South Korean striker Hwang Hee-chan made club history for Wolverhampton Wanderers as he opened the scoring in front of his home fans.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers drew 1-1 with Aston Villa in the eighth round of the 2023/24 Premier League on Monday (Sept. 9) at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, after Hwang opened the scoring but conceded an equalizer shortly afterward.
Hwang, who started the game, scored the game-winning goal in the eighth minute of the second half with the score tied at 0-0, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Portuguese winger Pedro Neto, who has flashed alongside Hwang this season and was voted the Wolverhampton Fans’ Player of the Season in September, made a bold and quick break down the right flank, beating Villa defender Pau Torres before crossing for Hwang to rush in and slot home with his left foot.
Hwang immediately celebrated his goal with a knee-sliding finish. It was his sixth goal of the season and fifth in the Premier League.
After the goal, Hwang threw away the cotton ball he had stuffed into his nose to stop a nosebleed before the celebration. Two minutes into the second half, Hwang was struck in the face with an elbow while contesting with Villa midfielder Douglas Lewis and complained of excruciating pain, which was confirmed by the medical staff who examined him and found that he had a nosebleed.
The medical team placed a cotton ball in Hwang’s nose to stop the bleeding. Despite the difficulty in breathing and the fact that he was unable to play a normal game, Hwang Hee-chan still managed to score a goal and lift the spirits of the Molineux stadium.
However, Wolverhampton were unable to hold on to their lead and Torres equalized just two minutes later, leaving the score at 1-1. Hwang played 86 minutes, his most in a Premier League game this season, before being substituted off in the 41st minute for Fabio Silva.
The draw leaves Wolverhampton with two wins, two draws, and four defeats (eight points), which leaves them in 14th place in the table. Still, they have won one and drawn two of their last three games, including a win at Aston Villa, to extend their unbeaten run to three games.
Wolverhampton started the season extremely poorly with just one win and four defeats in their first five games, but after a 1-1 draw away to Luton Town in round six, they picked up three points at home to Manchester City, the team that won last season’s European treble, in a 2-1 victory thanks to a Hwang Hee-chan strike. They then welcomed Aston Villa home and drew 1-1 with them.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa, who finished seventh last season and qualified for the UEFA Europa League ahead of Tottenham, drew for the first time this season to improve to 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses (16 points). They are fifth in the standings.
After the game, Hwang was once again in the spotlight. After opening the scoring against Man City, last season’s Premier League champions and one of the best clubs in the world, Hwang showed off his goal-scoring prowess in the next game.
Hwang’s performance helped Wolverhampton win their last two matches before going into the October A-match break. 스포츠토토
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