In a season full of highs and lows for Wolverhampton Wanderers, we have chosen five memorable matches from 2020.
2020 has included European trips, debut victories and behind-closed-doors encounters.
Here are our top memorable matches:
Wolves 4-0 Espanyol
Edward Hague-Sanders
At the time, it was Wolves’ biggest game in recent history. The UEFA Europa League knockout stages, the late-night fireworks and a packed out Molineux, the game has everything from a Wolves point of view.
The atmosphere was electric, as Wolves fans knew what was on the line, a place in the round of 16 in Europe’s second-biggest competition.
A hat-trick from Jota, a brilliant one at that, was overshadowed by Wolves number 8, Ruben Neves, producing a spectacular volley as the Midlands side secured an excellent 4-0 win.
It is a game that sticks in the mind of many, due to the performance from the team on such a big stage and the wonder-goal from Neves. This result propelled Wolves into the next round before the second leg had already kicked off. The performance was a classic Nuno Espírito Santo performance, as his side didn’t have much of the ball, but were lethal on the counter-attack.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Wolves
James Wynn
For those who were lucky enough to be there, the 3-2 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will live long in the memory.
In what would prove to be the last game of 2020 played in front of Wolves’ superb away following, Nuno’s side produced a superb second-half performance to beat Tottenham Hotspur away for the second consecutive year.
Steven Bergwijn gave Jose Mourinho’s side the lead early on, but the lead was short-lived as Matt Doherty, who would be signed by Spurs six months later, drew Wolves level with a close-range finish.
Serge Aurier then curled in a superb left-footed strike on the stroke of half time to send Spurs in ahead at the break before the game turned on its head in the second half. Wolves came flying out of the blocks and drew level for a second time when Doherty turned provider for Diogo Jota to prod home.
The Portuguese winger then set up Wolves’ winner, as he found Raul Jimenez one on one with Japhet Tanganga. Wanderers’ number nine turned Spurs’ centre back inside out and finished into the far corner to seal a famous Wolves win, as Nuno’s side leapfrogged Tottenham into 6th place and found themselves just three points off the UEFA Champions League places.
With Jimenez’s strike providing the last time to date that Wolves fans saw their team score - and win - in the flesh, the spring afternoon in North London is my favourite moment of 2020.
Wolves 3-0 Everton
Joe Frost
Wolves had gone into the post-lockdown restart of the 2019/20 Premier League season with three victories in a row, followed by underwhelming and disappointing losses to Arsenal and Sheffield United.
However the performance against Everton was the perfect feelgood end to that dreadful week of results, and it was a far sharper and more entertaining display of attacking football than the three precise and methodical previous wins.
Wolves were back in heated contention for European football this season, and while in the end it wasn’t to be, the victory set up a rollercoaster of anticipation and emotion which lasted until the end of the final day of the campaign.
Daniel Podence, in his first start for the club, put on a Man of the Match-winning show. The Everton defence had no answer to his rapid changes of pace and quick footwork, and he was able to beat two markers on the right flank before drawing a foul with a trick just inside the box – Jimenez converted the spot-kick to put Wolves ahead at the break.
A beautifully delivered Neto free-kick from deep on the right then allowed Leander Dendoncker to head past Jordan Pickford and into the bottom corner to double the advantage at the start of the second half.
After dispossessing Bernard, Neves won possession to the right of the Wolves box, before sending another perfect ball diagonally to Jota.
The now-Liverpool man brought the ball down with his chest before burying his left-footed shot, beating Pickford at the near post. The goal wasn’t unlike another of his famous strikes against blue and white opposition at Molineux, with the movement initiated by Neves, the delivery from the right and the ball drilled low and left.
Wolves 2-1 Chelsea
Matthew David
There is nothing better than getting a stoppage-time winner, which is exactly what Wolves got against a Chelsea side managed by Frank Lampard.
Chelsea had more of the possession and went ahead first with a quickfire shot from Olivier Giroud. Wolves responded with a bit of magic from Podence, with the Molineux men now sensing blood.
The crushing blow to Chelsea came in the dying seconds of the game with a lovely counter-attack with Pedro Neto firing the ball home to win it for Wolves. A game that showed that Wolves can still mix it with the big boys, just a shame that no fans could be in the stadium to roar the players on.
West Ham United 0-2 Wolves
Jack Johnson
After what was a far from entertaining first half at the London Stadium, Wolves needed to step up their game in the second half if they were to pick up a win. Michail Antonio and Pablo Fornals had chances for West Ham but neither had tested Rui Patricio in the Wanderers goal.
Adama Traore then came off the bench and changed the game. The Spaniard burst down the right-hand side and floated a superb ball into the box to find Raul Jimenez who headed in the opener. This was Jimenez’s 14th goal of the season which was a new club record for the most goals scored by a Wolves player in one Premier League campaign.
Traore was involved again as he tricked his way down the line, finding Doherty who crossed for Neto at the back post. Neto unleashed a thunderbolt of a volley into the back of the net to double the lead and seal the victory.
The win sent Wolves up to sixth and level on points with fifth-placed Manchester United as they continued their push for European football.