By Sam Tonks
An injury-time goal from Adama Traore was enough as Wolves were 1-0 victors at London Stadium in a very tight affair.
It was a bright opening to proceedings at London Stadium, as both sides were searching for their first league wins of the season.
Filipe Anderson had an impressive showing at Arsenal last weekend and nearly scored his first West Ham goal after four minutes. Jack Wilshere retrieved the ball back well and played it to Anderson, he fired a shot from the edge of the box which was saved by Rui Patricio. Marko Arnautovic latched onto the loose ball but the Wolves keeper cleared his cross away from danger.
The visitors began to see a lot of possession but chances were at a premium in the first half. Matt Doherty and Helder Costa were linking up well down the right wing, with the former testing the hands of Lukasz Fabianski on 11 minutes.
Both sides became cagey with neither wanting to make a crucial mistake. Diogo Jota headed over from six yards out following good work from Joao Moutinho in the closing stages, but the Hammers did well to limit the chances for Wolves in the first half.
Andriy Yarmolenko was introduced to start the second half, replacing Robert Snodgrass, and immediately brought Arnie more into the game with good link-up play. The Ukranian’s dummy and run nearly worked with Arnautovic’s pass blocked.
The second attempt was better, the Austrian clipped the ball over the top but Yarmolenko had the ball taken off him by Willy Boly.
He tried to turn provider on 58 minutes. Managing to dig out a cross to the back post, Michail Antonio connected with a looping header but again Patricio clawed the ball out. Fabianski also had to be alert when Raul Jiminez flicked on Moutinho’s free kick, holding the ball well.
The Polish goal-keeper is quickly becoming a fans favourite and on 74 minutes he proved why. Jiminez ran down the left flank, his cut back fell for substitute Leo Bonatini but Fabianski spread himself well to save from close range.
It was a frustrating second half for the Hammers with the ball not falling kindly for Antonio or Arnautovic in penalty-box scrambles. Pedro Obiang took aim from further out, but dragged it just wide in the last 15 minutes.
With the score still goalless, a golden chance fell for Jiminez when Doherty picked him out with a low cross, but his feet got tangled and the opportunity was missed. Just two minutes later, Arnie had his. Running down the right, he turned Conor Coady but Patricio was in fine form and saved brilliantly.
Fabianski denied Doherty for the second time today as neither could find the winning goal with the game heading into stoppage time. But in the 93rd minute, Ruben Neves won the ball on the half-way line and Adama Traore was racing away down the right, he found him and this time Fabianski was beaten.
A disappointing defeat for West Ham, Chelsea are the next visitors to London Stadium on the 23rd September.
Â
