Paul Merson compares ‘unbelievable’ Wolves star to Lionel Messi during Newcastle United defeat
One Wolves star is being raved about despite the Old Gold losing late against Newcastle United.
It was a game of two halves for Wolves, or more of a game of four quarters as Gary O’Neil’s side crumbled late against Newcastle.
The Old Gold’s 1-0 lead was overturned in a matter of five minutes, as two wonder strikes from the visitors unpicked the host’s hard work.
Defeat was the last thing that Wolves needed given the difficulty of the Premier League fixtures ahead although, there should be a feeling of optimism despite the loss.
Joao Gomes earns high praise from Paul Merson despite Newcastle defeat
The high point from the fixture from a Wolves point of view was Mario Lemina’s goal, as the captain finished off a sublime move.
First, Joao Gomes won the ball in midfield, allowing Matheus Cunha to carry and then play in Jorgen Strand Larsen on the right side.
The striker held the ball up expertly before crossing into Lemina’s path, with a moment of magic coming from Gomes in the box without the Brazilian needing to touch the ball.
Gomes’ dummy before Lemina’s strike put Newcastle’s defence under his spell, resulting in Paul Merson firing high praise in the midfielder’s direction.
Reacting to the goal on Sky Sports’ coverage of the match, Merson formed a comparison between Gomes and Lionel Messi in that moment.
“That is unbelievable,” Merson said when applauding Gomes.
“If Messi did that, we’d be going mad. Everything about it is phenomenal.”
Wolves were unfortunate to lose against Newcastle
Even Newcastle would have left Molineux feeling fortunate to have won the game, as Wolves put in an exceptional shift in a bid to win.
Missed chances and two sensational strikes were the difference between the two sides, as the Old Gold’s search for their first win of the season goes on.
O’Neil admitted he was disappointed with the defending prior to Barnes’ match-winner in the 80th minute although, aside from that, there was very little to critique from Wolves’ performance.
Next up for the Midlands club come Aston Villa away in the derby, where three points would be a statement against Unai Emery’s high-fliers.
After the defeat to Newcastle, there’s little to suggest that Wolves can’t get a result against the Villans, with the display telling a different story to the scoreline.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has shared whether he believes Newcastle should have had a penalty against Wolves.
Gary O’Neil’s side were incredibly unfortunate to not get the win against Newcastle, as Wolves took the lead in the first half.
It was a fixture that opened the door for the Old Gold to secure their first Premier League win of the season however, it was not meant to be once again for the hosts.
Mario Lemina’s well-worked goal was cancelled out in the space of five minutes, as Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes fired Newcastle into the lead.
