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 19:54 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Richarlison sends Everton into an early lead at Huddersfield.

[29 January 2019 19:55 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Lovely scenes across the country before kick-off.

[29 January 2019 19:57 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

The players are out onto the pitch at Old Trafford and St James' Park.

Five minutes until kick-off in the later games...

[29 January 2019 20:00 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Arsenal 0-0 Cardiff, 12 minutes

A relatively subdued start at the Emirates. An emotional night for Cardiff, but they have started solidly and new signing Oumar Niasse has shown promisingly thus far.

[29 January 2019 20:01 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Silence impeccably observed in the two later kick-offs.

​Both games have now begun, with a Tyneside chorus of "we want Ashley out" greeting the referee's whistle.

[29 January 2019 20:02 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

GOAL! Newcastle 0-1 Manchester City (Sergio Aguero, 1 minute)

25 SECONDS!

A long ball sets Raheem Sterling free down the right. He cuts in on to his left foot and lofts hopefully for David Silva making a run at the far post.

Silva stumbles to the floor but somehow manages to divert a header from his knees back across goal. Martin Dubravka had committed himself to Silva, and thus Sergio Aguero has the simple task of volleying home into the empty net.

[29 January 2019 20:04 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

GOAL! Fulham 0-2 Brighton (Glenn Murray, 17 minutes)

Double trouble for Glenn Murray!

What a season the veteran striker is having! He's in the right place to poke home his second after Pascal Groß' rather haphazard bicycle kick attempt amidst a kerfuffle in the Fulham box.

The defensive woes continue for Claudio Ranieri and Fulham.

[29 January 2019 20:08 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Start.

[29 January 2019 20:09 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Manchester United 0-0 Burnley, 7 minutes

A relatively lively start at Old Trafford, with Chris Wood failing to truly test David De Gea after moving beyond the Manchester United defence.

[29 January 2019 20:10 · Harry Latham-Coyle]

Manchester United 0-0 Burnley, 9 minutes

And now Manchester United go close, oh so close in fact, with Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford combining nicely in the box, and the latter fires just wide.