Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare made his Premier League debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, but it was fellow debutant Nick Woltemade who stole the spotlight, scoring the winning goal in Newcastle United’s 1-0 victory at St. James’ Park.
Wolves, desperate to end a torrid run of form, showed early promise. Arokodare nearly marked his debut with an assist when his clever flick sent João Gomes through on goal, only for Nick Pope to produce a fine save. From the ensuing corner, the Newcastle goalkeeper was called into action again, tipping away Hee-Chan Hwang’s half-volley.
However, Eddie Howe’s side quickly found their rhythm. Jacob Murphy was denied from close range by Sam Johnstone, while Yerson Mosquera survived calls for a red card after pulling Harvey Barnes.
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Murphy delivered a teasing cross from the right and the Magpies record-signing Woltemade rose highest to power a header into the back of the net, marking his first goal for the club in emphatic fashion.
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Jacob Murphy thought he had extended Newcastle’s advantage shortly after, but his effort was chalked off for an offside in the buildup, leaving the hosts 1-0 ahead at the break.
Wolves tried to stay compact after the restart, but their lack of cutting edge in attack was evident. Head coach Vítor Pereira rolled the dice in the 66th minute, replacing Arokodare, Mosquera and André with Jhon Arias, Marshall Munetsi and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. Yet, the changes did little to alter the outcome as the visitors slumped to a fourth straight defeat.
The loss leaves Wolves bottom of the table, the only side yet to register a single point this season. Newcastle, meanwhile, celebrated their first victory of the campaign, climbing to ninth with five points.
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