Southampton 1 Wolves 2 - Report

Having deservedly been behind courtesy of Danny Ings at the interval, Nuno Espirito Santo's side drastically turned things around after the break.

Ruben Neves coolly levelled the scores from the penalty spot before Neto grabbed the spotlight with a moment of sheer magic, leaving the Saints flabbergasted.

Responding to the FA Cup exit at the hands of Ralph Hasenhuttl's outfit, Wolves – having looked down and out at half-time – are now three unbeaten in the Premier League and up to 12th.

Analysis

It was a piece of individual brilliance to complete another fightback at St Mary's.

In similar fashion to last term, Wolves performed woefully in the first 45 minutes only to come out on top thanks to a Neto-inspired second half.

Seizing the initiative and oozing confidence and swagger, Neto showed exactly why he has earned so many plaudits this campaign.

It takes a rare skillset, and mindset, to pull off a goal like that. He must seriously be in the conversation for the top flight's young player of the season.

Wolves, as a whole, deserve credit for how they went about their business in the second 45 as well.

You would imagine there were some home-truths said in the dressing room and, ultimately, whatever Nuno said to his players worked a treat.

Everyone looked better. They went from being nervous with every single movement, to measured and precise. The game was flipped on its head.

Football can be funny and this was a game of two halves. Night and day.

Character and quality were both on display to seal three lovely points.

Match report

Entering this clash on the back of Thursday's loss to the Saints, Nuno went for a far more conventional starting line-up.

There was one change from the previous league game, the 0-0 draw with Leicester, as Romain Saiss took the place of Max Kilman on the left of the back three.

Fellow defender Fernando Marcal was able to make the bench after several weeks out with a groin problem.

Southampton, meanwhile, made three changes from their fifth-round victory at Molineux – Alex McCarthy, Jannik Vestergaard and Takumi Minamino coming in.

On a wet, windy Sunday afternoon on the south coast, the game got off to a pretty frantic start.

Neither team looked all that composed and there were half-chances at both ends. Neto whipped in a free-kick that Willian Jose, from the edge of the box, headed well over.

Joao Moutinho also saw an effort fly high and wide for Wolves, while Southampton attacker Minamino – eventually flagged offside – stung the palms of Rui Patricio.

The hosts, though, started to gain control, and Nuno's lot quickly became overawed. The Saints were enjoying the lion's share of possession and stroking it about with pace and purpose.

On the few occasions Wolves did get the ball, they proceeded to give it back away in careless fashion.

Neves misplaced multiple passes, Adama Traore was getting tackled too easily and Leander Dendoncker, quite frankly, could not get his bearings, at all.

Patricio showed sharp reflexes to keep out Nathan Redmond's bottom-corner-bound curling effort, but he could do nothing to prevent Ings from putting Southampton in front.

An excellent volley from the striker, but there was an air of inevitability about it all.

Stuart Armstrong, not closed down with anywhere near enough intent by Dendoncker, was able to pick his spot and Ings was left completely unmarked to finish from close range.

Another one to add to the catalogue of sloppy goals conceded in 2020/21.

In response, the toothless Wolves managed to win a corner amid confusion between McCarthy and Ryan Bertrand, from which Jose glanced Neto's powerful delivery comfortably off target.

But that was it before half-time. Nuno's charges were so lethargic in contrast to the energetic, high-pressing play from the Saints.

Summing things up, Dendoncker failed to find Nelson Semedo with a simple five-yard pass which instead went out for a throw-in.

Wolves were very much second-best in all departments. Another woeful half of football.

Nuno stuck to his guns for the beginning of the second period, though, and saw his men win a couple of corners shortly after the restart.

Jonny Castro Otto drove forward from left-wing-back for both of those, with there being a lot more purpose overall. And that improvement soon brought an equaliser.

Semedo – now making his presence felt further up the pitch – saw a shot handled by Bertrand in the box.

Referee Graham Scott swiftly pointed to the penalty spot and Neves calmly did the rest, sending McCarthy the wrong way from 12 yards.

They did not stop there either. If that leveller was a surprise, then what came next was utterly mind-blowing.

Neves had a volley caught by McCarthy before Wolves' runaway player of the season came up with a massive contender for goal of the season.

In a breath-taking display of his prowess, Neto left Southampton in a spin. Setting up to cross the ball towards Jose, he instead left Vestergaard for dead and hammered beyond the perplexed McCarthy – past him in the blink of an eye.

It was a goal which very few would even dream about, but Wolves – replacing Otto with Marcal – still had a job to do.

The Saints continued to knock at the door and Patricio had to be on his mettle to keep out James Ward-Prowse, and then substitute Che Adams on the rebound.

Adams also had a late header fly wayward as Wolves sealed a quite astonishing comeback victory to move up the table.

Teams

Southampton (4-4-2): McCarthy; Walker-Peters (Salisu, 72), Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Armstrong (Adams, 69), Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Minamino (Djenepo, 62); Redmond, Ings

Subs not used: Forster (gk), Stephens, Chauke, Watts, Tella, Nlundulu

Goal: Ings (25)

Wolves (3-4-3): Patricio; Dendoncker, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Moutinho, Neves, Otto (Marcal, 69); Traore, Jose (Silva, 89), Neto (Kilman, 90+3)

Subs not used: Ruddy (gk), Hoever, Ait-Nouri, Otasowie, Gibbs-White, Vitinha

Goals: Neves (pen, 53), Neto (66)

Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire)