LONDON: West Ham beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 in the Premier League and heaped more pressure on beleaguered coach Gary O’Neil on Monday.
Both sides came into the match under a cloud and the game was widely billed as a make-or-break match for O’Neill and West Ham counterpart Julen Lopetegui.
Wolves started the night second to last while the London side was in 14th place, and the pressure and nerves were apparent in an edgy first half that was devoid of class or composure.
Mohammed Kudus and Konstantinos Mavropanos had half chances for West Ham, while at the other end João Gomes shot over from a good position.
Things improved after the break, and West Ham took the lead in the 53rd minutes from a corner kick. Wolves left Tomas Soucek unmarked at the back post and his looping header sailed into the far corner.
Matt Doherty equalized for Wolves in the 69th. However, just three minute later West Ham’s talismanic captain Jarrod Bowen found time and space in the box to slot home with his left foot.
West Ham was without Michail Antonio, its ever-present striker who broke a leg in a car crash on Saturday, and Bowen held up Antonio’s No. 9 shirt to celebrate his goal.
The West Ham players took the field in training tops with Antonio’s name and number on them and the home fans gave him a warm round of applause in the ninth minute.
The result left the Hammers in 14th spot, one point behind Manchester United. It was the third defeat in a row for Wolves, who remain on nine points, equal with third-to-last Ipswich Town.
West Ham beat Wolves after edgy Premier League match and heap more pressure on O’Neil
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West Ham beat Wolves after edgy Premier League match and heap more pressure on O’Neil
- Wolves started the night second to last while the London side was in 14th place, and the pressure and nerves were apparent in an edgy first half that was devoid of class or composure
Napoli cruise past Milan to book Italian Super Cup final spot in Riyadh
- Napoli make second Super Cup final in new four-team format, which was introduced in the Kingdom in 2023
- Milan rue missed chances as Rafael Leao’s absence due to knock proves costly
RIYADH: On one of the coldest evenings of the year in Riyadh, the atmosphere inside Al-Awwal Park was anything but subdued. Thousands of fans braved the conditions to witness another major chapter in Saudi Arabia’s growing international calendar, as Napoli and AC Milan went head-to-head in the first semi-final of the 2025/26 Italian Super Cup.
It wasn’t to be for I Rossoneri, as goals from David Neres and Rasmus Hojlund proved decisive for Napoli, sending them into the Super Cup final for the second time in the new four-team format after missing out on last year’s edition.
Backed by raucous Forza Milan chants, Milan nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Ruben Loftus-Cheek tested Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who reacted sharply to make a vital save.
Napoli responded with a spell of pressure of their own, but were repeatedly denied by a well-organised Milan defence.
Milan came close again in the 34th minute, as Adrien Rabiot was found inside the six-yard box from a dipping cross, only for his effort to fly over Milinkovic-Savic.
They would keep that momentum going as just a few minutes later, a swift counter-attack led by Alexis Saelemaekers found Christopher Nkunku on the edge of the box, though his strike also flew over goal.
Napoli punished Milan’s missed chances in the 39th minute. A low pass from Rasmus Hojlund across the box was parried by Mike Maignan straight into the path of David Neres, who made no mistake slotting the ball into the open net.
Napoli pushed for a second before the interval, with Hojlund testing Maignan again, who turned the striker’s effort behind for a corner. The Milan goalkeeper was called into action once again in the second half, producing a strong save to deny Amir Rrahmani.
Yet it was another powerful strike that finally broke past the Frenchman, with Rasmus Hojlund capitalising on a deep through ball from Leonardo Spinazzola to extend Napoli’s lead in the 63rd minute and tighten their grip on the game.
Milan fans briefly found a lift in the 75th minute when Luka Modric came out to a standing ovation, though it proved to be their only notable moment of the second half. Despite enjoying spells of possession, Massimiliano Allegri’s side were unable to break through and exited the tournament after just 90 minutes.
Napoli will now turn their attention to the final, where they will look to lift the Italian Super Cup for the third time in their history. For Riyadh, the semi-final marked another night of elite European football, with fans set to witness more action in tomorrow’s semi-final between Bologna and Inter Milan.
