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Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Newcastle United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. Premier League.

St James' Park, NewcastleAttendance50,223.

Newcastle United 1

  • Ayoze Pérez (23rd minute)
  • D Yedlin (sent off 57th minute)

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

  • D Jota (17th minute)
  • M Doherty (94th minute)

Newcastle 1-2 Wolves: Matt Doherty's stoppage-time header secures victory

Report and highlights as Wolves secured a first away win since October

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Newcastle 1-2 Wolves

Matt Doherty's stoppage-time header ensured Wolves made it back-to-back wins in the Premier League following a 2-1 win against 10-man Newcastle at St James' Park.

Diogo Jota (17) scored his second goal in as many Premier League matches to give the visitors the lead but Newcastle were back on level terms six minutes later through Ayoze Perez's header (23).

The hosts were left to play 33 minutes with 10 men when referee Mike Dean showed DeAndre Yedlin a straight red card for bringing down Jota, but it looked like Rafael Benitez's side had done enough to hold on for a point until Doherty pounced in the fourth minute of stoppage time to seal Wolves' first away win in two months.

Victory sees Nuno Espirito Santo's side move up to 10th in the Premier League, while Newcastle stay 15th, three points above the relegation places.

Player ratings

Newcastle: Dubravka (7), Clark (6), Lascelles (6), Fernandez (6), Yedlin (5), Ki (6), Diame (7), Ritchie (6), Atsu (7), Perez (8), Rondon (8).

Subs: Manquillo (6), Joselu (n/a), Kenedy (n/a).

Wolves: Patricio (7), Doherty (7), Bennett (6), Saiss (6), Coady (7), Boly (6), Vinagre (6), Neves (6), Jota (8), Costa (7), Traore (6).

Subs: Jimenez (7), Gibbs-White (6), Moutinho (6).

Man of the match: Ayoze Perez

The visitors made the perfect start, taking the lead in the 17th minute when Helder Costa's flat cross from the right picked out Jota, who controlled the ball on his chest before volleying past Martin Dubravka from close range.

Newcastle almost found themselves further behind as Jota's low cross almost picked out Adama Traore at the far post but they were back on level terms six minutes after going behind with Salomon Rondon playing a key role.

The Venezuela striker's stunning free-kick beat Rui Patricio but crashed back off the underside of the crossbar. The visitors struggled to clear which allowed Rondon the chance to produce an inch-perfect cross for Perez, who flicked a superb header past Rui Patricio.

Also See:

Ayoze Perez of Newcastle United celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with Salomon Rondon during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James Park on December 9, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Image: Ayoze Perez (L) celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with Salomon Rondon (R)

Newcastle were forced into a change at the break as Javier Manquillo replaced Federico Fernandez, who picked up a calf injury. It also meant a positional change for Yedlin, who moved to an unfamiliar position on the right side of a back three.

The hosts were then reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when, under no pressure at all, Yedlin slipped as he tried to play the ball to Jamaal Lascelles. It allowed Jota to nip and burst past the American, who deliberately pulled him back just outside the penalty area leaving the referee with no choice but to brandish a red card.

Nuno sent on Raul Jimenez and Morgan Gibbs-White in place of Traore and Romain Saiss in search of a winner and the changes almost paid off, Jimenez striking the ball against the crossbar from 20 yards in the 74th minute.

Team news

Matt Ritchie, Ayoze Perez and Ciaran Clark all returned to the starting XI as Rafa Benitez switched things up following the 1-1 draw with Everton. Meanwhile, Wolves made three changes too as Ruben Neves, Adama Traore and Helder Costa were handed starts.

Benitez, already upset by decision to send off Yedlin, was further frustrated when Perez was left clutching his face on the floor following a challenge from Wily Boly. Wolves launched a counter-attack and Doherty almost picked out the far corner but he was denied by a flying Dubravka, who turned the ball around the post.

Just as it was looking as if 10-man Newcastle would hold on for a draw, a stoppage-time shot from Jota was pushed into the path of Doherty by Dubravka and the Republic of Ireland international could not miss with a close-range header right at the death.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matt Doherty (right) celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle.
Image: Doherty (right) scored deep into stoppage time to secure Wolves' 2-1 win at Newcastle

Opta stats

  • Wolves have won their first ever Premier League game against Newcastle after drawing four and losing two of their previous six meetings.
  • Nuno's side have won six of their 16 Premier League games this season, more than they managed in the whole of their last top-flight campaign (5 wins in 2011-12).
  • No team have had more 90th minute winners this season than Wolves (2, also Man Utd), with Newcastle losing to a 90th-minute winner for the second time this season; more than any other side.
  • All seven meetings between Newcastle and Wolves in the Premier League have seen both teams score - it's the most played fixture in the competition not to see a clean sheet.
  • Only Everton (91) and Arsenal (86) have had more Premier League red cards than Newcastle (82).
  • Seven of Newcastle's 13 Premier League goals this season have been headers, including six of the seven they've scored at St James' Park.
  • Newcastle have picked up just six points from their opening nine home Premier League games this campaign (P9 W2 D0 L7) - their worst ever start after nine home matches of a season in the top four tiers of English Football (previously eight points in the 1957/58 season assuming three points for a win).
  • Jota has scored in back to back Premier League games, after not scoring in his first 13 in competition
  • Rondon has been directly involved in four of Newcastle's last six Premier League goals (3 goals, 1 assist), including the last three in a row at St James' Park.

Man of the Match - Ayoze Perez


Andy Hinchcliffe: "Ayoze Perez has taken a lot of stick off Newcastle fans recently for not taking his chances. He took his goal brilliantly with a superb flicked header. He's worked hard for the cause as well."

The managers

Rafael Benitez: "I saw the replay and we need VAR right now. You can see the replay. I was praising the referees after a player was talking and they fined me. Imagine how I feel now. It was an elbow in the face, he was bleeding - it was so obvious. But I have seen the replay. You can see the replay and see the face of the player and after, what happened. Anyone can see that, so we need VAR."

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Rafa Benitez says it's clear VAR needs to be introduced in the Premier League after several decisions didn't go Newcastle's way in their Premier League defeat to Wolves.

Nuno Espirito Santo: "Honestly, with all my respect - which is a lot - for Rafa, the law is clear. You can argue if Lascelles can arrive on time to avoid the one v one of Diogo with the goalkeeper. I don't think so. Honestly, I have seen it and I don't think so. I think Diogo is clear one v one with the goalkeeper, so the law is clear and it is a red card."

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Nuno Espirito Santo says his Wolves side must control games better, but praised his players for never giving up as they got a late winner against Newcastle in the Premier League.

The pundits

Sky Sports pundits Matt Murray and Shola Ameobi both felt Willy Boly should have been red carded for an elbow on Ayoze Perez inside the area.

Murray: "I've got a Wolves hat on, but for me, that's a red card. If you jump with your arms in the air like that you're running the risk of giving away a penalty. It's definitely a penalty if VAR looked at it. You couldn't complain if he got a red card too. It was a pivotal moment."

Ameobi: "I've broken a couple of cheekbones from challenges like that and it is very dangerous. It's a definite red card. It's not a natural movement, he's going up for the ball - there's no reason to swing his arm back."

What's next?

Newcastle's next game is on Saturday when they travel to the John Smith's Stadium to face Huddersfield (3pm). Wolves are also back in action next Saturday when they face Bournemouth at Molineux.

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