Wolves ease past West Ham to keep up impressive campaign

Marko Arnautovic gets on the ball for West Ham (Reuters)

Marko Arnautovic marked his return to West Ham's team by getting injured and leaving Molineux on crutches after a 3-0 loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Arnautovic missed West Ham's last two games after he was tempted to accept a lucrative offer from a Chinese club. On Friday, he said he was staying at the London club and signed a new contract.

He was recalled by West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini but didn't finish the match after hobbling off in the 77th minute with a leg injury following a tackle from Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves. He was wearing a protective boot as he left the stadium.

Raul Jimenez's late double inspired Wolves to an ultimately comfortable victory after West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski threatened to frustrate the hosts.

Romain Saiss opened the scoring with a header from a corner in the 66th, before Jimenez took his tally to 12 goals for the season with strikes in the 80th and 86th minutes.

Wolves climbed to seventh place in the Premier League. West Ham lost three days after exiting the FA Cup at the hands of third-tier struggler AFC Wimbledon.

AP

PREVIEW

What time does it start?

Wolves vs West Ham kicks off at 7.45pm.

Where can I watch it?

The match will not be shown live in the UK. Highlights will be shown on Match of the Day at 10.20pm on Wednesday on BBC One.

It’s a big game for…

Lukasz Fabianski: The Polish goalkeeper has had a brilliant season in net for West Ham and, following their humbling at the weekend, his performance on Tuesday will be of even greater importance in helping the Hammers get back to winning ways.

The goalkeeper is in form between the sticks (Getty)

Weird stat…

8: West Ham are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games played on a Tuesday.

Remember when…

Liam Brady scored a superb solo goal in West Ham’s 4-0 win over Wolves in May 1990.

Player to watch…

Diogo Jota: Jota has five goals in his last five Premier League games after failing to score in his first 13 appearances in the league and he will be hoping to keep this rich vein of form running.

Past three-meetings…

West Ham 0 Wolves 1 (Traore), Premier League, September 2018

West Ham 1 (Jelavic) Wolves 0, FA Cup, January 2016

West Ham 2 (Zubar OG, Sears) Wolves 0, Premier League, January 2011

Form guide…

Wolves: WLWLWD

West Ham: LDWWLL

Odds…

Wolves to win: 11/10

West Ham to win: 11/4

Draw: 5/2

(Odds provided by Betfair)

Key Points

• Wolves XI; Rui Patricio, Doherty, Coady, Bennett, Jonny, Neves, Saiss, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Jota, Jimenez.
• West Ham XI: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Ogbonna, Diop, Masuaku, Rice, Noble, Snodgrass, Anderson, Antonio, Arnautovic.

[29 January 2019 21:49 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

​Newcastle 2-1 Manchester City, 90 minutes

Martin Dubravka collects a left-footed Raheem Sterling cross easily. Too close to the goalkeeper. 

Five minutes added on at St James' Park as well.

Ayos Perez is replaced by Javier Manquillo.

[29 January 2019 21:50 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

​GOAL! Manchester United 2-2 Burnley (Victor Lindelof, 90 + 3 minutes)

Manchester United equalise in stoppage time!

Victor Lindelof of all people pops up with a header to level. Alexis Sanchez's nod towards goal was kept out by Tom Heaton but the goalkeeper was powerless as Lindelof turned in the rebound.

Not quite Fergie time, but close enough. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's unbeaten run will continue.

[29 January 2019 21:52 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Manchester United 2-2 Burnley

[29 January 2019 21:54 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Manchester City have a final corner with the five added minutes elapsed...

[29 January 2019 21:54 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Headed over the bar...

[29 January 2019 21:54 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Newcastle 2-1 Manchester City

[29 January 2019 21:56 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Wow!

Newcastle were a club in turmoil this morning, with Rafa Benitez supposedly headed for the exit door.

But tonight they have beaten Manchester City, and Liverpool will have the chance to move seven points clear at the top of the table tomorrow.

[29 January 2019 21:57 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

FULL-TIME SCORES

Arsenal 2-1 Cardiff

Fulham 4-2 Brighton

Huddersfield 0-1 Everton

Wolves 3-0 West Ham

Manchester United 2-2 Burnley

​Newcastle 2-1 Manchester City

[29 January 2019 22:02 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

An action-packed night of Premier League football.

Manchester United left it late but just about salvaged a point against an impressive Burnley, while Arsenal had to battle to victory against a spirited Cardiff.

Fulham stormed back from 2-0 down to defeat a capitulating Brighton, while Wolves surged away to continue West Ham's awful week. Jan Siewert's first game in charge of Huddersfield ended in defeat thanks to Richardson's third minute goal.

But the big story is Newcastle's win. The St James' Park crowd chanted throughout of their displeasure for Mike Ashley, but they brought the noise to spur their team on to an unlikely and morale-boosting victory. With as many as three new arrivals to come before Thursday's deadline, are things  turning around on Tyneside?

[29 January 2019 22:04 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

That's all from The Independent here this evening. Four more games tomorrow night for your consumption, and there will be plenty of reaction and analysis from tonight's fixtures tomorrow, too, as well as a healthy smattering of transfer news.

But for now, I've been Harry Latham-Coyle - thank you for joining me.