Premier League
WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers1West HamWest Ham United0

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 West Ham United: Raul Jimenez goal ends Hammers' winning run

By Matthew HowarthBBC Sport
Raul Jimenez, Wolverhampton Wanders, goal against West Ham
Raul Jimenez's third goal of the season earned Wolves a third straight home win in the league

Raul Jimenez says he "knew from the first moment" he would recover from a "difficult part of his life" after scoring the only goal in Wolves' win over West Ham on Saturday.

Striker Jimenez, who spent eight months on the sidelines after fracturing his skull in a league game at Arsenal last season, swept Daniel Podence's cut-back into the corner from the edge of the box to lift Bruno Lage's side up to sixth in the table - and end the Hammers' four-game winning run in the Premier League.

"I knew I'd be back, and I'm here," said the 30-year-old. "I'm enjoying what I'm doing with the team and the club. I'm really happy to be back."

Wolves dominated proceedings after a slow start and created numerous opportunities to take a first-half lead - the best of which fell to Jimenez, who dragged a tame effort wide with only West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to beat.

Kurt Zouma had the ball in the net for the Hammers, but the centre-back's header was disallowed for a foul on Romain Saiss.

Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen blazed over in the second half as the visitors sought a route back into the game, but David Moyes will be bitterly disappointed with his team's below-par performance.

Max Kilman should have ended West Ham's hopes of salvaging a point when he fired Rayan Ait-Nouri's free-kick delivery over the crossbar with three minutes remaining.

"We knew we were beaten in the last match [at Crystal Palace], so this was a good opportunity today to bounce back," added Jimenez.

"We're fighting as a team and as a family. This is how we have to keep going."

Wolves too strong for toothless Hammers

Wolves 1-0 West Ham: Bruno Lage happy Wolves' plan paid off against West Ham

Their recent 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace notwithstanding, Wolves have been improving steadily under Lage since losing their opening three league games of the campaign.

Indeed, only leaders Chelsea and in-form Arsenal have picked up more points than Lage's team since they were beaten by Manchester United at Molineux at the end of August.

They were content to soak up the Hammers' pressure early on but grew into the game as the first half went on. Ruben Neves tested Fabianski from distance before Nelson Semedo shot wide of the near post from Ait-Nouri's cross.

Jimenez should have put the hosts into the lead moments later after latching onto an exquisite Neves pass, but failed to hit the target after attempting to dink the ball over the onrushing Fabianski.

The pattern of play continued early in the second half, with the lively Podence forcing the Hammers' goalkeeper into two terrific saves - one from a low shot towards the far corner and another from a looping strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Jimenez eventually got the goal the hosts' enterprising play deserved as Wolves recorded three successive top-flight victories for the first time since 1980.

It all started so well for West Ham, who were crisp in possession in the early stages and tested Jose Sa through Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek.

They faded as the game wore on, though, managing just one further shot on target - from captain Declan Rice in the second half.

A fifth successive victory would have equalled the club's top-flight record, but it was not to be.

Wolves 1-0 West Ham: We didn't reach the level we're used to - Moyes

Player of the match

JiménezRaúl Jiménez

with an average of 7.83

Wolverhampton Wanderers

  1. Squad number9Player nameJiménez
    Average rating

    7.83

  2. Squad number37Player nameTraoré
    Average rating

    7.51

  3. Squad number8Player nameRúben Neves
    Average rating

    7.41

  4. Squad number10Player nameDaniel Podence
    Average rating

    7.16

  5. Squad number22Player nameNélson Semedo
    Average rating

    7.13

  6. Squad number28Player nameJoão Moutinho
    Average rating

    7.12

  7. Squad number26Player nameHwang Hee-chan
    Average rating

    7.07

  8. Squad number23Player nameKilman
    Average rating

    7.07

  9. Squad number32Player nameDendoncker
    Average rating

    7.03

  10. Squad number16Player nameCoady
    Average rating

    6.99

  11. Squad number3Player nameAït-Nouri
    Average rating

    6.87

  12. Squad number27Player nameSaïss
    Average rating

    6.82

  13. Squad number1Player nameJosé Sá
    Average rating

    6.71

West Ham United

  1. Squad number1Player nameFabianski
    Average rating

    6.69

  2. Squad number41Player nameRice
    Average rating

    6.66

  3. Squad number22Player nameBenrahma
    Average rating

    6.56

  4. Squad number20Player nameBowen
    Average rating

    6.42

  5. Squad number3Player nameCresswell
    Average rating

    6.40

  6. Squad number9Player nameAntonio
    Average rating

    6.36

  7. Squad number31Player nameJohnson
    Average rating

    6.35

  8. Squad number4Player nameZouma
    Average rating

    6.28

  9. Squad number28Player nameSoucek
    Average rating

    6.25

  10. Squad number15Player nameDawson
    Average rating

    6.21

  11. Squad number8Player nameFornals
    Average rating

    6.10

  12. Squad number10Player nameLanzini
    Average rating

    4.99

  13. Squad number7Player nameYarmolenko
    Average rating

    4.77

  14. Squad number11Player nameVlasic
    Average rating

    4.58

Line-ups

Wolves

Formation 3-4-2-1

  • 1
  • 23Kilman
  • 16Coady
  • 27Saïss
  • 22Nélson Semedo
  • 8NevesBooked at 54mins
  • 28João Moutinho
  • 3Aït-Nouri
  • 10PodenceSubstituted forTraoréat 76'minutes
  • 26Hwang Hee-chanSubstituted forDendonckerat 87'minutes
  • 9Jiménez

Substitutes

  • 2Hoever
  • 5Marçal
  • 11Machado Trincão
  • 15Boly
  • 17Fábio Silva
  • 21Ruddy
  • 32Dendoncker
  • 37Traoré
  • 39Cundle

West Ham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Fabianski
  • 31Johnson
  • 15Dawson
  • 4Zouma
  • 3Cresswell
  • 28Soucek
  • 41RiceBooked at 86mins
  • 20BowenSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 71'minutes
  • 22BenrahmaSubstituted forVlasicat 71'minutes
  • 8FornalsSubstituted forLanziniat 59'minutes
  • 9Antonio

Substitutes

  • 5Coufal
  • 7Yarmolenko
  • 10Lanzini
  • 11Vlasic
  • 13Areola
  • 16Noble
  • 23Diop
  • 26Masuaku
  • 33Král
Referee:
Mike Dean
Attendance:
30,667

Match Stats

Home TeamWolvesAway TeamWest Ham
Possession
Home52%
Away48%
Shots
Home15
Away8
Shots on Target
Home5
Away3
Corners
Home7
Away3
Fouls
Home6
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, West Ham United 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, West Ham United 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Adama Traoré (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Romain Saïss.

  4. Post update

    Maximilian Kilman (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Nikola Vlasic (West Ham United).

  6. Post update

    Attempt missed. Maximilian Kilman (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Rayan Aït-Nouri with a cross following a set piece situation.

  7. Substitution

    Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leander Dendoncker replaces Hwang Hee-Chan.

  8. Booking

    Declan Rice (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  9. Post update

    Nélson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Declan Rice (West Ham United).

  11. Post update

    Foul by Maximilian Kilman (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

  12. Post update

    Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Romain Saïss (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

  14. Post update

    Tomas Soucek (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  15. Post update

    Raúl Jiménez (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Craig Dawson (West Ham United).

  17. Post update

    Foul by Nélson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

  18. Post update

    Nikola Vlasic (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  19. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Michail Antonio.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Adama Traoré replaces Daniel Podence.

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