Two goals in five second-half minutes from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes saw Newcastle United come from behind to stun Wolverhampton Wanderers with a 2-1 win at Molineux on Sunday.
Mario Lemina had given the hosts the lead by rounding off a free-flowing counter-attack late in the first half, sweeping home following a clever dummy from Joao Gomes.
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Newcastle had earlier struck a post through Anthony Gordon but Eddie Howe's men struggled to carve out clear-cut chances before a series of changes at and after half-time prompted an improvement.
Schar’s deflected strike levelled the scores with 15 minutes to play, then substitute Barnes went one better by curling a stunning effort beyond Sam Johnstone to secure the triumph.
The result means Newcastle move up to third with 10 points, ahead of their meeting with Fulham next week, while winless Wolves are in the bottom three with just a single point.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
15 | +18 | 36 |
| 2 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
16 | +18 | 34 |
| 3 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
17 | +18 | 33 |
| 4 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
17 | +4 | 31 |
| 5 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
17 | 0 | 28 |
How the match unfolded
An encounter devoid of early chances burst into life in the 22nd minute when Gordon skipped beyond Nelson Semedo and Yerson Mosquera, only to see his curling effort bounce off the far post.
But Wolves grew in confidence as the first half went on and took the lead nine minutes before the break. Jorgen Strand Larsen’s cross was cleverly dummied by Gomes, allowing captain Lemina to tap home from close range.
Lemina could then have doubled his tally after being picked out by the industrious debutant Andre, but he failed to test Nick Pope in the Newcastle net as he scuffed his left-footed effort wide.
Wolves continued to threaten on the break in the second half, with Larsen's effort striking the base of a post, but two bolts from the blue took the game away from them late on.
A deflection off the head of Craig Dawson carried Schar's 25-yard effort out of Johnstone's reach and into the top-left corner, then Barnes cut inside from the left to beat the Wolves goalkeeper with a superb curling strike from range.
Only a stunning save from Pope kept Matheus Cunha's stoppage-time volley out as Newcastle clung on, although almost adding a third when Barnes sent a dinked effort from a counter wide at the death.
Brazilian duo impress in defeat
Wolves’ return from the international break ended in heartbreaking fashion as one moment of misfortune and one piece of individual brilliance made the difference.
But there were positives for Gary O'Neil to take despite the result. After a slow start, the hosts recovered well, with the robust yet skilful midfield duo of Gomes and Andre causing Newcastle plenty of headaches.
The Brazilian pair dictated the tempo for much of the game, controlling the midfield area while also getting forward to offer a threat, with Andre showcasing why he was tipped to join a team battling at the top end of the Premier League.
Gomes, meanwhile, showed remarkable awareness to dummy Larsen's cross for Lemina to sweep home the opener, having started the attack with an interception near his own area.
Wolves showed plenty of promise in the final third but failed to extend their advantage on several occasions, with Larsen and Cunha going close early in the second half.
Their wait for a first win of the season rolls on, and things do not get much easier as they travel to West Midlands rivals Aston Villa next week.
Super subs propel Magpies
Newcastle started the encounter on the front foot, with Alexander Isak sending Jacob Murphy on his way, only for his chipped effort to be tipped over the bar by Johnstone.
Yet it was Wolves who dictated proceedings for most of the first half, forcing Howe into making alterations at the interval, introducing Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock and Barnes in place of Isak, Joelinton and Sean Longstaff.
Barnes’ directness offered the Magpies an outlet on the break, and when the game became stretched at 1-1, it was his stunning strike that clinched the win.
While Schar's equaliser was aided by a big deflection, there was nothing Johnstone could do when Barnes cut on to his right foot with 10 minutes to play, with his fine finish rivalling Jhon Duran’s winner against Everton on Saturday for the goal of the weekend.
Newcastle are yet to hit top gear this season, but they still sit just two points adrift of Manchester City at the summit, putting their rivals for European football on notice.
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What the managers said
Gary O' Neil: "We have better depth, of course. The run is the run. The team should be judged on what they did for the whole of last season. I am sure we will overachieve what many people will expect of us this season.
"Everyone is desperate for our first win. That was close to being our best today. We have gone up against a side that have spent an awful lot of money and were in the Champions League. There are not a lot of teams that can go against Newcastle and look the most likely to win."
Eddie Howe: "Massive win for us. Away from home we have questions to answer and that is a big step forward for us.
"I think we are stepping forward in terms of our performances. I think it was a step in the right direction. We can improve in lots of different aspects and that is what we are going to be working on this week. We are a really tight-knit group and we have to remain that way."
Match facts
Wolves have failed to win any of their opening four league games this season (D1 L3), while their single point makes this their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, along with 2003/04 when they were relegated in last place.
Wolves have lost six of their last seven home Premier League games (W1), losing eight games at home in 2024, more than any other team in the top flight. In fact, no team has lost more games in the competition overall this calendar year than their 13 – level with Sheffield United.
Barnes has been directly involved in 11 goals in his 25 Premier League appearances for Newcastle (seven goals, four assists), averaging a goal or assist every 87 minutes of league action for the Magpies.
