have thought Wolves would be playing the FA Cup winners this evening? Very many congratulations to them for a fine and popular victory! I feel a bit sorry for Palace as the elation of their terrific cup success will be replaced with a return to league football, what on earth ever happened to the FA Cup final being the grand finale of the football season as it should be? Even so, their fans will be up for it for certain as too will our travelling fans, making the trip down to south London on a Tuesday night. I just hope that the incredible emotion of the Wembley win, both physical and mental, will have reduced the bite of the Eagles tonight.
Wolves and Vitor Pereira will be preparing for this match in the usual way looking to get us as high in the league for the prize money alone, £24.9M for 13th as oppose to £12.9M for 17th (Premier League Prize money 24/25 ). It’s not just the prize money at stake, it’s the general standing of our club which in honesty looked doomed pre-Christmas, nevertheless the six match winning run has been followed by two defeats, including the home disappointment versus Brighton. Pereira has worked wonders for Wanderers and his efforts have now been nominated for Premier League manager of the season (see link here). Whilst he may not be favourite for the title, it is quite an honour to be recognised for what he’s done and worthy of congratulations.
Injuries in the FA Cup final have put pay to Guehi and Warton appearing tonight, whilst there are no new injury issues for Wolves and it may be that Strnad Larsen could make a return to the starting line up.
Like Brighton, Palace have become a bit of a modern day bogey team for Wanderers who have beaten us in six of our last eight league clashes. We last beat Palace in April 2023, our only post COVID success with our last victory at Selhurst Park even earlier in October 2018 when The Doc got the winner. Palace are having their best campaign in the premier league era, nonetheless, beating Spurs nine days ago was their first victory in five. Eze is on fire, as the nation saw on Saturday, and bags of skill and pace and he’s on a goal scoring run looking to score on his fourth consecutive league match.
Wolves fans will not forget we’ve now gone two games without scoring and stats show we have not kept a clean sheet in an away London fixture for 23 games, an amazing fact in itself. It’s not all gloom and doom and our away draw against the Eagles last November will definitely give our squad heart - Joao Gomes and Strand Larsen were our goal scorers that day.
The match is non-televised tonight, so however you are following, enjoy the game and good luck to our players. I keep changing my mind about how the result will end up, from positive to negative and visa versa, even so let’s hope we get the effort and passion!!
All the best, UTW!!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:12:21:08:47 by Ivybridge Wolf.
Vitor will no doubt be going for the win and it will be interesting to see what team selection he makes, perhaps another appearance for young Mane.
Should be a good match and will be all the better if we can squeeze three points.
Subs: King, Doherty, Bueno, Munetsi, J Gomes, Cunha, Hwang, Semedo, Lima
No Sa at all, Bentley in goal, Djiga in, no Joa, Rodrigo in, Larsen, Guedes and Sarabia up front!!!!
We’re 2 minutes into the game.
Agbadou fouls, Chillwell swings it in and Saar heads wide
Big Palace chance, Chillwell shoots and Bentley makes a great save, cleared with help from the Wolves defence
Another corner, headed back in and Agbadou heads in!!!! Palace 0-1 Wolves.
Goal line technology gave it!! Agbadou’s first Wolves goal and only our 4th goal from a corner this season
Poor defending in the left back position but very good attacking play from Esse (not Eze)
Nketiah is the scorer
Wolves are definitely keeping going however overall Palace ahve looked like more assured in attacked. So disappointing to find ourselves behind after taking the lead.
Certainly Palace are showing no signs of a Saturday night hangover. I’d say they deserve the lead. One or two Wolves changes too many?
We’re still in it.
UTW
Subs, Joao and Semedo on for Andre and Djiga
Bellegarde fouls Esse 25 yards out, Chillwell shoots and deflected off the wall past the helpless Bentley. 3-1.
The wall did not stand up to that shot. Poor
This half we’ve had 70% possession. Don’t count for nothing does it?
Strand Larsen has hardly seen the ball tonight, but that is what he’s there for. 14th of the season.
63 minutes gone
Let’s see if those changes influence matters
Eze for Esse!
Hwang for R Gomes
The corner is taken and Cuhna heads over at the front post.
We’ve been the better side this half, no doubt.
85 minutes gone
B**gger.
We get caught out at the back, Eze cuts in, beats the the defence and the scuffed shot beats Bentley
Frustration for Wolves for the third match in a row
Credit to Wolves who keep trying to go forward but all for nothing. FT
Crystal Palace 4-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers.
We had our moments but a losing the lead in the first half proved too costly. We were okay in the second half but couldn’t do enough in front of goal.
I hope we can finish the season on a bit more of a high at Molineux on Sunday. I’ll be there.
UTW
To many changes but I suppose vitor wanted to take a look at a few fringe players ro see if they are good enough, now he knows they are not.
Big rebuild in the summer with if you believe the rumours a fair few players will be leaving.